With concerns over the coronavirus pandemic still uppermost in people's minds, the MOHPG Board of Directors has elected to make this year's Historic Homes Tour a virtual experience. Those who sign up to view the videos of the homes (Each home will be presented in a separate video) will be able to watch the videos anytime from 9 am on May 1 until 9 pm on May 9. Because the pandemic has been a financial burden for so many, MOHPG is asking for a $20 donation to view the videos but payment is up to each individual.
Watch for further updates and information on how to signup to view the videos in the coming weeks.

Longtime MOHPG member Jim Constantian has recently made a donation of 73 books to be added to the MOHPG book collection at the Monrovia Public Library. This will bring the collection to over 300 books on topics such as paint colors, home restoration techniques, etc. To see a listing of the books donated, click here.
​It will probably be a few months before the library staff has time to inventory the collection and add it to the book rack. 

Like so many other events and cherished traditions (Our Historic Homes Tour is a notable example), MOHPG has found it necessary to cancel the 4th annual earthquake workshop that was scheduled to be held on September 12. 
Assuming a semblance of return to normal by 2021, we hope to once again offer the workshop to the community. Advance notice will be given on this website if we are able once again to present strategies for coping with a devastating earthquake.

The Monrovia Historical Society finally have a new roof on the Anderson House Museum! The 1886 Victorian, one of the oldest homes in Monrovia that is now a museum, was badly in need of a new roof to replace the leaky one it had. A successful fund-raising effort last year, helped along with a $5,000 assist from MOHPG, secured sufficient funds to complete the project. Work began on Wednesday, July 18, and took about a week and a half to complete.
​Now the Society can concentrate on some much needed interior work.

Looking for something to do this Saturday, June 27, from 11 am – 12 noon? Why not sign up to watch a virtual event on women and Route 66? Historian and MOHPG member Susie Ling, MOHPG member and Monrovia Councilmember Larry Spicer, third generation Monrovia resident Keiko Sakatani, and author Katrina Parks will participate in a panel event at the Autry Museum. Also on the panel will be archivist Marva Felchlin and author Candacy Taylor.
 
The virtual event is free but you must RSVP at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LDCi3S9RRzu2vZNl7G8S8A
 
Further information can be found on their Facebook link:
​https://www.facebook.com/events/735857420584248/
 
This event and the films featured in it are made possible with support from The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the NPS' Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, California Humanities and Cinefemme.

​There is currently an oral history project in the works by Katrina Parks which is documenting the role of women in the history of Route 66, also referred to as the “Mother Road.” Two of the 24 videos already completed may be of special interest to MOHPG members and the Monrovia community at large. One is an interview with Keiko Sakatani, the grand-daughter of Monrovia’s “Strawberry King,” and the other is with Larry Spicer who grew up in Monrovia and is currently a member of the Monrovia City Council. The interviews were arranged through Susie Ling, who is a member of MOHPG and a professor at Pasadena City College. Susie has given several presentations over the years to the community about the role that African-Americans, Latinos and Asians have played in Monrovia’s history.
 
To view the videos, click on the following link: http://www.route66women.com/explore-by-location/california/
To learn more about this project, visit their Facebook page.

On Sunday, March 15, the MOHPG Board of Directors held a special meeting to discuss the upcoming home tour scheduled for May 3. It was a unanimous decision by the board to cancel the tour for this year over health concerns for the homeowners, tour goers, and docents. Although the tour is the main yearly fundraiser for MOHPG, our financial situation is strong enough that future decisions regarding our operation will not be impacted.
We want to thank all of those who have supported our tour in the past, and we plan to resume hosting the tour in 2021.

​     Devotees of history are aware that this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in America. To observe this important milestone, the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group and the Monrovia Historical Museum are joining forces to present a special program. It will be held on Sunday, March 8, 2020, at 1 pm at the Monrovia Historical Museum, 742 E. Lemon Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.

In 1979 the Monrovia Historical Society was formed to care for the Anderson House, a 1886 Queen Anne Victorian that was one of the first houses built in the new town of Monrovia. Today the home is a museum, but the roof is in dire straits and needs to be replaced. Materials for that purpose have been secured, but the cost to install them will run about $10,000. The Society has set the end of February as the deadline for taking donations.
Because the Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, donations are tax-deductible and can be made in two ways:
1. Mail a check to:
    Monrovia Historical Society
    P.O. Box 1898
    Monrovia, CA   91017
   (Note: Write Anderson House Roof Fund on your check.)
2. A GoFundMe account has been set up to take donations. Click here to donate.
​3. Through the Historical Society’s website: https://monroviahistoricalsociety.org/anderson-house      See “Donate to a New Roof”   
​
To watch a short video on the Anderson House, click here.

Upland Heritage will be hosting a free workshop on home restoration on Saturday, October 5, 2019, and everyone is invited. The workshop will be conducted in the home located at the Simons House, 738 W. 17th Street, Upland, from 9 am until 4 pm. A sack lunch will be available for purchase onsite. There will also be door prizes and a silent auction.