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.

The 3rd annual earthquake workshop, sponsored by MOHPG and the Monrovia Fire Department saw 47 people, not including presenters, turn out on Saturday morning, September 14, to garner the necessary information needed to be more prepared and better able to cope with disastrous seismic event. There were representatives from the American Red Cross, the local CERT chapter (Community Emergency Response Team), SoCal Gas, the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, and Wonder Dog Ranch.
The guest speaker was Margaret Vinci from Cal Tech whose 26 years of experience there enabled her to share lessons learned from past earthquakes and how to minimize the impact one might have. Every household in attendance received a free gas shut-off tool for their gas meter.
If you were unable to attend this event, plans are being made to hold another workshop next September. Look for details on this website.

NOTE: We regret that there are no longer any openings for the earthquake workshop.
For the third year in a row, MOHPG will be partnering with the Monrovia Fire Department to host a workshop on earthquake preparedness. The workshop will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2019, from 11 am until 2 pm. You must RSVP as seating is limited. The event will be held in the Community Room of the Monrovia Public Library.
The keynote speaker with be Margaret Vinci from Cal Tech. She has been the speaker for the previous two workshops, and she has a wealth of information to share.

Don't miss this opportunity to prepare yourself and your family in the event of a disastrous tremblor. Light refreshments will be served.
​And the best part? It's free!

MOHPG is selling a baby grand piano, with the entire proceeds benefiting the group. The piano measures 4’8” wide, 4’9” long, and 39” high. It has ivory keys and comes with a bench. ​