About MOHPG
Our History
It all began back in 1980. Bruce and Lyn Carter, living in a 1917 Craftsman bungalow, were out walking one evening and happened to meet Charles and Janet Manning who were living in an 1888 Victorian.
That chance meeting revealed that the two couples were struggling with the same problems in attempting to restore their vintage homes. They wondered if there were other homeowners with similar interests facing those same obstacles. To find out, a meeting date and location were soon agreed upon. Fliers were put out on porches, and on February 10, 1980, approximately 40 people met to discuss whether or not to form a “preservation/restoration” group. The Monrovia Old House Preservation Group (formed as an “independent committee of the Monrovia Historical Society”) was the result.
Bruce Carter and Charles Manning shared duties as the first “co-chairmen” of MOHPG. The following objectives were originally listed as concerns for the group:
1) Meetings were held to discuss restoration/remodeling of old houses.
2) The group would provide sources for needed services.
3) Research historical information on members’ older homes.
4) The group would provide a library of information.
5) The group would hold social events such as tours.
To raise money for mailings and meeting refreshments, the group held a yard sale on November 1, 1980. In those early years, numerous newspaper articles in the Monrovia News Post, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times chronicled the groups’ efforts to preserve, restore and display their historic dwellings. The first home tour by MOHPG was held March 7, 1982, and included five homes and the Anderson House museum (plus five “drive by” houses). The tour was only for the Santa Anita Model A Club and the Foothill Division of the Vintage Chevrolet club; it had between 75-80 people in attendance and netted the group $118.
The next year the tour was held on May 22, 1983, in conjunction with the Monrovia Days activities. It was co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Conservancy, and the proceeds ($1,888.27) were shared by MOHPG and the Conservancy. The first Mother’s Day tour was held in 1986. Also in 1986 MOHPG began its highly popular grant program which continued until 2008 when it was terminated by the board of directors. Proceeds from the Mother’s Day Tour were used to fund projects ranging from porch work to replacement of floors to updating plumbing and electrical systems.
In its inception, projects were judged on their “worth” by a panel of judges not affiliated with MOHPG. Then in 1999 a lottery system was implemented so that every applicant had an equal chance of winning. In addition, the program was opened to the entire community (not just MOHPG members) and could include any structure in Monrovia build prior to 1930. Winners of the drawing had 9 months to complete their project. Structured as a matching grant, winners had to spend at least $750 to be entitled to the full $750 offered by MOHPG. MOHPG is also highly visible in various community activities, including Make-A-Difference Day, sponsoring a session for the summer music series in Library Park, and providing entries in the Monrovia Days and Christmas parades.
In 2004, the group completed production of a self-guided Motor Home Tour (still available for purchase at our Online Store), allowing people to drive around town and see some of the more significant structures while learning about them on an audio CD or cassette playing in their car. In February 2006 the group sponsored a workshop on the Mills Act and Home Landmarking – attended by over 50 people in the community. After updating its mission statement a few years ago, the group changed its name to the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group (keeping the MOHPG acronym) to acknowledge the organization’s interest in dealing with all areas of preservation in the community.
In 2003, MOHPG became the stewards of the Boxx Jewelers clock on Myrtle Avenue in the downtown shopping district. MOHPG is responsible for maintaining the clock in working order and making sure the time is correct. A further foray into preservation was seeking to have the mural in the Monrovia Post Office basement conserved and placed on public display in the community. The mural was painted by prominent California artist Helen Katherine Forbes in 1940 under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project.
The scene depicts four bear cubs – painted on a canvas three feet high by over sixteen feet long (a second and much smaller mural of the mother bear is known to have existed, but its whereabouts is as yet unknown). The mural had resided in the basement of the Monrovia Post Office since 1964 when the interior of the building was remodeled. The existence of the mural was brought to the attention of the MOHPG Board of Directors by member Walt Shelly, and in May, 2004, MOHPG hired a conservator to examine the mural and make recommendations for its repair/conservation. After five years of working to have the mural restored, it was finally and permanently hung in the adult section of the new Monrovia library, on the wall just above the Heritage Room.
That installation was completed on April 7, 2009. The residents of Monrovia, many of whom had never seen the mural except in pictures, finally got their first view of the fully restored mural when the library had its grand opening on May 16, 2009. Today, MOHPG remains one of the largest non-profit organizations in Monrovia with an active membership of nearly 200 households. Members continue working to make a tangible difference in the appearance and livability of our community. If you’re not yet a member, we hope that you will consider joining us on this mission.
You can visit our Online Store to purchase a membership to help us continue restoring, preserving and maintaining our wonderful city. Thank you for your generous support.