News

Heritage Square Museum’s first-of-its kind program, Preservation through Practice, is set to begin its pilot phase in October. Now, thanks to a grant from the Weingart Foundation, the program will have a part-time coordinator to run it.

The Weingart Foundation joins the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Department of Labor in making this program possible. While more funding is still needed, this grant makes it possible to begin a program whose goal is to provide real-world preservation and restoration skills to displaced construction and craft workers, who have been hard-hit by the recession. Using Heritage Square’s un-restored structures as a training ground, the program’s potential for turning out skilled workers can not be understated. For the museum, the potential to continue long-delayed restoration work in several areas presents an exciting opportunity. Special thanks goes to Congressman Xavier Becerra for helping obtain the DOL Funding.

If you have construction experience and would be interested in participating, email development@heritagesquare.org. Note the Los Angeles Trade Technical College has agreed to give course credit to participating students.

Heritage Square Museum wishes to alert all visitors and members about a freeway closure that begins Friday, July 16.  The north end of the 110-Pasadena Freeway, also known as the Arroyo Seco Parkway, will be closed from Glenarm St. to Orange Grove Blvd.  As stated by a press release sent by the State of California, Department of Transportation, “The closures are necessary to construct the median barrier and to expedite the construction schedule.”

The closure begins at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 16 and continues through until about 5 a.m. on Monday, July 19.  The closures will not close the entire 110-Pasadena Freeway, only the portion between Glenarm and Orange Grove.  It will directly impact guests and members in South Pasadena.  CalTrans is supposed to give the community and organizations such as Heritage Square Museum notice of closures 60-days in advance, however we only received this notice 2 days in advance.

Please plan alternate routes to the museum and to Downtown LA.  To see the suggested detour routes, suggested by CalTrans, visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/travel/projects/details.php?id=47

(Scroll down to the bottom of the CalTrans webpage after the jump; under “Additional Information” you will find the PDF map for alternate routes.)

Our 40th Anniversary Fundraiser at raised $15,000 for Heritage Square Museum. We thank Master of Ceremonies Al Downing, Councilman Ed Reyes, US Bank, Southern California Gas Company, Pankow Builders, Davis Blue Print, the Arroyo Monthly, our Fundraiser Committee, our honorees and all of our attendees for helping us raise those important funds for the museum’s operations.