During the best of times, preserving, moving and restoring an historic house is a time consuming challenge. Unfortunately, time is not on the side of the highly endangered Weddington House in the San Fernando Valley.
Once hidden between industrial buildings that have been torn down, the grand old Weddington has for some months been totally exposed. Without residential neighbors and development projects slowed by the failed economy, the Mother House of North Hollywood was struck by vandals this week.
For the last several months, the issues of weed abatement, jimmied doors, a broken window and pigeons in the attic have been the old structure's bane, but this week has been different!
An entire roof section of one of the most historic houses in the Valley has been the target of destructive tagging by a dangerous, territorial street gang. The glaring markings are, in effect, a challenge to rival thugs a statement that the area belongs to the vandals. Retaliation, in the form of more tagging will follow.
History and cultural communities must act now, if the Weddington House is to be saved for us, and for future generations.
In the early days of our Republic, townspeople alarmed their neighbors and demanded action through something called a "huy and cry". Let's cry out together that the Weddington House must be protected and moved to North Hollywood Park immediately.
Jerry Fecht - The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 1 (818) 347-9665
The San Fernando Valley, in the heart of the Creative Capital of the World, deserves a great Museum of history and culture.
2 comments:
Gayle Henss Glazer commented
"so sorry to read about this; they are thugs you are certainly correct in that description of the vandals"
It is infuriating that we must remove buildings to protect them from criminals, rather than removing the criminals. When they lose access to one target, they simply focus on to another.
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