German immigrant Herman Vetter played a key role in the early days of the city of Hermosa Beach. He was among the city’s first group of elected trustees in 1906, and served as Hermosa’s first city clerk. He also helped push for the city’s incorporation in 1907, and helped to found its first school, Ocean View School. 
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Vetter erected the windmill in 1903 in order to provide irrigation for the plants on his flower farm, located on Ardmore Avenue between 16th and 21st streets. He raised carnations, tulips and other flowers there, and his daughter would sell them around town from a wagon. In 1916, he opened the city’s first flower shop on Pier Avenue. 
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After Vetter’s death, the flower farm stood vacant until the late 1960s, when real estate developers began looking at the property for housing. 
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A group of citizens formed to attempt to preserve the old windmill, forming the Save the Windmill Committee and raising $2,000 to help save the structure. In 1969, a group of Navy Seabees were enlisted to help move the structure to Greenwood Park, near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Aviation Boulevard, where the reconstructed windmill stood for three decades. 
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In the late 1990s, its deterioration and weathering had become noticeable. Vanes had broken off, and the working parts were caked with mud, grease and rust. Another citizens group was formed to help restore the decaying windmill, this time led by local activist Roger Bacon, ultimately raising about $40,000 for the project. 
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Among those he enlisted to help was local windmill expert Steve Storm, an engineer from El Segundo who went far and wide to obtain mechanical parts for the structure. Finally, in 2000, the fully restored windmill was celebrated in a ceremony in Greenwood Park, where it still functions today, more than 100 years after it was first built.

Vetter Windmill

"Get off that couch and get on down to Les Bacon and Son's Ford!!!” 
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Roger Bacon, known for making that pitch on TV commercials, ran and owned the Les Bacon and Son's Ford car dealership in Hermosa Beach from 1949 to 1963. The dealership was said to sell 500 Ford's a month and was a major TV sponsor during the Sunday afternoon jalopy races on KTLA television.&nbsp; 
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With their dealership right at Aviation and Sepulveda, they were famous for having a car up a pole that was visible to all who drove by. The property was ultimately developed into what you now know as Park Pacific Shopping center, home of Ralphs and Trader Joes. 
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They sold Studebakers, Fords, Volkswagens and Porsches with extravagant commercials and the use of exotic animals, celebrities, and in-your-face commentary. 
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But behind the scenes, Les and Marion Bacon were huge supporters of all things Hermosa Beach, from local school athletics to city police and lifeguards. They were known for their numerous acts of community service. The Bacons lived directly behind their dealership and had a swimming pool that seemed to get more use from town citizens than their sons. When Les Bacon found out the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Scuba Rescue Team had no place to test their equipment, the family invited the lifeguards to use their pool. It also became a place for Little League baseball teams to hang out in while Les Bacon grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for the children. 
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As a big supporter of area athletics, the Bacons built bleachers at a Little League baseball field that was at the corner of Aviation and Artesia boulevards. They sponsored the El Camino Summer Basketball program, and provided trophies for outstanding senior athletes at Redondo Union and Mira Costa high schools. “My father said, ‘Always serve the community,'” Roger Bacon said. “Always help out in the community.” 
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Les and Marion Bacon also helped provide funding for the Hermosa Beach Police Department. When Hermosa Beach police officers once wanted to participate in a shooting competition in Chicago, but had no way of getting there, Bacon gave them a car to use and paid for their entire trip. The officers ended up winning the event. 
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Marion Bacon was a special education teacher's assistant at Redondo Union High School and loved being surrounded by children. So, the Bacons organized events for city children throughout the year. Marion Bacon would invite residents over to the house every December to bake Christmas cookies and the Bacons would hold an Easter egg hunt every spring at Greenwood Park. 
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Roger Bacon said his parents were always supporting civic activities. So he had a sequoia tree planted in Greenwood Park next to a rock embedded with a plaque remembering his parents. His father died in 1959 and his mother died in 1992. “They last forever,” he said about the sequoia tree honoring his parents.&nbsp; 
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Roger went on to become a stalwart of the community and a successful local real state developer, he helped create Hermosa Beach’s Surfer’s Walk of Fame in 2003 and more recently brought Trader Joes to the site of his family's old dealership. Roger himself passed on February 28, 2019&nbsp;at the age of 88. He and his parents leave a legacy nearly unmatched in our town's history... a family forever rooted in Hermosa Beach.&nbsp;

Les Bacon Ford

The Hughes H-4 Hercules or also known as the “Spruce Goose” has a place in Hermosa Beach&nbsp;history. The aircraft was almost completely made out of birch wood due to wartime regulations&nbsp;on aluminum. It was constructed by the Hughes Aircraft Company when it made only a short&nbsp;flight on November 2, 1947. It was the largest plane built at the time and was intended to be a&nbsp;transatlantic transport during WWII. It had the largest wingspan of any aircraft until 2019.&nbsp;The wings were transported through Hermosa Beach along the Pacific Coast Highway as they&nbsp;made their way to Long Beach to be assembled. Once constructed the aircraft had a wingspan&nbsp;of 320 feet. Many people lined the streets to catch a glimpse at aviation history.

Spruce Goose

El Camino Real is Spanish for the King’s Highway. This highway dates back to 1769 when California was a Spanish Territory. Travelers and settlers utilized this path, which honored the King. The trail later evolved into a highway, known as the Pacific Coast Highway. Starting in 1906, mission bells&nbsp;were&nbsp;placed along the El Camino Real. The mission bell, shown next to the Hermosa Beach's Community Center, was originally placed to signify Hermosa Beach's incorporation as a city in 1907. The original bell vanished in the 1950’s, but was replaced with a replica in 1997.

El Camino Real

This 1930’s Art Deco landmark, presently the Hermosa Beach Community Center, actually started out as one of the city’s first public schools.&nbsp; “Where there is no vision the people perish,” was the motto on the school’s original Pier Avenue façade.&nbsp;The former Hermosa Beach city librarian, dates the schools original construction to 1911 by the architect, Samuel E Lunden, who was also responsible for other grand buildings in the region, such as the Los Angeles Stock Exchange Building in downtown Los Angeles.

On March 10th 1933, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake southeast of Long Beach, on the Newport-Inglewood fault line, severely shook the Southbay. This earthquake critically damaged the building, causing the auditorium walls to collapse, resulting in the closure of the school. In 1934, Samuel Lunden was enlisted to help rebuild the auditorium, utilizing heavily reinforced concrete to withstand future earthquakes. The building renovation cost $6,757, the majority of which came from government funding.&nbsp;

Los Angeles County schools superintendent A.R. Clifton, gave the keynote address at the new auditorium’s official dedication on May 26, 1936.&nbsp;The school remained open until 1975, when it closed its doors to declining enrollment.

Despite this, the&nbsp;building has had many uses throughout its history. During World War II, the auditorium was used as a Red Cross Disaster Center, as well as, a place to register for military service. Additionally, the building gained fame for the filming of Stephen King’s classic horror tale “Carrie” in the late 1970’s. &nbsp; 
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On January 18th, 1978, the City of Hermosa Beach purchased the property from the Hermosa Beach School District for $650,000. The city decided to repurpose the building into a place for performing arts, as well as, a central location for community services.

In 1994, the city dedicated a Veterans Memorial sundial, in front of the community center along Pacific Coast Highway.

"I see a memorial that will tell me that my community and my country do appreciate and understand that my brothers have fallen for a purpose," Ken Marks said in the Los Angeles Times in December 1992. "And that invigorates me to get back out there to help society."

The building was remodeled in 1999 through 2000, highlighting its art deco features and adding the theater marquee. In July 2002, the Hermosa Beach City Council designated the center as a local historical landmark.

Hermosa Beach Community Center

Hermosa Beach once had a thriving silk industry and helped the 1920s roar with bootlegging and gambling. Four factories operated in 1920s at that time: 1) the tile factory, 2) silk mill 3) glass factory, and 4) chemical plant. &nbsp;Also in the 1920s, the first shipment of raw silk arrived from the Orient via cardo ship into Los Angeles Harbor. It was then, transported by train up to Los Angeles, then down to the Hermosa Beach Silk Spinning Company, located on a railroad spur off the Santa Fe line at Pier and Ardmore Ave. This factory produced thousands of yards of silk monthly. The factory continued for years at that location, then became Trader Al’s. &nbsp;

Silk Factory

The beautiful wood chip greenbelt that we know and love, wasn't always as lush as it is today. Let’s take a look back at its origin. 
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Going back to the 1880s, the Santa Fe Railroad began laying the groundwork for a line to pass through Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and into Redondo Beach, connecting the thriving Los Angeles region with a seaside port and marina. This line was built to deliver building materials to the rapidly expanding South Bay and greater Los Angeles region. With the evolution of the San Pedro port as the main port for Los Angeles, freight traffic declined to-and from Redondo Beach. 
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By the 1970s, the Santa Fe line was no longer in use, and the community took a close look at what this space could transform into.&nbsp;Many early discussions involved a light rail trolley line, hotels, or other commercial developments. One proposal suggested building a jogging path along this right-of-way, which&nbsp;became a popular sentiment among local residents. This long strip of land stretching all the way from Rosecrans Avenue in Manhattan Beach to Herondo Street in Redondo Beach had the opportunity to become one of the last open spaces left in the heavily developed South Bay.&nbsp; 
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After much deliberation, Hermosa and Manhattan Beach agreed to purchase the right-of-way from the Santa Fe Railroad. Manhattan Beach agreed to purchase the 23 acres of land from Santa Fe for $4.2 million in 1986 and Hermosa Beach agreed to purchase 19 acres of land for $7.5 million in 1988. 
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Once the two cities had taken ownership of the land, they set about improving the open space and landscaping, in spite of various development proposals. One such proposal, was to include more parking spaces on parts of the Hermosa Valley Greenbelt. It was quickly shut down by local green open space advocates, known at that time as the Open Space People’s Action Committee (OSPAC). 
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The resulting stretch of green open space has transformed over the years, from an unused stretch of railroads tracks into the 3.5-mile trail, filled with lush fresh vegetation, that includes various workout stations for locals and tourist alike.&nbsp; 
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Santa Fe Railway

Designed by architect Savo Stoshitch, the current city hall was built in 1965 for a total cost of $328,390. With inflation that would cost $2,644,307 today. Although the two-story building may look fairly&nbsp;bland with the brick-faced exterior, the entrance is clad in marble, giving it a&nbsp;welcoming feeling to visitors. As you can see in the image, the local school band looks on, as Mayor, K.R. Anderson addresses a large crowd at&nbsp;the opening ceremony on January 24th, 1965. Over the past 50 years, Hermosa Beach's City Hall has stood the test of time, maintaining it classic design and character.

Hermosa Beach City Hall

In the early 19th century, much of modern day Hermosa Beach was covered in fields of carnations. These flowers were originally planted by Japanese immigrants who came to the Pacific coast of the United States as a result of labor needs. Many immigrants were drawn to the region due to economic expansion happening in part because of the completion of the Intercontinental Railroad in 1869, as well as economic sanctions hurting Japan.&nbsp; 
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These Hermosa Beach carnations came to represent the natural beauty of the area, and were adopted by locals in the early 1900s. Residents recall fostering their own gardens, and enjoying the bloom each year, in which entire fields of carnations sprang to life each and every spring.

Carnation Fields

Many years prior to the introduction of silk factories into Hermosa Beach's history there was a serious effort to introduce&nbsp;Sericulture, or the production of silk and rearing of silkworms, to the region.

Silk production and manufacturing has a deep history in Chinese culture dating back over 4,000 years. For years the production of this luxurious fabric was exclusively Chinese, until the secret was copied and shared throughout Europe. For a period, France was the world leader in silk production, with Japan producing the majority of raw product. Therefore it was only natural that a French tourist would recognize the temperate nature of the Golden Coast and see the possibility of expanding silk production.

This dream of culturing silk, by growing mulberry trees to feeding the silkworm larvae, harvesting the cocoon, to the manufacturing of silk textiles was sweeping Southern California through the 1880's. In 1867 the state offered a bounty for every plantation having 5,000 2-year old mulberry trees, and a bonus on top of that for every 10,000 salable cocoons. Unfortunately there isn't a record of how many Hermosian's took advantage. If you look closely, you can see the last two mulberry trees just past the fence at Hermosa Valley School still standing today.

Mulberry Trees

Auto Camp and Bungalette City was campground strategically placed on Pier Avenue that attracted people from all over. It was an area that gave people sanitary and modern amenities at a bargain price but close access to the beach, pier, stores, markets, theatres, and amusements. 
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The Auto Camp, a place where people were able to sleep in their cars but were given access to the use of a kitchen, dining room, laundry and bathrooms. There was also a barbeque pit available for people to use. This option was $3 per day or $10 per month.&nbsp; If you wanted something more upscale there was another option. 
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The Bungaletes, the more upscale option, was a one or two bedroom tent that had a kitchenette. Each Bungalete had two full sized beds, furniture, bedding, linens, kitchenware, dishes and electricity. People also had access to water faucets, sanitary toilets, laundry and showers or baths. All of this for just $12.50 per week or $40 per month. A bargain for the hotel fees today.

Auto Camp and Bungalette City

The history of the Stars building dates back to 1917 when it was originally built as a church, you can still see the stairs inside today. The building was converted in 1977 into Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Food Store before Whole Foods bought her out in 1993. Mrs. Sandy Gooch, a homemaker and former grade school teacher, became interested in natural foods after suffering a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics and chemical additives in food. She joined forces with Dan Volland, who operates three health food stores, to open the first Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Foods Market in West Los Angeles in January of 1977. Within a year, the second market opened in Hermosa Beach.

After Whole Foods took over Mr's Gooch's and decided to move out of Hermosa in 1997, Stars Antique Market moved in. It is know to most locals as “the big red barn.” Inside it’s doors, 65 eclectic antique dealers are brought together under one roof. Featuring a wide spectrum of vintage items and collectibles, like European antiques, California pottery, jewelry, glassware and one-of-a-kind historical items, Stars has no problem filling its 7,000 square feet of space. Go in and see what treasures you might find.

The Stars Antique Market

As many Hermosa Beach locals and visitors sip beverages at a neighboring coffee shop, they can also savor the majestic and historic ambiance of what used to be the old Metropolitan or Bijou Theatre. One of the oldest buildings still standing in Hermosa Beach, this commercial downtown structure is much more than the bank that currently occupies its ground floor space.

The building's story begins in 1923, with a proposal from Ralph Matteson and his colleagues, to build over the existing First Bank of Hermosa with the new notion of a bank and entertainment under one roof. The Hermosa Beach Review&nbsp;devoted an entire page on January 19, 1923, announcing the introduction of the $200,000 bank and movie theater complex, that would "cover five city lots and include banking service, office suites and a new theatre, "all the last word in modern construction.""

The design was carried out by Richard Douglas King, a longtime resident of Hermosa Beach. Within a half a year the theater was ready to open. Local city councilman J.H Claudis won the naming contest, branding the new building the Metropolitan Theatre. He donated his prize, a five dollar gold piece to the local Boy Scouts.

"The theatre has a beautiful entrance... underneath a marquee of rare artistic design," stated in the &nbsp;Hermosa Beach Review's front-page article from 1923. "Prominently arched and filled with expensive hangings… alcoves and costly paintings."

Around 1980 and after a half a century of operation, the theatre was rebranded as The Cove, and showed popular surf movies, as well as, several screenings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It became one of the first 30 US Theaters with weekly midnight screenings. There as also the occasional punk rock band performances, a huge hit with the emerging local punk rock crowd. The name changed again to the Bijou in the early 90's, and it became known for eclectic film screenings consisting of foreign films, art pictures, and other lesser known releases, essentially movies that were otherwise impossible to see in the South Bay.

By 1999 this historic building was almost demolished due to the need for retrofitting to meet California's State &nbsp;earthquake requirements. Hermosa Beach's Historical Society stepped in, classifying this art deco building as an official historic landmark in 1999.&nbsp;Following a 3-2, vote by the Hermosa Beach City Council, the former Bijou Theatre’s floor was permitted to be leveled and the theatre seats removed to make way for retail use.

The building later housed an art gallery and office space. The art gallery closed in 2013, and the space became a bank. You can still step inside the lobby of the Chase bank and catch a glimpse of the preserved theaters glory.

Bijou Theatre

Did you know that Bank of America in Downtown Hermosa Beach is a historical landmark? Well…it is. Bank of America, on the Southwest corner of Pier and Hermosa Avenues, is housed in what used to be the National Bank of Hermosa Beach which was granted charter #12271 in 1922. What makes this so special??? Well, I’m glad you asked…

Prior to the American Civil War, state banks issued their own&nbsp;banknotes&nbsp;and chartered private banks to also issue banknotes, or paper money. Privately issued banknotes were nominally backed by specie or financial securities held by the banks, however oversight was often lax and encouraged&nbsp;wildcat banking, in which fraudulent institutions issued worthless money.

In 1863, during the Civil War, the federal government created the National Banking Act, which established a system of National Banks that were empowered to issue National Bank Notes, subject to federal oversight. The chartering of banks and administrative control over the issuance of National Bank Notes or dollars, was the responsibility of the&nbsp;Office of the Comptroller of Currency. A 2% tax on state bank notes was authorized in 1864 to speed up conversion to the new system, only to be increased the next year to 10%, and then 20%. 
 
From 1863 to 1935, National Bank Notes were issued by banks throughout the country and in US territories. Banks with a federal charter would deposit bonds in the US Treasury. The banks could then print money worth up to 90 percent of the value of those bonds.&nbsp; The federal government would back or support the value of these notes, which created a demand for the government bonds. This program was a form of&nbsp;monetization&nbsp;of the Federal debt. Bonds were eligible as collateral for posting to the Treasury were said to have the "circulation privilege" and the interest they bore provided&nbsp;seigniorage&nbsp;to the National Banks.

First and foremost, as a National Bank, our very own National Bank of Hermosa Beach printed US currency with our cities name on it. In fact, we issued two notes…a 1902 and a 1929 $5 and $10 bill as pictured.&nbsp;Beyond that, it’s pretty special to have a National Historic Landmark in a tiny little beach town like Hermosa.

National Bank of Hermosa

Kerwin Family Bakery was home to Ted Kerwin, lifelong resident of Hermosa Beach, early practitioners of the art of surfing, and pioneer member of the Surfers Walk of Fame.

“Ted was the second youngest of nine ‘Kerwin Kids,’ all born at the family residence and bakery business on lower Pier Avenue between 1911 and 1926.Ted’s father, John Kerwin, left Ireland at the age of 19, arriving in New York at Ellis Island in 1902. Prior to traveling west to Hermosa Beach in 1909, he worked for several years as a baker in Massachusetts, saving his money and perfecting his baking skills."

The Kerwin Family Bakery building still operates today as a business and is currently occupied by Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila, a Mexican Fusion Restaurant. Ted Kerwin and the Kerwin Kids help put Hermosa Beach on the Southern California map and one of his legendary quotes was ‘People make it happen.’ This mantra is still very evident in Hermosa Beach’s cultural environment, behaviors, and in the hearts of the residents today.&nbsp;

Kerwin Family Bakery

In 1947, Hermosa Beach opened what was considered one of the largest and most state-of -the art marine aquariums during this time. The aquarium was built south of the Pier; with round construction and glass- tanks so visitors could easily walk in a circle around the building. This local mini- Sea World was a big draw for tourism and drew over 1.5 million visitors. The Ocean Aquarium was home to hundreds of marine life including seals, fish, and its most infamous house guests … sharks. The Ocean Aquarium was a staple of this quaint little beach town and greatly contributed to the history of Hermosa Beach. 
 
Seals are a common part of life in Hermosa as they were during the time of the Ocean Aquarium. Residents reminisce purchasing 3 sardines for a nickel to participate in seal feeding times. But it wasn’t only the feeding times the residents enjoyed. The Ocean Aquarium Seal Lion Shows were a huge hit and included tricks such as “Saying their Prayers” as well as “Hurling the Baton” depicted in the pictures above. Pierre Cillion, the World-Famous Sea Lion, was treated as a local celebrity around town. Pierre the Sea Lion is known for wearing funny hats, smoking cigarettes and “limping” on one fin. In 1949, Pierre even swam the English Channel for the Truth or Consequences Radio Program. 
 
Another celebrity from 1952, was Winnie the Whale “with the detachable tail” who was hit by a ship and embalmed for display at the Ocean Aquarium. Winnie the Whale was a prized attraction and said to have wreaked of formaldehyde. He was eventually purchased by Les Bacon Ford and displayed inside the dealership. Rumor has it, Winnie the Whale was destroyed when someone threw a cigarette butt inside his mouth, lighting the prized attraction up in flames.

In 1959 Delores Eleanor Fisher, a local South Bay resident spent 55 hours and 39 minutes underwater in a 10 Foot porpoise tank, breaking the then World’s Record for time spent underwater. Deo Fisher, as she was known, was a pioneer for women in her time. With both a love and passion for scuba and aquatics, Deo would not only break the World Record, but also train over 65,000 people to scuba dive. Following her World Record at the Ocean Aquarium in Hermosa Beach, Deo Fisher and her husband Mel, moved their family to Florida where they began hunting for treasure in what is known as the Treasure Coast. Deo &amp; Mel's legacy are known as the World’s Greatest Treasure Hunters and you can still join them in treasure hunting today.

Ocean Aquarium

Shortly after construction of the first boardwalk along the Strand in 1901, The Hermosa Beach Land and Water Company built the first pier in town in 1904, constructed entirely of wood and extending five hundred feet into the ocean. This pier lasted almost 10 years but was later torn down and replaced in 1913, now extending twice the distance. 
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At the base of the new concrete pier, the city built an auditorium building, housing public restrooms, a Los Angeles life guard station, the local branch of the LA County library and a local live theater group, Playhouse on the Pier.&nbsp; The pier itself provided shaded alcoves for fishermen and tourists.&nbsp;

While the pier required frequent repairs to its pilings, two storms in 1940 and 1945 significantly damaged the seaward end of the pier, the city eventually closed the pier to the public by 1945. The National House Wrecking and Salvage Co. of Gardena was hired to demolish what remained in 1961, with the goal of replacing the pier with a more durable version in the future. 
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Hermosa Beach raised $600,000 to build the initial version of the pier that stands today. To pay for it, the city used $300,000 from oil companies that contributed funding in order to hold an election for an offshore drilling measure.&nbsp; While the measure was defeated, the city was allowed to keep the funding and used it to fund the pier. At the same time, Hermosa Beach received a matching $300,000 grant from the state’s portion of proceeds from horse tracks wagering. As former mayor William Sachau observed, the pier was “the product of horse racing and oil drilling.” 
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On June 5, 1965, large crowds, politicians and dignitaries all gathered for the dedication of the new 1,140 foot pier, featuring a concrete block building at the end containing a snack bar, fishing tackle shop and restrooms, including sinks for fish cleaning. 
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Since that time, the pier has been renovated multiple times, notably, from 1998 to 2005, and again from 2009 to 2010, at costs of around ten million dollars. During these renovations, the building at the end of the pier was removed, and significant improvements have been made to strengthen the pilings, as well as, adding lights and railings. In honor of the benefactor, Paul William Schumacher, who donated one million dollars for the renovation of the pier, the plaza at the head of the pier was named Schumacher Plaza. This plaza additionally includes a famous sculpture of surfing pioneer Tim Kelly, Schumacher’s brother. 
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Today, the pier remains central to the surf and sand culture of Hermosa Beach.&nbsp;Straddling Pier Avenue, it remains the centerpiece of Hermosa’s past, present and future; as generation after generation enjoy the classic surfside community that has found a way to maintain its heritage while at the same time, continuing to grow around this historical icon.

Hermosa Pier

Originally, Hermosa Beach was a part of the Ocean frontage of Rancho Sausal Redondo.&nbsp; Around 1901 the first official survey for the boardwalk was conducted.&nbsp; Shortly after, the first boardwalk was built out of wooden planks along the two-mile strand. &nbsp;However, high tides often washed away portions of the strand.&nbsp; As a result, in 1914 part of the Strand was replaced with cement.&nbsp;It was not until 1926 that the entire Strand was completely replaced with cement. 
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The first city election took place on December 24, 1906. On January 14, 1907, Hermosa Beach obtained its Charter from the State to become a city and obtained ownership of the two-mile stretch of ocean frontage. This ownership was included in the original deed from the Hermosa Beach Land and Water Company.&nbsp;However, the deed did not include two hundred and ten feet on each side of the pier.&nbsp;This exclusion in the deed, was designed to keep the beach free from commerce and to provide a permanent beach playground for Hermosa Beach and Southern California residents.&nbsp;This protective mindset still exists in Hermosa Beach to this day.

Early Hermosa Beach

Noble Park – covering one small city block adjacent to the beach, welcomes all, from tightrope walkers to dogs and almost everything in between.&nbsp;How did Hermosa Beach planners arrive at a park for such a prime piece of beachfront real-estate?&nbsp;The answer is a long strange journey and one part of Hermosa History that’s sure to surprise anyone. 
 
In the early 1920’s, The Surf and Sand Club was formed to help promote Hermosa Beach and its stretch of shoreline as a Southern California tourist destination. In March 1923, the club members announced plans to build a “clubhouse” on a plot of land at the Strand and 14th, where you now find the patch of dirt, succulents, and grass we call Noble Park. Back then however, the plans included an indoor swimming pool, a grill, bowling alley, billiard and card rooms, a large dining room, and sleeping quarters on the third and fourth floors. 
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What was to become Hermosa’s first high rise building quickly grew from four floors to six in early architect plans and would ultimately settle on eight floors. As word of the project got out, the first block of 250 memberships to The Surf and Sand Club sold out almost immediately and that number would top 1000 with the project’s completion a couple years later. 
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Construction began in December 1923 and five short months later in May 1924 there was already a dedication ceremony held at the clubhouse. The building was far from complete, only the first two floors had been constructed but the club wanted to show members the progress that had been made. 
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When club finally opened its doors to members in June 1925 it quickly became the focal point of the city’s growing beach culture scene, and one of the South Bay coast’s most visible landmarks. After its splashy start however, economics forced the Surf and Sand Club to merge with the Los Angeles Athletic Club in 1929 and a few years later the Biltmore Hotel Chain took ownership of the club. Though it would become a public hotel, it continued to operate under the Surf and Sand name for several years. 
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As late as 1935, the Surf and Sand Club still was trying to fence off the beach in front of its seaside clubhouse and make it private, but the city (rightful owner of the beach in front of the hotel) refused to accept the proposal. 
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Another proposal, this one from the federal government, was implemented on Jan. 5, 1939. The New Deal agency known as the National Youth Administration (NYA), took possession of the hotel, by this time known as the Hermosa Biltmore Hotel, with plans to use it as a dormitory and work unit. Youths would be housed there and then transported to Los Angeles-area sites for vocational training. In the midst of protest from Hermosa residents, this plan stayed in place only a few months - the government finally backed away, citing the hotel’s location as limiting and removing the student residents on Aug. 15, 1939. 
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The hotel struggled in the years following World War II, with a succession of different owners taking charge between 1949 and 1966. It became run-down in the process, its owners unable to provide for its upkeep. Ownership of the property reverted to the city of Hermosa Beach in 1966 and the building continued to deteriorate rapidly, turning into a crash pad for hippies and the like. A fire that destroyed much of the 2nd floor was blamed on these crashers. 
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Demolition of the now-decrepit building finally took place in 1969 and the city was left with an empty plot of land. 
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It shouldn’t have been too difficult deciding how best to use that land, but various uses for the Biltmore site (as listed in the editors notes below) were debated endlessly in meetings, planning sessions and public forums of various kinds for the next 20 years. Several were voted on as city ballot measures, and none of them came to fruition. 
 
The early 1990’s brought another series of unresolved proposals - from a ballot proposition to sell the property for commercial development that passed by a mere 40 votes (spoiler alert, that didn’t ultimately go through), to seemingly the final vote in 1992 when 63% of voters approved a plan to transform the plot into a landscaped city park. 
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In 1994, the City Council nixed the outcome of the popular proposal and again asked the City’s voters what they wanted to do with the vacant land, and again the choice was to build a park, much to the dismay of pro-business, pro-tax revenue residents and leaders. 
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Weeks after final debate closed and plans were set to create a landscaped park, Hermosa residents Joe and Betty Noble donated $90,000 to cover the remaining construction costs for the park, and in return, the green space was named Noble Park. It was dedicated on Sept. 22, 1995.

Sand & Surf Club

Named by Los Angeles Magazine as an ''outstanding coastal town, Hermosa is a dream destination full of entertainment, breathtaking ocean views, exotic cuisines, comedy, jazz and much more! It can seem that this is only a tourist resort but don't get it wrong, this fabulous little town is rich in history and has many landmarks which you will get to explore on this tour. Let's enjoy the journey to the past!

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Discover Hermosa - Historic Landmarks

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