By Patrick Comiskey
On a sunny June morning nearly 100 people gathered at the Village Green clubhouse for a discussion of the legacy of Sugar Hill, the historic and storied African American neighborhood in West Adams in Los Angeles. Sponsored by the Board and the Communications Committee, this was a joint project with FORT LA, a non-profit organization devoted to historic preservation in the city.
The morning began with a brief welcome by Communications Committee Chair Marie Germaine, who brought FORT LA founder Russell Brown to the podium. Brown introduced two researchers, Madelene Dailey and Joshua A. Foster, to give an overview of this vibrant neighborhood cut short—and in half—by the construction of the I-10 Freeway through its heart in 1964. Foster gave an overview of the neighborhood’s history and drew a portrait of some of its most notable buildings and residents; Dailey provided an account of current preservation efforts, through a project sponsored by her organization, Architecture & Advocacy, which has been collecting stories and memories of the neighborhood in its heyday and in the present.
The event was attended not only by Village Green residents but by many current residents of the Sugar Hill and West Adams neighborhoods, not only homeowners but artists, architects, restoration experts and community organizers, who continue to advocate for the neighborhood and devote time to preserving its heritage.
There were several stirring moments during the Q&A, in which current and former residents of the neighborhood told stories of the present day and days gone by, including Village Green resident Kathleen Berryman Houston, whose father, Norman O. Houston, was a prominent businessman and homeowner on Sugar Hill. At one point a woman stood up and shared that she had been raised in Hattie McDaniel’s historic home on Harvard Boulevard; her father had purchased the property in 1952.
Please sign up for the next installment of this Sugar Hill conversation, a guided walking tour on Saturday, June 29, 10a.m. Email your reservation request to: vgcomcom1941@#gmail.com. You will receive parking and contact information.
The event was attended not only by Village Green residents but by many current residents of the Sugar Hill and West Adams neighborhoods, not only homeowners but artists, architects, restoration experts and community organizers, who continue to advocate for the neighborhood and devote time to preserving its heritage.
There were several stirring moments during the Q&A, in which current and former residents of the neighborhood told stories of the present day and days gone by, including Village Green resident Kathleen Berryman Houston, whose father, Norman O. Houston, was a prominent businessman and homeowner on Sugar Hill. At one point a woman stood up and shared that she had been raised in Hattie McDaniel’s historic home on Harvard Boulevard; her father had purchased the property in 1952.
Please sign up for the next installment of this Sugar Hill conversation, a guided walking tour on Saturday, June 29, 10a.m. Email your reservation request to: vgcomcom1941@#gmail.com. You will receive parking and contact information.
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