Victorian Preservation Center and Cohen-Bray House [CA]

Description

The mission of the Center is to interpret the East Bay in the later 19th century. The Center seeks to accomplish this goal by promoting the study of material culture of the era and the social and economic life of Oakland, the East Bay, and the San Francisco Bay Area as represented by the Cohen Bray House. The uniqueness of this house is that it is still lived in by members of the original family. With the help of the friends and the professionals on the board, they have made the effort to preserve and protect the original interiors. Visitors will find the furniture; wallpaper; pictures; rugs; and personal items such as diaries, shopping lists and wedding presents are still in their places. Tours also include family stories of the neighborhood and what life was like since the house was built in 1884.

The house offers tours and educational programs.

Anderson Valley Historical Museum

Description

The Museum is centrally located a half-mile northwest of Boonville in the Con Creek Schoolhouse. Built in 1891, it taught children of lumberjacks and sheep farmers for almost 90 years before closing in 1979, when it was purchased by the Community Services District with an agreement that it would be leased to the Society for use as a museum. Today, the museum shares relics and information about Anderson Valley's colorful past, including the original native residents up to Boontling, the whimsical local language once spoken widely throughout the valley.

The museum offers exhibits.

Lompoc Valley Historical Society and Fabing-McKay Spanne House

Description

The Society was founded September 5, 1964, as an outgrowth of the Lompoc Pioneer Society. The mission of the society is to provide a repository for historical artifacts and documents pertinent to the history of the Lompoc Valley. The Society also owns and maintains the 1875 Fabing-McKay Spanne House.

The house offers tours; the society offers research library access.

Historical Society of Pomona Valley, Ebell Museum of History, and Historic Sites

Description

The Society operates the Ebell Museum of History, housed in the 1910 home of Pomona's Ebell Club; the 1850–1854 Adobe de Palomares; the 1837 La Casa Primera; the 1908 Barbara Greenwood Kindergarten; and the 1875 Phillips Mansion.

The museum and sites offer exhibits; the society offers lectures and occasional recreational and educational programs.

Hiller Aviation Museum [CA]

Description

The Hiller Aviation Museum celebrates the human spirit of adventure expressed in the history of aviation in Northern California and beyond. Through aircraft collections, exhibits, and programs, the museum provides multiple ways for visitors to experience the adventure and innovation of flight and to use aviation as a portal for exploring science, history, and technology.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, research library access, and educational and recreational events.

Mare Island Historic Park Foundation [CA]

Description

David Glasgow Farragut founded the Mare Island Shipyard in 1854, and the Navy closed the yard in 1996. During that period, over 500 ships, including nuclear submarines, were built at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The Foundation cares for four of the most historic buildings in Mare Island's National Historic Landmark District. These include St. Peter's Chapel (built 1901), renowned for its Tiffany-designed stained glass windows; Quarters "A" (built 1900), largest (10,500 square feet) of the 13 colonial revival mansions; Quarters "B," a mansion of 7,400 square feet also called the "Captain's Mansion;" and Building 46 (built 1855), originally a smithery, then the pipe shop, now the Artifacts Museum.

The foundation offers tours and occasional workshops and classes; Building 46 offers exhibits.

Los Angeles Conservancy [CA]

Description

The Los Angeles Conservancy is dedicated to the recognition, preservation, and revitalization of the architectural and cultural heritage of greater Los Angeles. THe group offers fun activities for adults and kids alike, including youth and family docent-led and self-guided walking tours. They also provide several kids’ guides to historic places in Los Angeles, activities for teachers, parents, and kids, and additional resources to explore the history of L.A.

Visit the website for more information about kids' guides, lesson plans and activities for teachers that adhere to California teaching standards.

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park [CA]

Description

In August 1908, Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other settlers established a town founded, financed, and governed by African Americans. Their dream of developing an abundant and thriving community stemmed directly from a strong belief in programs that allowed blacks to help themselves create better lives. By 1910, Allensworth’s success was the focus of many national newspaper articles praising the town and its inhabitants. Today a collection of restored and reconstructed early 20th-century buildings—including the Colonel's house, historic schoolhouse, Baptist church, and library—once again dots this flat farm country.

The park offers a short film, exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.