The Court of Appeals issued an emergency stay on the demolition of Anoakia. Until significant unresolved issues are settled the developers were ordered to stop everything.
Residents fighting to save the historic Anoakia mansion from development lost a court battle, as a judge upheld the city's decision to allow demolition of the property.
The Anoakia developer cannot bulldoze the Anita Baldwin mansion without a demolition permit which will not be granted by the city until certain requirements are met.
Three residents representing a group they call "Friends of Anoakia" have sued the city in an attempt to stop demolition of the historic Anoakia estate. Forrest Besocke, Winston Besocke and Michael Mulvehill filed the lawsuit Friday.
Demolition permits have been approved and the project of building new homes where the Anoakia mansion stands is now underway. Artifacts from the mansion have been given to the Arcadia Historical Society and the Arboretum.
Relics of Eaton's Restaurant will be on sale during the next 3 or 4 weeks by Mead House Wrecking prior to the demolition which is to make room for 2 new restaurants.
Public hearing on Anoakia-area zone change allows citizen input. Hearing is on a Planning Commission resolution recommending approval of a zone change from R-0 30,000 to R-0 30,000 and D for the Anoakia area. This means that residential lots must contain at least 30,000 square feet. The D stands for "design overlay," which gives the property owners' association an opportunity to review architectural plans for development.
Enrollment in Arcadia public schools has declined steadily for the past five years and the schools are destined to continue losing students for at least the next years. This has already necessitated the closing of two elementary schools and elimination of numerous teachers.
Front loggia enclosed when Anoakia was made into a girls' school. View is looking west. Assorted furniture and plants. Front door is between two tall slim columns that are portable.
Portion of wine cellar at Anoakia showing two very large casks (almost room height) with printing on each: E. J. Baldwin's Pure Old wines and brandies-Santa Anita Vineyards-1876. Two small barrels also in photo.
1. "Famous Santa Anita Rancho." News clip, October 10, 1914. Original in archives. 2. "The building of an ideal California rancho." Out West, May/June, 1914. 3. "Anoakia - where no harm shall..." Pasadena Daily News, circa 1915? 4. "The art of Maynard Dixon." International Studio, May, 1915…
1. "Famous Santa Anita Rancho." News clip, October 10, 1914. Original in archives.
2. "The building of an ideal California rancho." Out West, May/June, 1914.
3. "Anoakia - where no harm shall..." Pasadena Daily News, circa 1915?
4. "The art of Maynard Dixon." International Studio, May, 1915.
5. "Anoakia, home of Anita Baldwin." News clip, August 3, 1934.
6. Santa Anita Rancho. Anoakia Breeding Farm Private Catalogue, 1916. Black cover. Two copies in Archives.
7. Santa Anita Rancho Los Angeles County California Anita M. Baldwin. Original brochure (black cover with red Maltese cross) describing the animals and crops on Santa Anita Rancho. Photocopy of descriptive brochure.
8. First annual sale of registered hogs. October 24, 1916. Original is missing from Archives since August 1987.
9. "Fabulous estate converted into a school." Pasadena Star News, July 18, 1954.
10. Anoakia - name. Handwritten card giving one opinion.
11. "Anoakia property." News clip, January 19, 1975.
12. Environmental impact report of development of property (DRAFT). November, 1975. 135+ pages.
13. "Anoakia annexation." News clip, January 23, 1975.
14. "Anita Baldwin's Arcadia estate." San Gabriel Valley Tribune, July 11, 1976.
15. Rancho Village. Dinner-dance program given at Anoakia in 1975. Excellent floor plan and room description. Two copies.
16. "Mundy mail." Arcadia Tribune, January 15, 1976.
17. "Association to race." Arcadia Tribune, January 22, 1976.
18. "Estate transformed to girl's school." Arcadia Tribune, September 4, 1941. Photocopy.
19. Anoakia inventory. 1916. Copied from original at Huntington Library.
20. Anoakia kennels. Letterhead, 1917.
21. Anoakia stationery. Letterhead, 1921.
22. Anita Baldwin purchases plants from the New York State Building at the Panama Pacific Exposition. San Francisco, 1915.
23. 23a. Anoakia background. Spring, circa 1977. 23b. Anoakia Background, March 1, 1977, slight revision from 23a. 23c. Letter to Arcadia Historical Society from Lowry B. McCaslin January 19, 1977, with accompanying letter dated December 22, 1976 to the Planning Commission of the City of Arcadia, item 23d.
24. "Anoakia: a quiet place 'where no harm shall befall'." Arcadia Tribune, July 6, 1978.
25. "For all time." News photo of the Daughters of the American Revolution placing a historical marker. Arcadia Tribune, May 27, 1979.
26. "Telegram adds another chapter to Baldwin saga." Arcadia Tribune, August 26, 1979.
27. "Stately homes of California II: Anoakia," by Porter Garnett. Sunset Magazine, January 1914.
28. "Will follow Italian types." Los Angeles Times, September 26, 1912, pt. 5, p. 26.
29. "Unique among homes of America's rich." Los Angeles Times, September 21, 1913, pt. II, p. 7.
30. Anoakia - Tiffany Catalog (light fixtures). No date. Copied from original owned by Lowry McCaslin, owner of Anoakia, 1991.
31. Interview with secretary of Mr. Lowry McCaslin, owner of Anoakia beginning circa 1942. See also Oral History folder, item #8.
32. "Report on the Anoakia property and mansion and its historical significance." Memorandum from Community Development Administrator Donna Butler to the Arcadia Mayor and City Council. December 6, 1994.
33. Minutes of the Arcadia City Council, December 6, 1994. Approval of staff communication with owner Lowry McCaslin regarding the condition and historical significance of the Anoakia property.
34. Letter to Lowry B. McCaslin, McCaslin Properties, February 21, 1995. City of Arcadia Development Services Department requested that a video and related photographs of Anoakia be included in the City's historical records.
35. Obituary of Lowry B. McCaslin, owner of Anoakia since the 1940s. Los Angeles Times, August 11, 1995.
36. "Plans for development force school from idyllic campus." Los Angeles Times (Home Edition), June 28, 1990 (on-line).
37. Note - For information regarding Arthur B. Benton, Architect for Anoakia, see also Architects (Benton, Arthur B.) folder.
38. Correspondence from Mark McCaslin to Arcadia City Council re: Anoakia property, dated June 13, 1996 and July 10, 1996.
39. Program. Senior Ring Ceremony. Anoakia Hall. April 18, 1968.
40. "The West on walls: Maynard Dixon and the McClaughry Murals," California State Library Foundation Bulletin. Summer 1998. several articles about Maynard Dixon murals being placed in the State Library.
41. Arcadia City Planning Commission meeting minutes November 9, 1999 regarding the Anoakia estate.
42. Anoakia Residential Planned Development - Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), C.U.P. 99-004 and Vesting Tentative Map 52745. Staff Report for the Arcadia City Planning Commission prepared by the Development Services Department, November 9, 1999.
43. Consideration of Final Map No. 52745 for the Anoakia Residential Planned Development Project at 701 West Foothill Boulevard. Staff Report to Mayor and City Council prepared by the Development Services Department. August 15, 2000.
44. Two pages from Sotheby's Auction Catalog showing Tiffany light fixtures and hanging light from Anoakia. March 10, 2005 catalog pp. 94-95.
45. Sotheby's 20th Century Decorative Arts catalog (in color), New York, March 10, 2005. See pages 94-95 for Tiffany light fixtures from Anita Baldwin's Anoakia estate.
46. Color printout of a 1978 photograph, taken by Sandy Snider in 1978, of the fountain with dragon, originally located at Anoakia estate. Dragon was stolen, but fountain base (bowl) currently located at Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage.
47. Wine Tasting at Anoakia, September 26, 1986. Copy of invitation from Friends of the Arcadia Public Library, description of various rooms inside Anoakia Mansion located at 758 Anoakia Lane, hand drawn map, Arcadia Library Association Wine Tasting Notes.