The Santa Monica and Los Angeles Conservancies need your help with an important preservation issue in Brentwood where a significant historic home is threatened with demolition.

The Spanish Colonial Revival house at 201 S. Rockingham is widely regarded as the project that launched the architectural career of John Byers. It was built 1919-1920 out of adobe bricks that were made on site. The house is an outstanding example of Byers’ work and is in excellent condition. More details about the house and its story are below.

Although the Johnson house was marketed as one of the first homes built in Brentwood Park, it was sold recently to a buyer who plans to demolish it. The Santa Monica Conservancy was asked for assistance and nominated the house as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

The nomination will succeed only with political support, and if people like you take an active part in voicing support for protecting the house.

We are asking you to help by sending an email message to the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission (LACHC) President Richard Barron at chc@lacity.org before Thursday July 29, 2010, the date that the nomination will be heard before the Cultural Heritage Commision.

• Please copy Councilman Rosendahl councilman.rosendahl@lacity.org if you are a resident of his district, and state that in the letter.

• Also send a blind (bcc:) copy of your message to info@smconservancy.org so we will know that you have cast your vote for preservation!

Finally, please send this on to other friends and relatives who are preservation-minded and wish to save the most important buildings representing our cultural heritage.

Thank you so much for your help!

Talking points for your email:
• I urge you (and Councilman Rosendahl) to support the nomination of the Johnson Residence at 201 S. Rockingham as a Historic-Cultural Monument.

• The house is an architectural treasure and a rare example of adobe construction.

• The house is notable for launching the architectural career of John Byers, its construction of adobe brick and that it led the revival of Spanish Colonial residential architecture in California.

• It has survived for 90 years in excellent condition.

• Preserving and protecting our heritage is important to me as a voter.

What does it mean to be a Landmark or Historic-Cultural Monument?
The landmark process does not seek to freeze the home in time. Rather, it identifies the significant attributes of a historic structure to be protected while allowing change so long as it is consistent with nationally recognized standards for the treatment of historic properties. Major additions can be made, building systems can be upgraded, and interiors can be remodeling reflecting an individual homeowner’s needs and taste. Preservation ordinances give owners a lot of flexibility with their properties and offer financial incentives as well. For more information about Historic-Cultural Monuments, see www.preservation.lacity.org/commission

John Byers and the Johnson House
John Byers was teaching Spanish and French at Santa Monica High School in 1919, when his wife's cousin, Harry Johnson, asked him to act as translator to the Mexican workers hired to build an adobe house for him and his wife Olivia. Byers, who had built a home for himself and his wife and had traveled and lived extensively in Latin America, quickly became involved in the design and construction of this new adobe. The Johnson residence marked a turning point in his life, as he gave up teaching and devoted himself to architecture and building, starting a very successful career that lasted for decades.

Byers is well known for the fine detailing and authenticity in design and construction of his Spanish Colonial Revival homes. He established shops where terra cotta tile, wrought iron and wood were hand crafted. Byers’ buildings are found across Southern California, particularly in Santa Monica, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. His Bradbury House in Santa Monica Canyon is designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and several of his homes as well as his office and the Miles Playhouse are designated as Santa Monica Landmarks.
While some have questioned Byers’ role as the architect, it is clear that although he was not yet licensed at the time of construction, Byers and the architectural community of the 1920s considered 201 S. Rockingham as a Byers project. This is evident by the article written by Byers in the April 1929 issue of California Arts and Architecture, where the first page of the article includes a photo of 201 S. Rockingham with the caption declaring, "An Adobe House for Mr. H. R. Johnson at Brentwood Park. John Byers, Architect". Clearly Byers claimed responsibility for the design of the residence. Furthermore, in an August 1926 article in Pacific Architect, there is a photo of the family room of 201 S. Rockingham and the caption reads, "Living Room for Mr. Harry R. Johnson, Brentwood Park, Santa Monica California. Designed by John Byers."

The Santa Monica Conservancy responded to a request for assistance with the nomination. The Los Angeles Conservancy supports the nomination as well.