POSTPONED-An Inside Look at Lake Norconian

Join us for an evening of discovery and presentation featuring The Lake Norconian, a forgotten gem of Southern California history and vernacular architectural history.

The Lake Norconian was the dream of land developer Rex B. Clark. Designed by architects Dwight Gibbs and G. Stanley Wilson, and financed by the Scripps family fortune, the Norconian was a massive, 700-acre Spanish Mediterranean-style hot springs resort that opened in 1929 to the rich and famous.

The Great Depression made for a short lived success, and after a brief period of dazzling Hollywood-style glamour, the Norconian was temporarily closed, only to become home to a groundbreaking rehabilitation facility during WWII. It was supported by President Roosevelt and staffed by the largest contingent of Mayo physicians outside the famed clinic. Architect Claud Beelman would oversee a massive renovation, designing in like style a sanitarium, treatment and ward annex, chapel, and nurse and corpsmen quarters.

This historic site is a preservation battleground, with mostly intact and almost forgotten examples of pre-war and wartime buildings. It is a remarkable time capsule and rare glimpse into WWII construction methods. Come learn about the incredible artistry and history of the Lake Norconian.

Kevin Bash is the author of several articles and books detailing the history of the Norconian, US Naval Hospital Corona (in Norco) and his hometown of Norco, California. Most recently his blog “The Forgotten Naval General Hospital: USNH Corona” (three parts) is circulating on the National Library of Medicine website. Mr. Bash began his training as a historian under Miles Krueger at the Institute of the American Musical, is a founding member of the Lake Norconian Club Foundation, co-developed the City of Norco Historical Resources Commission and has served as a Norco City Councilman and rotating Mayor since 2009.

Su Bacon is a California-based interior designer and historical preservationist. She has served as President of the Lake Norconian Club Foundation and Commissioner of the Historic Preservation Committee for the town of Norco, as well as on the board of the Gamble House and Pasadena Heritage. Her design career has focused primarily on Craftsman, Revival styles and mid-century homes, but has worked on a number of different projects throughout the United States.

ICAA Members – $30
Non-Members – $45