By Maureen Neeley
Long Beach Heritage kicked off Architecture Week with their prestigious annual Preservation Awards. Held on May 29 at the historic Bembridge House, Belmont Heights’ little Eliot Lane was honored with a Merit Award for their organization of and community-driven 100-year-anniversary event.
For a full year leading up to 2024, leaders in the district worked with the BHCA, Third District Council, local businesses and the press to highlight this unusual and pristine tract, designed and constructed by developers Boland and Smith in 1924. The coverage not only highlighted the history of the tract, but also honored those who built it, lived there, and those who endeavored to preserve it by applying for historic district status, effectively saving the block-long street from those wanting to replace these jewel-like working class homes with mini-mansions.
These tales told through photographs, maps, articles and interviews made the history of the district come alive, not only as a collection of buildings but also as an educational motivator on how to preserve and restore a collection of houses.
The street hosted a block party, sponsored by the office of the 3rd District Councilwoman Kristina Duggan and a few local businesses. They invited Rich Archbold from the Long Beach Press Telegram to cover the event. The goal was to create a sense of community and celebrate their accomplishments as well as to advertise the uniqueness of these modest ~750’ sq. homes and the commitment to keeping them as intact as possible.
Congratulations, Eliot Lane residents – both past and present – for your stewardship of 100 years of historic homes!
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