Rebirth of Cove

Crystal Cove’s old beach cottages are slowly coming back to life.

A few hundred supporters gathered at the Historic District of Crystal Cove State Park on Saturday for the opening and dedication of a visitors’ center, cultural center and rotating exhibit facility at the park.

The event was hosted by the Crystal Cove Alliance, the park’s nonprofit cooperating association partner, whose mission is to restore and preserve the beach district’s cultural, natural and historical aspects to create an “old-fashioned” experience for future generations.

The cove was the site of a cluster of beach cottages that grew from the remnants of old movie sets from the early days of Hollywood. The cove community thrived from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Although the district has been open to the public since June 2006, Laura Davick, the Alliance’s president and founder, said the visitors’ facilities opening marks another milestone for the cove.

“This has launched a rebirth for the cove,” she said. “It’s coming alive again.”

Four generations of Davick’s family inhabited the old district, where she lived from the age of 1 until the onset of the restoration project in 2001, when residents were evicted to make way for a state park facility. Davick left her job nine years ago to devote her energies full time to restoring the enclave of cottages.

During the dedication, guests were guided on a walking tour through the 12-acre district, observed plein air painting in progress by local artist Val Carson, explored the new facilities, and learned about the history of the cove from demonstrations and former residents.

Of the 46 beach-front cottages, 21 have been restored to look as they did when they were built, an essential element to preserving the rustic feel and charm of the original beachside village.

Davick said her group is trying to replicate the beach enclave’s “vernacular” architecture of the 1935 to 1955 era, when residents built dwellings out of materials that were available.

“If it wasn’t here then, it’s not here now,” she said. “We want this to be a unique experience, where people walk back in time and have the full experience of what it was like.”

Cottages that were in good condition were refurbished, and all additional building materials, from wood to paint colors, were replicated in order to retain the authenticity of each space.

Antique furniture and replicas — desks, stoves, refrigerators, benches and fixtures — capture the style of that time.

The visitor’s center features a custom-made TV that runs slide shows of old black-and-white photos, and a radio that plays “oldies” music.

Display panels exhibit more than 800 photos and stories of former residents, including Loretta McMenomy, the original manager of the Cove from 1954 to 1972.

McMenomy’s son, Bob, and his family were among the many who returned for the dedication, Davick said.

The Cultural Center, which was once a Japanese School House, where children of the original farming community attended classes until their relocation during World War II, now houses an exhibit of Japanese history, and will also serve as a meeting and special events room.

The Rotating Exhibit Facility will provide a space for local groups, like the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, to display information on panels around the room.

Winter Bonnin, a naturalist with Crystal Cove State Park for 10 years, said she is excited about this new facility.

“This will be a great opportunity for people to learn about our restoration projects, marine life and all environmental issues that relate to the Historic District,” Bonnin said.

The quaint overnight rentals, which have names like “The Dive Shack” and “South Sea Chanty,” display decorative themes that fit their name. Each cottage contains a journal so guests can record their experiences to share with future visitors.

Since 2004, $13 million in renovations have been made, but the restoration project is still far from complete.

“We’re only halfway there,” Davick said.

Estimated costs to complete the project are about $6 million.

Plans have been approved to restore the remaining cottages, but await funding. The buildings will be used as additional education facilities and overnight rentals.

The Crystal Cove Alliance has received a $1.4 million grant to assist with the next phase, but must earn another $800,000 by July in order to keep it.

Davick said it’s imperative the remaining cottages be renovated as quickly as possible, before the conditions worsen.

“The longer we wait, the more [the cottages] deteriorate, and the less there is left to restore,” she said.

Waiting will not only require more costly “in kind” building materials to replace the old ones, but will take away from the true authenticity of the former structure.

Seventeen more cottages will be made into overnight rentals, which will shorten the seven-month waiting period for overnight accommodations at the park facility.

Bonnin said she and her colleagues are eager to open more of the Historic District to the public, and to draw in a new population of visitors.

“Of the 278 state parks, this is one of our favorite,” she said. “We want the opportunity to educate more people about the area.”

To finish renovations in a timely fashion, Davick’s main focus will turn to raising public awareness and fundraising.

“It will be a dream come true to see this project come to fruition,” she said. “I want more people to know just how special this place is, so they also feel empowered to preserve the cove.”

The park needs more volunteers to run the visitors centers and park store, and will host a volunteer training day from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Los Trancos office.

For more information, to make a donation, or to contribute pictures or stories, contact Laura Davick at (949) 376-6200 or [email protected].