Archived News Release from 2004

For Immediate Release

Historic Walking Tour and Other Activities During National Historic Preservation Week

Redwood City, CA - April 26, 2004 - Citizens in Redwood City will join thousands of individuals around the country as part of a nationwide celebration of the 32nd annual National Historic Preservation Week, May 3 - 9, 2004 . "New Frontiers in Preservation" is the theme of the weeklong celebration that is sponsored annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and locally by the City of Redwood City Historic Resources Advisory Committee .

"Historic preservation has made great strides in recent years, but our job is by no means complete," said National Trust President Richard Moe. "Older business districts and residential neighborhoods are still marred by disinvestment and deterioration. Sprawl continues to devour precious open space and destroy the character that makes each community unique, and laws that protect historic places are under attack. Preservation Week 2004 calls on us to get involved and tackle the new and ongoing challenges we face, and to redouble our efforts to ensure that our movement accurately reflects the vision, energy and diversity of America ."

As part of the weeklong celebration, citizens nationwide will celebrate with alumni reunions, career days, pageants, workshops, clean-up days, rallies, re-enactments, and home and garden tours. Here in Redwood City , Preservation Week 2004 will be observed by an historic walking tour on Sunday May 2nd, a proclamation by the Mayor, a field trip for seventh graders to three downtown buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a tour of the Union Cemetery Historic site.

The May 2nd walking tour will begin at 10:30 a.m. in front of Lathrop House at 627 Hamilton Street , and will last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. It will include most of Redwood City 's historic commercial buildings as well as some residential properties. Walking tour participants will see where Wyatt Earp occasionally came for a drink, where President Hoover once slept, where a Wells Fargo Express Office operated in 1875, Redwood City's first new car showroom salon and auto repair garage, the finest theater on the peninsula in 1896, the former homes of prominent pioneer citizens and much more.

The Union Cemetery Historic Site tour, sponsored by the Historic Union Cemetery Association, will be conducted on May 8th, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The 1859 cemetery is located at Woodside Road , near El Camino Real.

The seventh grade field trip for participating schools from the Redwood City School District will take place May 18th through May 20th. Over 450 students will tour the restored 1863 Lathrop House, a historic house museum at 627 Hamilton Street, the Old County Courthouse (home of the San Mateo County Historical Association and Museum), and the historic Fox Theater.

Business and community sponsors and participants for the school tours include restaurant and Fox Theater owners John Anagnostou and Michael Monte, the San Mateo County Historical Association, the Redwood City Heritage Association, Bob's Courthouse Coffee Shop and the Redwood City Optimist Club.

The Historic Resources Advisory Committee is an advisory committee to the Redwood City Planning Commission regarding the implementation of the City's Historic Preservation Ordinance. The Committee recommends historic designation of local landmarks and districts, performs design review of changes to historic buildings and is involved in other historic preservation related activities.

Visit Redwood City 's website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, City government, and local business.

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Contact:
Charles Jany
Community Development Services Deptartment
(650) 780-7239