Ode to Old Mount Baldy Inn

Jeff Lough had nurtured a secret fantasy for some time. He wanted to own that funny-looking building shaped like a mountain that apparently had been a longstanding landmark on Whittier Boulevard in Pico Rivera.

He had passed it often on his way to work. Sure, it was “dilapidated but neat” . . . worth preserving, he thought.

Two weeks ago, Jeff’s hopes were shattered when he saw his mountain on the verge of being devoured by the jaws of a giant crane. He called The Times . . . reaching out for someone who might halt the action. Wasn’t it a historical building or something, he pleaded?

If not a formally designated historical building, the former Mt. Baldy Inn certainly had a colorful history and there were other aficionados of the building’s outrageous design, besides Jeff Lough, who had been fighting the losing battle to save it.

According to Pico Rivera’s Redevelopment Agency, the old Mt. Baldy Inn, actually could have qualified for the National Register of Historic Places “due to its unique architectural character” and its place in the city’s past. But it was too far gone, and staunch heritage groups agreed.

In deference to the demise of this mini-mountain, Hind Site did a little probing with the assistance of John W. Donlevy Jr., an administrative intern for the city of Pico Rivera.

It seems that Mt. Baldy Inn, a thriving and popular drive-in in the 1930s and ‘40s, was the creation of Gar McOmber. He likened his eatery to the majestic Mt. Baldy, visible in the background, because it was there and it was beautiful.

Constructed of wood, frame and stucco, the restaurant was shaped in the form of the snow-capped mountain and the interior had cave-like booths. To add to the atmosphere, ivy was “trained” to grow up the sides of the building.

Mt. Baldy Inn was most famous for its fresh orange juice freeze, and one day the restaurant set a record by serving 5,000 glasses of the concoction within an eight-hour shift. The Inn was also famous for its barbecue sandwiches, and it is said that many a movie star could be seen stopping by to order them.

The slow decline of Mt. Baldy Inn began in the 1950s after McOmber no longer operated it. But in its subsequent guises, the structure lingered as an example of true pop art architecture.