Long Beach Woman Strives to Save Old Structure : Cottage Isn’t Home, but It Is Humble

Rita C. Woodbury believes her ramshackle, weather-lashed cottage is an architectural diamond in the rough and one of the oldest houses in the city.

Eugene J. Zeller, superintendent of building and safety, sympathizes, but says the dwelling is in such bad shape that it must be demolished unless it is repaired soon.

Would Save House

Woodbury, a real estate agent and member of the city Cultural Heritage Commission, said she wants to save the house, but the effort would cost about $50,000.

The roof was removed during a rehabilitation effort that stalled. The windows are cracked, tattered fabric hangs from the ceiling, and there are gaps in some of the walls. There is no running water.

Woodbury said she has been unable to raise the money.

The cottage at 628 W. 10th St. may not rank with the Jergins Trust Building or Pacific Coast Club--two local landmarks being torn down after protracted battles. But it still is the darling of some historic preservationists.

“It’s a shame if the house is lost,” said Doug Otto, immediate past president of the Long Beach Historical Foundation, who helped save the cottage from the bulldozer five years ago. “It is indeed one of the oldest houses in Long Beach.”

Mayor Ernie Kell has proposed a city Office of Neighborhood and Historical Preservation that, among other things, would find and save noteworthy old structures. Until the office is formed, some historic structures may “slip under the net,” Kell said.

Zeller said the city notified Woodbury in March that the house would be demolished in 10 days, but he has allowed delays because of the building’s history.

“We don’t relish demolishing buildings (and) this one has special worth,” Zeller said. But he said he is “not about to let this building pose a threat to the neighborhood. It could invite arsonists. It could invite all kinds of problems.”

Building officials said they had to insist that the house be properly fenced off to prevent entry by transients or children.

Since no major renovation work has begun, Zeller said he will proceed with demolition unless Woodbury sends him a letter describing her plans and a schedule for repairing the building.

Woodbury said she must find a solution before a July 7 meeting of the Cultural Heritage Commission, which must approve the plans. She has several different floor plans.

Basically, the cottage is only about 600 square feet, it probably could not be used for much more than an office. Woodbury said she would like to run her real estate business there.

“There’s no profit in it,” she said. “From a good business point of view, it doesn’t make much sense. So it’s a labor of love.”

Woodbury believes the structure was built in the 1880s as a summer beach cottage for vacationers. She said she is basing her estimate on the style and construction methods.

Bath, Kitchen Added

There were originally two rooms, but no bathroom or kitchen. Over the years, those amenities and other features, such as electricity, were added.

The house has single-wall construction, meaning that the same planks form both the outside and inside.

The cottage showed up for the first time on city records in 1912, when its address was listed as 124 Golden Ave. Woodbury says she believes it was moved from another site, possibly at First Street and Golden Avenue.

In 1983, the house was among those scheduled to be demolished to make way for the World Trade Center project.

Under an arrangement between the Long Beach Heritage Foundation and the Harbor Department the house and four others were bought for $1 to be moved to another location.

The cottage was bought by an aerospace worker, John D. Fageol, and was moved to its current address in the Willmore City Historic District.

He eventually sold it to Woodbury, who lives and works across the street.

Fellow Cultural Heritage Commission members, who advise the Planning Commission on structures in the city’s historic districts, said the cottage is worth saving, but note the uncertainty over the building’s age.

The single-wall construction makes the house special, said Louis Skelton, an architect who is vice chairman of the commission.

The structure was not included, however, in a 1902 photographic survey of the city’s houses conducted by the Fire Department, casting some question on how long it has been in Long Beach.

Brenda Hinton, a tour operator and Willmore City area resident who sits on the commission, said the cottage would be perfect as Woodbury’s office.

“She’s got fabulous ideas and fabulous projects,” Hinton said. “Unfortunately, the money is not always there.”