ENCINO : Older Housing Tract Rides Out Quake in Style

They sure don’t build them like they used to, declared Howard Grover, an original resident of an Encino housing tract that was one of the first in the San Fernando Valley. And considering how well the neighborhood held up in the Jan. 17 quake, for once it wasn’t a cliche.

“This old frame house rode it out beautifully,” said Grover, who bought the first home on Burma Street in 1949.

The tract was originally built for servicemen coming home from World War II, and Grover, fresh out of the Army, paid $8,000 for the two-bedroom, one-bathroom house. He and his wife, Joyce, moved in before the streets were paved and fences were put up.

The couple--he is 73, she is 67--have ridden out several powerful earthquakes. And although dishes broke and hairline cracks resurfaced in the most recent one, “when you looked closely, there was no damage.”

The appearance of the wood and stucco houses has changed over the years, but the 42 homes on Burma Street suffered only superficial damage from the temblor.

“If it is designed well, then they have a better chance with earthquakes,” said Roger Bray of William M. Bray Architect and Associates in Encino. “With good design, engineering and construction, they can withstand the test of time.”

When the Grovers moved in, “everyone was a GI and newly married. At one time we had 17 pregnant wives living here,” said Grover, who raised three children of his own in the neighborhood.

Throughout the years, a core of longtime residents have organized networking and emergency groups to inform neighbors of upcoming community events.

Estheranne Billings moved into the neighborhood in 1954. According to Billings, the area was originally called Encino Park and is bounded by Burbank Boulevard to the south, Lindley Avenue to the west, Oxnard Street to the north and Louise Avenue to the east.

Billings, president of the Encino Park Improvement Committee, said most of the homes still have their original hardwood floors, steel casement windows, porcelain sinks and stainless steel countertops.

“The whole thing really surprised me, considering the magnitude of the earthquake,” Billings said. “There really isn’t anything you could buy today that has the quality of these homes.”

When the earthquake hit, the residents were careful to check on each other, Grover said.

“I saw people you never saw before,” said Grover. “We are among the older ones here now, but we made new friends.”

One person the neighbors worried about is 77-year-old Gussene Hatzik. She moved into the neighborhood with her husband in 1952 and has been widowed since 1970. Alone during the earthquake, Hatzik stayed in her bed until neighbors came to check on her.

“I am lucky,” said Hatzik. “The way it shook, I thought the whole thing was going to fall. But the roof, which is the original, stood up wonderfully. I don’t have to worry about anything falling off or cracking here.”