‘Demolition by Neglect’ : Long Beach May Use Lesson of Buffum House to Save Others

The custom stained-glass windows have long been shattered at the Tudor-style mansion commonly called the Buffum house. The ornate, hand-carved mahogany hearth and some artwork were rescued by preservationists, but the copper ornamental siding panels that covered the outside walls were pilfered by vandals years ago.

Empty beer bottles, trash and other debris are strewn about the floor in this once-majestic 1920s mansion, which will soon disappear from a bluff overlooking the ocean at 10th Place in Long Beach.

The dilapidated 28-room mansion, which has been vacant for five years, is scheduled to be torn down this week.

But the Buffum house legacy may survive the wrecking ball. City officials now are working on policies to deal with historic and vacant structures.

“It is essential that we learn from this sorry situation and take steps to ensure that we do not continue to see our city’s historic heritage erode away through neglect and abandonment,” Councilman Alan S. Lowenthal wrote in a memo to the City Council.

Last month, at Lowenthal’s urging, the council imposed a 90-day moratorium on demolition of all historic buildings while its housing committee explores possible laws to save landmark buildings and policies for dealing with vacant structures. There are an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 vacant buildings in Long Beach, Lowenthal said.

Preservationists say they are particularly concerned about a practice they call “demolition by neglect,” when developers allow a vacant historic structure to deteriorate. Long Beach does not have ordinances to protect vacant buildings, even if they may have historic value.

The Buffum mansion, at 25 10th Place, has been vacant since it was purchased in 1988 by a New York-based investment company, which planned to build a 15-story condominium on the square block between 9th and 10th places. Long Beach officials quickly approved the project.

The Cultural Heritage Commission wanted to protect the mansion, but found itself without any tools to do so, said Ruthann Lehrer, the city’s historic preservation officer.

The real-estate market slumped, and the property changed hands several times. When the current owners bought the property in 1992, the crumbling mansion was being criticized by neighbors as an eyesore. Last fall, the city’s Planning Department ordered the building to be fixed or torn down.

The Cultural Heritage Commission, realizing the house was in imminent danger, mounted a last-ditch effort to have it designated a historic site, Lehrer said.

The commission pointed out that the mansion had been built by C.T. McGrew, one of the city’s most renowned early builders. He built the Mercantile Building, on 1st Street and Pine Avenue, and many apartments and homes.

The home’s first owner was Carlyle Nibley, president of the local Packard Motor Cars dealership. The house got its name from Robert Buffum, a doctor who may have been related to the department-store family, according to historians. He lived there from 1959 to 1962.

In November, however, the City Council rejected the heritage commission’s proposal, in part because the structure had deteriorated so much. Officials say it would need about $900,000 worth of repairs to meet city codes.

Arthur Bullard, who represents the investment group that bought the property in 1992, said three potential developers pulled out of the condominium project because of delays, but he is negotiating with another builder. “I went in to clean up a mess, and all it’s been is a headache,” he said last week.

Several historic Long Beach buildings have been allowed to deteriorate to the point of becoming public nuisances, Lowenthal said.

The council’s housing committee is exploring the policies of cities such as Pasadena and Claremont, which allow demolition only if, after rigorous examination, no alternatives can be found. The committee also is considering an ordinance that would require owners to pay for a city inspection of the buildings on a regular basis.

“The Buffum house situation was a disaster,” Lowenthal said. “We have to be more proactive.”