McIntyre Faries; Helped Preserve Olvera Street

McIntyre Faries, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge who worked for preservation of historic Olvera Street, has died. He was 98.

Faries, who served on the bench from 1953 until 1966, died Sept. 29 in Pasadena.

Active in Republican politics, Faries was appointed three times by Gov. Earl Warren as Republican committeeman for California and was considered a major contender for the party’s national chairmanship in the 1950s.

Faries became interested in Olvera Street when he served on the California State Park and Recreation Commission. He worked with Christine Sterling, Concita Pignatelli and Hernando Courtright to create Los Amigos del Pueblo Inc. and preserve the area in Downtown Los Angeles as a state historical monument. In 1970, Faries was honored as El Gran Hidalgo de Los Angeles.

He was also board chairman of the Sixth Agricultural District, which formed the commission to operate the Coliseum and build the Sports Pavilion in Exposition Park.

Born in China, the son of a missionary physician, Faries grew up in California and graduated from Occidental College. The future judge served as a Navy ensign during World War II.

Faries studied law in the office of his brother, David, and later worked for the Los Angeles County counsel.

His autobiography, “Rememb’ring, One Man’s Journey,” was published last year by Pepperdine University.

Twice widowed, Faries is survived by two daughters, Barbara Lois Simpson and Marjorie Anne Gaines, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.