San Marino, California - Landmarks

Landmarks

San Marino is the location of the renowned Huntington Library and gardens. In 1919 Henry Huntington provided limited access to the art collections, and to the rare books and historical documents, housed in the library and in his large Neoclassical–Palladian mansion, as well as to the surrounding botanical gardens, all collectively known as "The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens", or "The Huntington", to the public. In the film, The Wedding Singer, the big wedding finale was filmed on the grassy mall at The Huntington Library & Gardens.

El Molino Viejo ("The Old Mill"), completed about 1816 as a grist mill for Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, is in San Marino. The original two-story structure measured 53 feet (16 m) by 26 feet (7.9 m). It is the oldest commercial building in Southern California. The town is located on the former lands of the historic Rancho Huerta de Cuati.

The Edwin Hubble House: From 1925 to 1953, this two story stucco home was the residence of one of America's greatest 20th-century astronomers, Edwin Hubble, who, among other accomplishments, discovered extragalactic nebulae and their recession from each other. It is a National Historic Landmark.

The Michael White Adobe House, is located on the high school campus and houses the San Marino Historical Society archives.

The University of Southern California owns a house in San Marino which is used as the residence of the President of the University. The residence and grounds are often used for University Presidential events.

In the middle of San Marino lies Lacy Park, a huge 30-acre (120,000 m2) expanse of lush grass and trees, rare for urban areas. Originally named Wilson Lake in 1875, the land was purchased by the city in 1925 and dedicated as a park. Families in San Marino have enjoyed the park for years, and it remains one of San Marino's best kept secrets. A picnic area is often the site of musical concerts, civic events and pancake breakfasts. Within the park are two walking loops: an inner loop of approximately 3/4 mile in length, and an outer loop of approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) in length. Dogs are welcome with their owners, providing they are on a leash. The park includes six championship tennis courts and a pro shop, administered by the San Marino Tennis Foundation. At the west entrance of the park is the Rose Arbor, which is of special significance for the people of San Marino. It is sixty years old and has long been a source of beauty and tranquility to many residents. In recent years the care and upkeep of the Rose Arbor itself has been augmented by private donations from dedicated residents who have chosen to sponsor individual posts. The park recently built a memorial to General George S. Patton (a native of San Marino) and also a large memorial to the Armed Forces along with a statue of a sad soldier. The memorial includes the names of all military personnel from San Marino.

The city's local newspaper office is located in the heart of town near the city's most prominent street, Huntington Drive. "The San Marino Tribune" has been the official newspaper of the city since 1929. There are two sections of the weekly paper, an "A" section and a "B" section, the distinction being that it covers not only San Marino news but also the Pasadena, San Gabriel, Alhambra, Arcadia and South Pasadena news.