These Volunteers Are Saving Altadena, One Antique Tile at a Time

The article details the formation and work of ‘Save the Tiles,’ a non-profit organization established in Altadena, California, following a devastating fire. The initiative began when Lucy Garland and her father, Eric, observed antique Batchelder tiles among the charred remnants of homes in the burn zone. Recognizing the historical and sentimental value of these tiles, especially the distinctive Arts & Crafts style Batchelder tiles created by Ernest Batchelder, Eric Garland initiated efforts to preserve them. Ernest Batchelder, an artist and teacher from Pasadena in the early 1900s, was known for his unique single-fire process and natural motifs, with a significant concentration of his work in Pasadena and Altadena homes. Garland, a third-generation Altadenan and tech entrepreneur with no prior preservation or masonry experience, connected with local mason Cliff Douglas through a Reddit post. Together with other neighbors, including Stanley Zucker, they founded Save the Tiles. The organization is dedicated to rescuing, repairing, and storing historic tiles from fire-destroyed homes at no cost to the homeowners. Their initial step involved canvassing the neighborhood to identify homes with salvageable tiles. This survey attracted 50 volunteers, forming a robust, all-volunteer operational machine. Designer Jaime Rummerfield, co-founder of the L.A.-based preservation organization Save Iconic Architecture, was among the early volunteers, expressing the profound impact of participating in the tile rescue efforts. Garland realized that this initial survey inadvertently created a crucial neighborhood assessment in the immediate aftermath of the natural disaster, providing valuable data to homeowners and city planners alike. This process established an important model for community action in post-disaster recovery. The urgency of their mission stems from the fact that any tiles not saved before lots are cleared for rebuilding will be sent to landfills. The organization is committed to salvaging these historical elements before bulldozers arrive. Currently, Save the Tiles operates with six to eight teams of masons, tile artists, and remediators. These teams work diligently to rescue the tiles, remove old mortar, perform necessary repairs, and then catalog and store them for homeowners who lack storage facilities. The article emphasizes that this preservation effort extends beyond the intrinsic value of the tiles themselves. Garland highlights that they are saving the last tangible pieces of people's lives, the community's history, and personal memories. He articulates that these historic materials embody institutional memory, crucial for understanding the identity of Altadena and informing future aspirations. Garland, who has embraced this unexpected role, views his work as highly purposeful and personally gratifying, believing that what they are saving today will serve as a vital reminder of Old Altadena a century from now, connecting past legacies with future dreams. #AltadenaFire #HistoricPreservation #BatchelderTile #CommunityAction #ArtsAndCrafts #TileRestoration #PostDisasterRecovery #ArchitecturalHeritage #VolunteerEffort #AltadenaFire #HistoricPreservation #BatchelderTile #CommunityAction #ArtsAndCrafts #TileRestoration #PostDisasterRecovery #ArchitecturalHeritage #VolunteerEffort

9 months ago

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