The tradition of appreciating historic buildings in Highland Park goes back to Charles Fletcher Lummis, who helped found the California Landmarks Club in 1894 to advocate the restoration of California's crumbling missions. His appreciation and writings about the arroyo's natural beauty also helped popularize the scenic area with other writers, artists and painters of his day.

One of the cottages located on N Ave 64

A larger home on the 1100 block of N Ave 64

The home at 200 N Ave 66 is known as the Dr. Williams Residence, named for its 1936 purchasor. It was thought to have been built prior to 1900 and had many owners before the noted physician bought it. Dr. Henry Smith Williams "wrote more than 50 books on medicine, birds, science, and nature. Under an assumed name, Williams also wrote scientific detective stories using a doctor as the hero" (Treasures of Garvanza). He also painted from nature and many of his illustrations are viewable in museum collections. The home is currently undergoing a massive restoration.

Next door is the Crafstman-style home known as the Adams Residence at 210 N Ave 66 built in 1907.

This Mission Revival style home at 1102 Lantana was built in 1906 by Charles Henry Greenshaw. It is now home to pirates who feel quite strongly that "The Time Flies When You are Drinking Rum." Well, shiver me timbers and a yo ho ho to you!

The Art History of Garvanza
In the early 1900s Garvanza became known as an artists' enclave. Many well-known artists who were founding members of the Painter's Club (est. 1906) such as Carl Oscar Borg, were part of an art group known as the Garvanza Circle, whose members included Hanson Puthuff , Fernand Lungren, Maynard Dixon, Granville Redmond, and Elmer Wachtel. The Painter's Club ws disbanded in 1909, but soon after the California Art Club was established, with many members carrying over their association with the group. The CAC is still very much alive to date. Further, The Arroyo Guild of Craftsman (1909 - 1915) was headquartered in Garvanza.

But Garvanza's reputation as a “bohemian arts colony” was due mostly to a man named William Lees Judson, a British-American painter who, along with his three sons, established the the Colonial Glass Company in 1897 for the production of stained glass. The business became the W.H. Judson Art Glass Company after one of the brothers left, and eventually became the Judson Studios in 1931. The property still stands at its original location at 200 S Ave 66, although a third floor was destroyed by a fire in 1910.

Additionally, Judson's Garvanza property served as the location of the first art school in Southern California, the Los Angeles School of Fine Arts for USC, of which the Judson patriarch, was founder and dean. Today, The Judson Studios, still thrives, and is now in its fifth generation as a stained glass business. Remarkably, the great-great grandson of William Lees Judson, David Judson, carries on the tradition of making stained glass on the very same premises as his ancestors.

Just outside the Garvanza boundaries, the Abbey San Encino was built by printmaker Clyde Browne and many noted artists, architects and craftspeople settled there and in the surrounding area.

The mosaic sign-post welcoming you to the Judson Studios

The building was erected in 1897

A closer look at the architecture of the Judson Studios

Pink Peppercorns grow all over Garvanza. These are on the trees that line the curved driveway at the entrance of the Judson Studios.