A home designed and built the late architectural photographer Maynard L. Parker will be one of the featured properties at this year’s Historic Echo Park Home Tour on Sunday, Nov. 12.   The year’s theme, “The Bohemian Havens of Elysian Heights” reflects the tour’s focus on the northern edge of the neighborhood, where secluded canyons and steep hillsides have served as refuge and inspiration to generations of artists. (more…)

Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan

This Master Plan will outline the needs and interests of both sides. The current head of the DWP, S. David Freeman, agreed that planning for the future would be a good idea. Community meetings in the coming months will explore various options and come to a consensus on how both the community and DWP would benefit. (more…)

The last decades of the 19th century were years of upheaval in Los Angeles–cultural transition, phenomenal urban growth, economic change. Griffith’s gift was an early volley in the crusade of municipal reform known as Progressivism: a movement addressing the needs of the average individual, and targeting political corruption. Los Angeles was one of the first cities to adopt the concepts of initiative, referendum, and recall into its City Charter (1907). It was home to the nation’s first Department of Playgrounds. (more…)

At the end of the 19th century, when Los Angeles was still a small town, one man, Griffith Jenkins Griffith, envisioned a city of a million or more people, people who needed”… a place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file…” As a Christmas gift in December 1896, he deeded five square miles of rancho lands to the City of Los Angeles, to be used for a public park in his name. (more…)

The Silverlake Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary action agency designed to meet both business and community needs. They believe that if the community does well and prospers, businesses in that community will also prosper. Among other things it is a civic clearinghouse, a public relations counselor, a human relations promotion medium. they are interested in total community development which matches community needs with community resources. The Chamber seeks to work harmoniously with its membership and other responsible constituencies in the community as an organization with a special role of leadership in their area. (more…)

Skylight books is one of the premier independent bookstores in Los Angeles. A member of the American Booksellers Association and Southern California Booksellers Association, Skylight is locally-owned by a small group of people who love books. Located in the fashionable Los Feliz neighborhood, Skylight Books specializes in Contemporary Literature and Poetry. (more…)

The Echo Park Historical Society was founded in the Fall of 1995 to promote interest in Echo Park’s heritage, to preserve and protect natural sites and buildings of historic significance within their community, to document and collect materials pertaining to the rich and eclectic history of our neighborhood, and to chronicle the lives of our past and present residents whose deeds and contributions lend pride and substance to their  lives here today. (more…)

An urban oasis: Echo Lake Park is a true symbol Angelino. His image has been captured in photographs, films, murals and even promotional postcards that were sent from one side to another country at the beginning of the 20th century. Because after all what we can image better remember to Echo Park to its red bridge connecting the island in the middle of the lake with the rest of the park?
Private property to public park:

In 1868 a company was formed to build the dam No. 4 - now known as Echo Lake Park. Water from the dam by a ditch that flowed into a rolling mill for wool in downtown Los Angeles. By the end of 1880, however, investors like Thomas E. Kelly, bought the dam and land to build more homes and businesses, but were faced with a problem. The City was entitled to raise the water level of the dam 40 feet further, which meant that the properties Kelly (now includes the commercial area of Sunset Boulevard) would be flooded. An agreement was reached whereby the City would give up its right to flood the area, after which Kelly donated 30 acres of land including the dam, to build a public park. In 1895, the park and its lake opened its doors to the public even in a somewhat primitive state, but bought more land and for 1907 the park was extended south of Temple Street.
Echo Park and its boats
The boat has since worked since 1896 as the first structure built in the style Queen Victoria. The current position of Spanish style, was built in 1932, after the lake was emptied for construction. In the early years they had built canoes glided the lake and made parties to the boats at night.
Their Lady of the Lake
This Art Deco-style statue located north of the position of boats, was designed by artist Ada Sharpless and displayed to the public in 1934. The statue was originally located across from where you are now, but was damaged in 1980 and was withdrawn from public view to be temporarily restored. Over a decade later, in 1999, their Lady of the Lake was returned to the park.
The layer of lotus flower
The giant pink flowers that emerge from the lake each summer, have dazzled the visitors for over seventy years. Planto Who?, Remains a mystery. Legend says they were planted by missionaries of the Angelus Temple after returning from China. The lotus flower blooms in July and coincides with the annual Lotus Festival.
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