Santa Monica Conservancy

10/14/2026

Do people still do throwbacks?

I’m reminiscing (and my mouth is watering 🤤) about the 2025 Preservation Awards, Taste of Santa Monica reception.

Last year, we invited Orla, Fogo de Chao, Vucacious Catering, Diner Antonette, and Divine Vintage to the Miles Playhouse, to kick off our annual awards celebration. I’m still thinking about the Brazilian BBQ and stunning desserts!

This year, we’re reprising the tradition and expanding our Taste of Santa Monica reception to include six local establishments.

Dine with us at the 2026 Preservation Awards on Sunday, November 8, at the Historic Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club.
The Taste of Santa Monica Reception starts at 2pm. The Awards program begins at 3pm.

Learn more at smconservancy.org/2026preservationawards (Or find this post in the link in our bio!)

City of Santa Monica Santa Monica, California

10/14/2026

ENDANGERED! This perfectly intact 1913 Craftsman Airplane Bungalow at 1921 20th Street tells the story of the earliest days of Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood. On October 27, 7 pm, City Council will re-hear the Santa Monica Conservancy’s Landmark Application for this amazingly intact piece of history. Show City Council through letters and in-person testimony that historic preservation is critical to the cultural well-being of Santa Monica and that 1921 20th Street is an integral part of our heritage and should be a Landmark. www.smconservancy.org

10/12/2026

At Bergamot Station, former industrial buildings became a home for art. At the Annenberg Community Beach House, a once private estate became a place for the whole community. At City Hall East, an addition to Santa Monica’s historic City Hall brought together public service and an ambitious commitment to sustainable design.

Together, these projects reflect the care Frederick Fisher and Partners brings to the relationship between a place’s history, its environment, and the people it serves.

This year, the Santa Monica Conservancy is proud to honor the firm with our Special Tribute Award, recognizing more than four decades of work that has enriched our city’s civic and cultural life. Their contributions show how thoughtful architecture can carry our history forward while responding to the needs of our community today.

Join us at the 2026 Preservation Awards for an afternoon of celebration, including a special conversation with Fred Fisher and Partners hosted by writer and broadcaster Frances Anderton.

Sunday, November 8 · 2–4:30 p.m.
Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club
1210 Fourth Street, Santa Monica

Your ticket supports the Conservancy’s advocacy, education, and community programs. Reserve your place: https://smconservancy.org/2026preservationawards

10/09/2026

Check out those cheerful chevrons on the Charmont!

At 330 California Avenue, this 1929 apartment building masterfully blends Mediterranean style and Art Deco.

When the Charmont Apartments were built, Santa Monica was a playground for the famous and well-to-do. The city welcomed newcomers daily and needed modern, stylish apartment buildings. Several buildings with similar characteristics rose around the same time, including two other designated landmarks, the Sovereign Apartments and the Embassy Hotel Apartments.

Architect Max Maltzman designed many projects around Los Angeles, including apartment buildings, several synagogues, a service station, and a retirement home, though he was not especially well-known. At the Charmont, he blended historical Mediterranean styles with the Art Deco forms then coming into vogue.

The entrance opens into a walled courtyard with a two-tiered fountain tiled in sea and sunset colors. Stucco walls, red tile roofing, and a short tower with a conical cap add Mediterranean charm. Art Deco touches include chevrons on the courtyard walls and near windows, low-relief panels of stylized foliage, and a vertical emphasis created by narrow casement windows and piers.

Shortly after it opened, the Los Angeles Times noted that the Charmont “has attracted much attention here because of its beauty.” Despite some difficult moments, including considerable damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the building is as appealing today as when it opened. The Charmont is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Have you admired the Charmont’s chevrons in person? Have you lived here?

10/09/2026

You know what time it is! The Main Street Walk returns this Saturday, October 10.

This signature tour is the culmination of years-long research and documented curiosity by street historian, Mark Gorman.

On this walking tour, you’ll discover the artists and entrepreneurs who got their start in Ocean Park’s commercial hub, Main Street.

🗓️Saturday, October 10 @ 10:30am
📍The tour starts at the Sh***un House at 2520 Second Street
🎟️Register: https://smc.givecloud.co/items/msw

10/07/2026

The iconic Penguin Diner, now Mel’s Drive-In, is threatened with demolition to make way for an 8-story apartment building. On December 14 at 7pm, the Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing on a landmark application for the Penguin submitted jointly by the Santa Monica Conservancy and Los Angeles Conservancy. We must ensure Landmark Designation is approved for this last remaining example of the Googie style in Santa Monica, the work of renowned architects Armet & Davis in 1959. We will need your letters, petitions, and in-person testimony. Stay tuned for details and timing. www.smconservancy.org

10/05/2026

TONIGHT: Join author Nina Fresco for a special reading from her book, celebrating the legacy of Santa Monica Airport and the pivotal role of Douglas Aircraft in the history of global aviation and the City of Santa Monica.

For the past decade, Fresco has dug deep into Santa Monica's past, uncovering the truth behind local legends and bringing little-known stories about its people and places to light. Now she's thrilled to share what she's learned in First Around the World: The History of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport.

You're invited to the historic Sh***un House to celebrate the book's release, with a special Q&A and light refreshments!

Event Details:

When? Tonight, October 5, 6:30 pm - 8 pm
Where? 2520 Second Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405

RSVP: https://smconservancy.org/event/book-signing-first-around-the-world/

10/05/2026

10/01/2026

Author Nina Fresco invites you to the historic Sh***un House on Monday, October 5, for a special book signing.

The event features a live reading from Fresco’s book, First Around the World, celebrating the history of the Santa Monica Airport and the pivotal role of Douglas Aircraft in the history of global aviation and the City of Santa Monica.

🗓️Monday, October 5
🕡6:30 pm - 8 pm
📍2520 Second Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Learn more at smconservancy.org.

Check out our October rollout, complete with our signature tours and a special book signing, celebrating the release of First Around the World by Nina Fresco.

Check out our October rollout, complete with our signature tours and a special book signing, celebrating the release of First Around the World by Nina Fresco.

09/29/2026

Have you checked out the Coastal Crossroads Tour yet? Stop #5 is a cultural historic district: Bay Street Beach.

Located on Santa Monica’s shore between Pico Boulevard and Bicknell Avenue, this beach was a gathering place for Black Americans in the first half of the 20th century. Here, they were able to enjoy the waves with minimal anti-Black harassment.
During the Jim Crow era, Black Americans strove to establish a range of safe spaces for recreation and leisure throughout the region. This stretch of Santa Monica coastline welcomed them to gather, swim, and socialize, making it a site of joy and empowerment.

Just down the hill from Phillips Chapel CME Church, a spiritual and social anchor for the Black community, Bay Street Beach was a popular after-church destination for social gatherings among prominent Santa Monica families.

In 2019, the Bay Street Beach Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its role as a rare African American coastal enclave.
The district remains a powerful reminder of Santa Monica’s complex social history and the enduring legacy of multicultural residents.

Learn more about Bay Street Beach: https://smconservancy.org/property/baystreetbeach/