Old Riverside Foundation

20/10/2026

We’ve opened up tickets for folks who aren’t ORF members - spread the word!

A private reception and tour of the unique historic home and studio of one of America’s leading woodworkers. The morning will also include the opportunity to view the gardens, Jacobs Education Center, and a special look at the Sam Maloof Workshop and Showroom. A welcome reception with food and drink begins promptly at 10 am.

Space is limited to 40 guests for this event. Your generous ticket purchase goes toward Old Riverside Foundation’s ongoing historic preservation efforts including advocacy, education, grants, and hands-on preservation of the Peter J. Weber House.

Tickets at https://fieldtriptothemaloof.eventbrite.com

14/10/2026

A private reception and tour of the unique historic home and studio of one of America’s leading woodworkers. The morning will also include the opportunity to view the gardens, Jacobs Education Center, and a special look at the Sam Maloof Workshop and Showroom. A welcome reception with food and drink begins promptly at 10 am.

Space is limited to 40 guests for this event. Your generous ticket purchase goes toward Old Riverside Foundation’s ongoing historic preservation efforts including advocacy, education, grants, and hands-on preservation of the Peter J. Weber House.

Tickets at https://fieldtriptothemaloof.eventbrite.com

12/10/2026

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize the Iviatim (Cahuilla) people whose history is an essential part of Riverside’s heritage. This remarkable photograph, taken around 1885, documents Iviatim families near Big Spring Rancheria (now part of Fairmount Park) on Little Mount Rubidoux. Established in the 1870s, the settlement was home to Iviatim people displaced from their homelands near San Bernardino, many of whom contributed their labor and expertise to Riverside’s developing agricultural economy. Big Spring Rancheria remained a community near Mount Rubidoux until the 1890s, when Riverside’s expansion and the loss of access to water contributed to its displacement. Their presence reminds us that Riverside’s history didn’t begin with the city’s founding by eastern settlers in 1870, nor does Indigenous history belong solely to the past.

Photograph: Huntington Library, c. 1885.

09/10/2026

The Weber House is a case study in responsible resource management.

When architect Peter J. Weber built his Riverside home during the Great Depression, he transformed limited resources into something extraordinary. Salvaged building materials, a rainwater collection system, solar water heating, and thoughtful use of sunlight and shade demonstrated ingenuity and conservation long before sustainability became a familiar term.

Nearly 90 years later, the Weber House reminds us that resources aren’t just physical or environmental. They’re cultural, too. Historic buildings preserve craftsmanship, creativity, knowledge, and tangible connections to our shared history. Once lost, these resources cannot simply be replaced.

Peter J. Weber practiced conservation in creating his house. The community and the City saved it from demolition when a hotel was built in the 1980s. As caretakers of the Weber House for the last 36 years, our responsibility remains: to practice conservation in preserving it.

09/10/2026

Old Riverside Foundation thanks CA Preservation Foundation and its outgoing Executive Director, Cindy Heitzman, for joining the voices calling on City of Riverside to uphold its Title 20 protections following the removal of significant, protected historic objects from the Mission Inn by its former owner earlier this year.

Support from the California Preservation Foundation demonstrates that this isn’t just a Ward 1 issue, or even just a Riverside issue. The City’s ongoing lack of transparency remains a serious concern, while the preservation implications have attracted attention at both the state and national levels.

This situation won’t go away until it has been satisfactorily resolved.

06/10/2026

Then and Now: the 1920 Theodore Crossley auto dealership was at the corner of Main and Eleventh, across from the Courthouse, until redevelopment in the 1960s & 1970s leveled the south end of this block. The Riverside County Public Defender now occupies this location.

In an alternate universe, if a demolition request for the Crossley Building came before the Cultural Heritage Board today, would you speak up to protect it?

01/10/2026

Join us for Salvage Saturday at The Weber House with Dan Cocco this Saturday, October 3rd, from 9:00 am until the last person leaves (Dan is not there all day - arrive early!)

ORF’s architectural salvage inventory includes sinks & toilets, doors & windows, doorknobs & hinges, plus much more - including some one-of-a-kind items. If you’re only looking for doors, contact Dan on Saturday morning to arrange a time to meet at our off-site storage.

Dan can be reached ahead of the event at (951) 452-2638 - call or text if you have any questions. Cash, checks, credit cards, and Apple Pay are accepted. Bring samples, photos, and/or measurements for items you are looking for.

The Weber House is located at 1510 University Avenue in the parking lot behind the Courtyard by Marriott. Enter from the driveway off University and drive around to the back of the hotel.

Tours of the Weber House will be available.

restored

01/10/2026

Work on Peter and Clara Weber’s 10-acre grove just outside Riverside city limits never let up. A reliable crew of laborers helped pick up the slack when the chores got to be too much for the Weber family. Clara kept detailed logs for payroll and to document the work. Her records give us a glimpse into daily activities typical to Riverside’s Eastside neighborhood in the 1940s.

30/09/2026

25/09/2026

As part of CA Preservation Foundation’s annual Doors Open California event, the Peter J. Weber House will be open this weekend from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Your $20 pass gets you access to 22 locations across Los Angeles, the High Desert, and the Inland Empire for this final weekend of the month-long event.

Support the work of CA Preservation Foundation with your ticket purchase at californiapreservation.org/doca

The Peter J. Weber House is located at 1510 University Avenue in Riverside, behind the Courtyard Marriott hotel. The DIY family home of a Mission Inn architectural designer, the house is notable in many ways, from its reliance on salvaged materials to its unique Medieval Spanish-inspired design to its innovative energy-efficiency features. Join us for a tour!