By Stacy Lee
The historic Michael White Adobe on the grounds of San Marino High School will be open on Friday, Oct. 9 from 6:30-10 p.m. during the Homecoming Celebration for community members to tour.
The adobe will be decorated with paper mache lanterns and Halloween art from high school art teacher Michelle Pauline’s class. There also will be a special exhibit on San Marino High School’s first graduating class – the Class of 1956.
“What we’ve done is scan the yearbook of their photographs and their accomplishments of what they did in high school,” said Marla Felber, president of the Friends of the Michael White Adobe.
Guests will be able to learn about upcoming improvements to the Michael White Adobe, as well. Felber said the Friends of the Michael White Adobe hope to make the building into a Hall of Fame to San Marino High School students and alumni.
“As you know, the district is guided by the three A’s – Athletics, Arts and Academics,” she said. “We’ve added one more ‘A’ for alumni.”
“We want to re-purpose the adobe as a Hall of Fame and give it a reason to exist on the San Marino High School campus,” Friends of the Michael White Adobe Chairman John Morris said.
Felber said the fence around the adobe will eventually come down and the patio space will be utilized.
“The Friends of the Michael White Adobe Board spearheaded by John removed the lower plaster – not historic original plaster – to assess the condition of the lower adobe,” she said.
Felber said that construction in removing about 24 inches of adobe material throughout one of the rooms will begin later this month or early next month. She said San Tan Adobe in Queen Creek, Ariz, is donating adobe brick for the project.
“We want this to be a learning facility in the sense of the kids understanding that they’re looking at a building and a structure that predates California being a state,” Felber said.
Anyone interested in joining the Friends of the Michael Adobe should contact Felber at 626-614-0023 or email her at mfelber@pacbell.net.
For the full story, see the print edition of the San Marino Tribune, or download the e-edition.
