Balboa Pavilion
The Balboa Pavilion is the oldest building in Newport Beach in the US state of California . The wooden structure, erected in 1906, has been listed as a monument in the National Register of Historic Places since May 17, 1984 . In addition, the Balboa Pavilion is registered as California Historical Landmark No. 959. The Balboa Pavilion is located directly on the shores of Newport Bay on the Balboa Peninsula .
The historic building now houses a restaurant and a ballroom. It owes its name to the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa . With its striking turret, the Balboa Pavilion stands out unmistakably from the cityscape. The harbor tours and the Catalina Flyer , a speedboat connection to Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, start from the neighboring ship landing stage .
history
The first years
The history of the Balboa Pavilion is closely linked to the development of the city of Newport Beach. In September 1905, approved the War Department in Washington, DC the Newport Bay Investment Company to build the building. The location chosen was Newport Bay , a bay on the side of the Balboa Peninsula facing away from the Pacific Ocean . The group of investors had recognized the tourist potential of the then largely unpopulated area that stretched around Newport Bay. The sea with its wide beaches offered ideal leisure and recreational opportunities.
The following year, 1906, Newport Beach was founded. In the years that followed, the young city tried to attract new residents and holidaymakers to the region. The opening of the Balboa Pavilion in July of the same year accelerated this project considerably. The elaborate wooden building was in Victorian style and was primarily intended to serve as a boat and bath house. The architect Fred R. Dorn was responsible for the design. At the same time, the sister project with the Balboa Pier opposite was completed.
The wedding of the big band era
The opening of a railway line to Los Angeles by the Pacific Electric Railway a little later turned out to be a stroke of luck for the city of Newport Beach. Numerous vacationers and bathers used the new means of transport and flocked to the surrounding beaches. The trains ended near the Balboa Pavilion.
The era of big bands began in the 1930s . Famous musicians such as Count Basie , Benny Goodman and the brothers Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey performed in the Balboa Pavilion. The so-called Balboa couple dance was founded around the same time in the surrounding clubs and soon conquered many dance floors all over the world. The swing , named after his place of birth, is enjoying growing popularity again today.
Decline and revival
The time after the Second World War was marked by decline. Since the wooden structure had been erected on sandy ground, it now threatened to slide into the bay. In 1948 the Gronsky family bought the Balboa Pavilion and replaced the rotten structure with concrete supports. In the years that followed, the house saw constant coming and going. Among other things, it housed a shell museum and a bingo lottery.
In 1963, the entire network of the Pacific Electric Railway was stopped in favor of individual transport. The tracks in front of the Balboa Pavilion were also dismantled. Nevertheless, the historical value of the pavilion was soon recognized: in 1968 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places . It was also registered as California Historical Landmark No. 959.
In the decades that followed, the Balboa Pavilion saw further changes of ownership, which ultimately led to an ongoing revival. The historic building now houses a restaurant, a ballroom and a ship landing stage. From there the Catalina Flyer to Santa Catalina Island and the harbor tours start. Tours for so-called whale watching are also offered for a limited season . Gray whales can be seen off the coast of Newport Beach in the winter months as they migrate south from the northern waters.
The Balboa Pavilion is now the oldest surviving building in Newport Beach.
In art and media
Some scenes from the film The Thirteenth Year (1999) were shot in the Balboa Pavilion. The Disney Channel production takes place on Balboa Island , an island in Newport Beach Bay.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Balboa Pavilion. Emporis , accessed May 13, 2009 .
- ↑ Entry in the National Register Information System . National Park Service , accessed May 20, 2016
- ↑ a b c History of the Balboa Pavilion. Balboa Pavilion , accessed May 3, 2009 .
- ↑ a b James P. Felton: Newport Beach Chronological Timeline. (No longer available online.) Newport Beach Public Library http://www.newportbeachlibrary.org/ , archived from the original January 18, 2013 ; accessed on May 2, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Balboa Dance. Balboa Island, archived from the original on February 2, 2007 ; accessed on May 13, 2009 . http://www.balboa-island.net/hbd.htm ( Memento from March 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ A Short History of the Pacific Electric. In: www.oerm.org. Orange Empire Railway Museum, April 17, 2008, archived from the original on June 9, 2012 ; accessed on December 26, 2014 (English).
- ↑ Balboa Pavilion. National Register of Historic Places , accessed May 13, 2009 .
- ↑ California Historical Landmarks - Orange County. California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation , accessed May 13, 2009 .
Coordinates: 33 ° 36 ′ 10 ″ N , 117 ° 53 ′ 56 ″ W.