Rockhaven was one of the many sanitariums established in the late 19th & early twentieth centuries since the Crescenta Valley comprising of Tujunga, La Crescenta, & La Canada was considered to have the most healthful air & sun in the entire U.S.
Agnes Richards was a German American who was sent back to Germany to be educated with a degree in psychology. She returned to the U.S. & earned a nursing degree after the death of her husband.
She saw that many mental patients especially women were poorly cared for so she started her own modest "mental & nervous sanitarium for women" in a small home made of native rock housing 6 women.
As her fame for the humane treatment of women with psychological issues spread, she expanded by buying up adjacent land & had the Prescott Bros. build more buildings in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
The generally small cottages & small buidlings are interlaced with small foot paths decorated with statues & what were at the time lush plantings. Now in the 3rd year of drought, much of the greenery is unfortunately gone. However, the grounds still maintain a natural charm & serenity framed by tall California oaks.
Around the 1960's, her granddaughter, Patricia Traviss was anointed the head of Rockhaven where she continued the work until 2001 selling to the Ararat Company that wanted to raze the historic buildings to put up a commercial enterprise.
The city of Glendale stepped in & purchased Rockhaven in 2008 due to its historical importance as the last standing example of sanitariums in the Crescenta Valley dating back to about 1870. Unfortunately, the city's purchase of Rockhaven in 2008 was the start of the Great Recession so that the city has had little money to upkeep the property.
Friends of Rockhaven is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve & maintain Rockhaven as a historical site that will eventually function as a park & as an urban sanctuary of peace, but also as a home for extension classes, seminars, art classes, studios, museum of the Crescenta Valley, housing for other nonprofits, wedding parties & receptions. The possibilities are endless. in serving the community.
There were a few notable guests of "the establishment run By women For women". There was Billy Burke of Glenda, the Good Witch fame on the Wizard of Oz featuring Judy Garland. Peggy Freers was a Ziegfeld Follies dancer, singer, & Hollywood producer. Marion Statler Rose toured the world as husband & wife team of "Statler & Rose".
Clark Gable's first wife, Josephine Dillon as well as Spike Jone's mother were residents. The most famous guest was Gladys Eley, mother of Marilyn Monroe, who was an escape artist & even managed to get married during one of her break outs.
This was a pleasant 1 1/2 hour tour of the grounds & buildings sponsored by the Friends of Rockhaven & by Joanna Linkchorst & her fellow Friends of Rockhaven. To get on one of their irregularly scheduled tours that is limited to 20 persons, try looking up Rockhaven on Facebook & inquire about the next tour if it is not posted already.
Wear comfortable & mountain goat worthy shoes giving support & stability since the paths have worsened with the passing of time. 4 Yelp stars for a pleasant tour that adds color to the local area.
This review was paraphrased from the Rockhaven pamphlet written by Joanna Linkchorst for the HSCV with grateful appreciation to Mike Lawler & Jessica Houston.
Friends of Rockhaven, P.O. Box 573, Verdugo City, CA 91046 read more