Our YWCA, here in San Pedro, California, was designed by the distinguished Architect and Engineer, Julia Morgan. Ms. Morgan, the first woman to be licensed as an Architect in California, was a trailblazer and a pioneer. Indeed, she was the first woman to be admitted to the world renowned lʹÉcole nationale supérieure des Beaux‐Arts in Paris.

Julia Morgan was one of California’s, if not one of the worldʹs, most influential architects. Remarkable not only as an independent woman working in what was traditionally a man’s field, she was also a meticulous engineer and a talented designer.

Morgan designed many edifices for institutions serving women and girls, including a number of YWCAs and buildings for Mills College. In fact, Morgan designed over 700 buildings in her long and distinguished career.

Moreover, just as her male contemporaries, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Morgan, she herself, pioneered the aesthetic use of reinforced concrete, a material that proved to have superior seismic performance in the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes. In April 1904, Julia Morgan completed her first reinforced concrete structure, the 72‐foot bell tower at Mills College, El Campanil which is located across the bay from San Francisco. Two years later, El Campanil survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake unscathed without any damage, which helped build her reputation and launch her career. Frank Lloyd Wright, her contemporary was also using this new structural system for his Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois in 1905.

Julia Morganʹs affiliation with the YWCA began when Phoebe Apperson Hearst recommended her for the organizationʹs Asilomar summer conference center, a project she began in 1913. The Asilomar Conference Center, no longer YWCA but State‐run, is still in Pacific Grove near Monterey, California. Morgan designed YWCAs in California, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii.

Following the 1917 San Pedro War Council Report evaluating the social conditions of the South bay area, Julia Morgan was asked to design the San Pedro YWCA in 1918 as “a club and recreation center to compete successfully with public dances, motion pictures shows, and streets filled with men in uniform; housing with facilities for laundry and cooking breakfast; and rooms for 20 girls [to] provide for the acute emergency.” A swimming pool was a key recommendation as it offered young women a recreational outlet not available elsewhere in San Pedro. A budget of $5,000 for land, $12,000 for the building, and $2,500 for furnishings was established at the meeting.

When compared to her decades long and glorious Hearst Castle work, it is a most modest board‐and ‐batten design. Morganʹs great range of design competence and sensitivity to budget and the needs of her clients – a cornerstone of her success ‐ is evidenced.

The YWCA of the Harbor Area and South Bay, has under gone many modifications over the years; some rather unfortunate additions not in keeping with Morganʹs simple but elegant style. Alas the pool was filled in and more housing was built without paying homage to Morganʹs style. Moreover, the simple but highly practical passive ventilation designed by her through the use of transom windows above all the doors have been boarded up and screwed closed. Much of the woodwork is in great need of repair. Built‐ins have deteriorated. The comfort, charm and ingenious practicality of Julia Morgan’s original design have truly begun to wilt.

On May 28, 2008, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver announced that Julia Morgan would be inducted into the California Hall of Fame. Soon thereafter, Julia Morgan (January 20, 1872 – February 2, 1957) was posthumously inducted into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts. In 2014, the American Institute of Architects awarded her its highest award, the AIA Gold Medal. Finally, 57 years after her death, she became the first female architect to receive this honor.

During this time, in 2012, Landmarks California declared it the year of Julia Morgan, organizing six weeks of Morgan‐related events. At this time we evaluated the YWCA in San Pedro.

Landmarks was contacted and a restoration proposal discussed. Today great plans are in the works to restore and expand this historic place.

Our San Pedro YWCA is a gem both as a community service, whose board works tirelessly to provide much needed support to local women and families, and as a Morgan building.

Much to the credit of the dedicated Board and people that run the San Pedro YWCA, after more than one hundred years of continuous use by the YWCA, the building still provides services to women and children in the community as originally intended.

Perhaps now, as downtown is being rapidly developed and reanimated, it is time to pick up where we left off and restore this lovely local treasure and expand it to meet the goals set forth.

2018 – YWCA of the Harbor Area celebrated its 100th year

For an overview timeline history of the YMCA and for Renderings of the proposed renovation and expansion of our San Pedro YMCA se

https://ywcaharbor.org/julia‐morgan‐building/

State Archives:

https://cal170.library.ca.gov/a‐year‐in‐the‐life‐of‐julia‐morgan‐architect

This scholarship is awarded annually to students who have demonstrated work and commitment in the area of gender equity. It facilitates their continued work in this area at the University of Southern California and in the community. This scholarship, funded by donations in honor of Belle Vivian, will be awarded annually to an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California. A recipient receives $5,000 in the form of tuition reimbursement for one academic year.

History

Myra “Belle” Vivian, wife of Dr. Robert Vivian, dean of the School of Engineering from 1940 to 1958, was treasurer of Town and Gown, USC’s oldest women’s philanthropic organization. Ms. Vivian collected 75 cents from each person attending the luncheon and turned the money in to the USC Cashier’s Office. Ultimately this led to Town and Gown’s first checking account. Her legacy could be seen elsewhere on campus, too. In 1951, construction began on the Belle D. Vivian YWCA, which later served as home to USC Student Counseling Services. It was demolished in 2012 to create space for Wallis Annenberg Hall. The scholarship that still bears Ms. Vivian’s name is intended to help sophomore female students at USC.

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Laureen Vivian, owner of LcV Architectural Design & Interiors is a full service architectural and interior design firm. She has received a few degrees from the University of Southern California -BA in Communications and minor in Fine Art, Master's Degree in German Lit and a Barch from the School of Architecture. She was born and lived in Germany as a child, her father being from Los Angeles then moved the family back to his home city in the late 60's. She grew up in South Shores, San Pedro and after graduating from USC moved to NYC.

From 1989 -1995 she began her career at the prestigious firm of Pei Cobb Freed and Partners, whose projects are world renown, and range from the pyramid at the Louvre to Mixed Use projects in Berlin to museums, convention centers, libraries, medical clinics to office and apartment towers worldwide.

In 1996 she and her husband /partner founded the Michail Lombardo Gallery at 69th St. and Madison Avenue. She restored and renovated the Queen Anne building and townhouse, created their residence and offices on the upper floors and established the gallery on the floor below. She took an active role in managing, procuring art, and hosting openings.

At this time she established LcV Architectural Design & Interiors. From1995-2006 she traveled extensively procuring Biedermeier and Art Deco furniture, Objects 'd Art, and paintings from Europe and Latin America for the gallery, her own collection and for clients. Her design commissions were wide-ranging and they included art galleries, townhouses – new and renovations/additions, a three floor penthouse apartment, doctor's offices on Park Ave., restaurants, catering halls, notably, Terrace on the Park - a 100,000 sq/ft catering hall, offices, Pratesi retail shop, private residences on Long Island and Greece, and a fine art museum in Greece.

In 2006 she left NYC, bought and restored/renovated a lovely Spanish revival house on Averill Park in San Pedro and opened DeKor Gallery on 6th Street in San Pedro. From 2007-2019 she held monthly gallery openings, often featuring local artists and art associations like the Korean-American Association of Orange County, at DeKor and contributed to the 1st Thursday Artwalk. Some of her commissions since 2006 include her house, Dekor Gallery, a new 5000 sq/ft Tuscan-style villa in Palos Verdes, art consultation/procurement & interior design for a villa in PVE, a 7000 sq/ft ultra modern house in Ventura, CA, apartment building renovations, a vineyard master plan, kitchens, two ADUs and a complete renovation of a MCM mid-century house in South Shores. Most recently she renovated The Baker House #86, a grand Victorian historic landmark, in Santa Paula, CA and turning it into a medical practice.

From 2012-2014 Ms. Vivian was hired as lead architectural designer for LM Design Group here on the west side in Los Angeles where projects included large country estates, villas and apartments, restaurants, a spa- all in Russia- and estates in Rancho Mirage. These projects demanded that everything be customized – from faucets to furniture rugs to lighting, be of high quality, be American Craftsman-made and of a superlative creative breathe and depth rarely seen.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Laureen Vivian believes in being involved in 'giving back' through civic affairs and the community. She founded “Friends of Averill Park”, partnered with Rec. & Parks to have over $600,000 dedicated for a new water pump, waterway restorations and general beautification projects, served on the NWSP Neighborhood Council for several years, was appointed, by Janice Hahn, to the CAC Board where she served for several years aiding in the downtown San Pedro and waterfront development planning.

Her early years as a sculptor, youth and years traveling in Europe and beyond, laid the foundation for Laureen's love of beauty, art and all things creative. She truly enjoys collaborating with artisans, engineers and manufacturers to problem solve and create the best solutions in order deliver a cohesive, meaningful and beautiful result. She believes that a successful project requires great dedication, insight and passion rooted in knowledge and experience where the process itself is a sincere adventure. She believes every project is an opportunity, a journey, to work closely with clients to reveal possibilities and chart a collaborative course based on in-depth analysis, precedents and imagination. The best projects are those where both the architectural designer and the client embrace the journey together.

Laureen can be reached at:

Arch Design I LcV Laureen Claire Vivian I San Pedro, Los Angeles (laureenvivian.net)