By creating a new research institute, Tish Nettleship hopes to keep early California history–and her legendary hacienda–alive.

The garden boasts mature sycamore and palm trees, a towering sequoia, rare plants, a lily pond, even a private chapel. Fountains and unusual decorative tiles abound. But the main attraction at Hacienda Mojica is the house itself, one with a romantic and storied past. “There’s no better place to channel old California,” says local historian Randy Young. Masked behind dense foliage and a distinctive “bleeding” brick wall in Santa Monica Canyon, the Spanish Colonial Revival structure dates back to 1929 when Jose Mojica, a Mexican opera singer dubbed the “Mexican Valentino,” began building his hacienda, inspired by the wish to recreate his family’s ancestral home in Mexico. Architect Merrill W. Baird is credited with the design of the house, but local experts think acclaimed Santa Monica architect John Byers, known for his rich evocations of Spanish Colonial architecture, had a hand in things, with so many handcrafted elements, patios and verandas showcased. The house sits on hallowed ground. The site was once part of the Rancho Boca de Santa Monica, a Mexican land grant given to Francisco Marquez and Ysidro Reyes in 1839. Long before Mojica built his hacienda, the Rancho’s canyon grounds, then wilderness, played host to those seeking a picnic amid sheltering trees and ocean breezes. The hacienda is an especially fitting place to house La Senora Research Institute, a newly formed non-profit dedicated to documenting the history of the Rancho era of early California, particularly as it relates to Rancho Boca de Santa Monica. A lively roster of events relating to the site’s history also is featured, including chamber music concerts, a film series (the original garage was converted into a screening room), special lectures and docent-led garden tours. “It’s fascinating to realize that people who originally resided on this Rancho lived in Spain, Mexico and later California in the space of 30 years without ever having moved,” says Tish Nettleship, the owner of Hacienda Mojica since 1976. In creating the Institute, Nettleship, on a fervent quest to faithfully chronicle the past, works closely with historian and author Ernest Marquez, the great-grandson of the original land grantees. She also recruits interns from UCLA and USC to conduct scholarly research. The preservation of the property is Nettleship’s not-so-hidden agenda behind creating the institute and soliciting support from members, who now number close to 300. “It’s really the ‘Ra Ra’ group I’m trying to establish,” says Nettleship, who intends to give the valuable property to a large public charity, one she has yet to publicly name. “I’m trying to be creative about how to control things from the grave. Should a charity ever want to sell to development, there will be lots of loud voices to protest.” Nettleship’s Santa Monica Canyon neighbors were easily won over by the idea of the foundation setting up shop in the residence, which occupies a triangle at Dryad Road and East Channel. “They clearly don’t want a bunch of McMansions built here,” says Nettleship. “Plus, where would they go swimming?” Nettleship is referring to the longstanding tradition of hosting a neighborhood swim party on the Fourth of July, something she’s done since the 1970s when she moved into the house as a widow with six children. “With all its nooks and crannies, it was a great house to bring up a big family,” she says. The house suffered major damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, requiring Nettleship to tackle major repairs and restoration. During a recent visit, she points out quirky features tied to the original owner, including a step-up area in the dining room. “Of course, it makes perfect sense. Mojica was an opera star who entertained frequently and performed for his guests,” she says. In a surprising unHollywood-like turn, Mojica returned to Mexico in 1936 and later became a Peruvian monk. The house’s next owner was Dr. H. Clifford Loos, who founded the Ross-Loos Medical group, today Kaiser Permanente. His sister was famed screenwriter Anita Loos, best known for “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Daughter Mary Anita lived in the house for 28 years and was a devoted steward and mentor to Nettleship. “It all started because my flight arrived home early,” says Nettleship of her first chance meeting with Mary Anita Loos. Nettleship, at the time a busy executive running an industrial construction firm, blew in during the last moments of a garden tour she had agreed to let a local group put on. Loos was holding court on the patio with guests, telling tales about the hacienda’s history. “It was only after meeting her that it became ever so urgent to find a way to protect this house and land,” recalls Nettleship. “Prior to that day, my interest in the house and its history had been pretty shallow.” Lyle Wheeler, an award-winning film artistic director, owned the house after the Loos family. Robert Brown, an actor in film and television, sold it to Nettleship. The original wooden entry gates on East Channel Road are inscribed “La Finca de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe,” dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron Saint of Mexico, whose image appears in tiles and other artifacts throughout the house. Nettleship settled on the name “La Senora” for the new foundation to pay homage to all the many women involved in perpetuating the homestead’s historic fabric. She’s on a mission to become the final “La Senora,” the 21st century one who will pass on the house and collections as a center for California history. To learn more about La Senora Research Institute events and how to become a member, contact pnettleship@nettleship.com.

The library at Paul Revere Charter Middle School is, surprisingly, the newest hangout for students. Cindi Murphy, who taught eighth grade English last year, transferred into the librarian’s position this fall, bringing energy and ideas that have resonated with students. Although the library was renovated two years ago, it lacked programs for the students and, according to Murphy, ‘was a mausoleum. Kids were afraid to come in.’ Over the summer, she orchestrated a group of parent and student volunteers who cleaned and moved furniture. The result is a large room made cozy with three ‘read and relax’ lounge areas, an instructional area and a media center. ‘We’re in the middle of a collection development project because we don’t have enough reading materials for our kids,’ Murphy said. LAUSD recommends that a middle school library have 18 books per student; Revere’s library has six books per child, and about a third of the collection is outdated, especially the science books. ‘We don’t have enough of the popular fiction series and culturally relevant material,’ Murphy said. ‘Our theory is that when a student is comfortable with pleasure reading, they learn to like to read and then they feel more comfortable cracking a textbook.’ In order to gain a ‘so-so’ collection, it will cost $35,000 a year for five years and $75,000 a year to build a premium collection. Unfortunately, Murphy’s entire budget is only $8,000 a year. Seeking funding is difficult because Revere’s academic performance index is over 800 (one of the few middle schools in LAUSD to achieve that goal). ‘It’s hard to get grants because our scores are too high,’ Murphy said. ‘We don’t get Title 1 money (federal) and many of the grants have restrictions based on the number students in the free lunch program.’ Most of Revere’s budget from LAUSD goes towards academic programs, with art, music, physical education and the library rarely receiving adequate funding. Murphy hopes to start a fundraising campaign in January to acquire more texts. Money donations are preferred, she said, because the incoming books need to be library ready, with a bar code and catalogue record. Since September, Murphy has launched three new programs, and established a 40-member student advisory board that meets every day, working on technology, student and community outreach, public relations, as well as an information flyer and a monthly newsletter. Every other Wednesday, Murphy invites professionals to give career talks in the library during lunch hour. ‘We videotape it and it will be part of a podcast series when the library Web site is up and running,’ she said. A parent group is currently working on the Web site. Murphy invited illustrators Max Espinosa and Rubin Gerard to speak to students in the library and make themselves available to different classes at the school on a monthly basis. She has also started a monthly visiting author series that has included Victoria Foyt, who wrote ‘The Virtual Life of Lexi Diamond.’ In the works is a college-talk series that would highlight a different college every month. ‘We want kids to start thinking about college, now,’ Murphy said. Given the welcoming environment, student-organized clubs have begun meeting in the library during the lunch hour. The clubs include origami, band and Manga, a group interested in comics published in Japan. ‘We’re trying to reach at-risk groups by offering a variety of options’the clubs, the visiting speakers–to get students into the library,’ Murphy said. When she’s not starting innovative programs at Revere, Murphy is working on her master’s degree in library science. She received a B.A. in English from UCLA and already has a library/media credential. In her spare time she loves to read, of course, but also enjoys cooking and gardening. Her husband of 16 years, Scott, is also a middle school teacher, at John Burroughs near Hollywood. ‘We live together and we play together, but we don’t have to work together,’ Murphy said, laughing. The couple, who have no children, love to visit Manhattan where they catch plays, enjoy the different restaurants and walk all over the city. But right now the library is Cindi’s total focus. ‘There’s a lot to do here,’ she said.

The library at Palisades Charter High School came back to life in September, after being closed for more than a year. New librarian Andrea King has spent the past several months (as well as the summertime) revamping and upgrading the facility, with the help of student volunteers and faculty members. Last school year, because of a shortage of space, the library was used as a classroom and students could not check out materials. Furthermore, there was no librarian and much of the library’s collection was damaged and outdated. ‘The students are just waiting to get in every day,’ King said when school started. ‘Teachers are so excited. They can’t wait to get their kids in here doing research and checking out fiction books and just getting back in the habit of using the library.’ King began the overhaul by removing one-third of the library’s collection. She eliminated outdated and damaged books, as well as books that had never before been checked out, despite being on the shelves for many years. ‘There are also good books here,’ King said. ‘There were good books on the shelves; they were just hidden away.’ So far King has spent a little more than $15,000 of the $50,000 allocated to the library by the school’s governing board to purchase about 1,000 new books. She ordered a variety of texts, including modern fiction that will appeal to teenagers, classics and perhaps most importantly, books that teachers believe will complement what they are teaching in class. With the help of student volunteers, King also rearranged the library, making materials and study space more accessible. ‘The library wouldn’t look the way it does today without those kids,’ said King, who previously worked at Emerson Middle School in Westwood. ‘I’m really excited because it’s a lot better organized, cleaner and more open,’ junior Fiona Hannigan said in September, after helping out over the summer. ‘Mrs. King is the sweetest person, and she wants to make the library a hub, like the study center.’ Forty laptop computers are also now available in the library that students can use with the newly installed wireless Internet. However, they cannot be checked out by students outside of class time until the security system, which has been ordered and paid for, is installed. ‘The laptops are amazing,’ said junior Diva Joshi, ‘and now kids can go to the library so there’s more room in the study center for tutoring.’ A new automation system was also installed, allowing for library records to be updated and possibly be made available online through the school’s Web site. This fall, King has been busy setting up the fiction section and ‘putting in authors that they may like.’ She also ordered new, smaller worktables that allow flexibility for students working in small groups. Textbooks used in various courses have also been made available for the first time in the library for students who forget them at home, but still wish to work on homework while at school. King also ordered beanbag chairs that have been placed around the library so students can work or read comfortably on the floor. And soon, thanks to a donation by Rose Gilbert, the library will undergo further remodeling with the installation new tables and chairs as well as a new circulation desk. King now offers a research skills class at the library that teaches students different ways to do research in and out of the library, good study habits and note-taking skills and other important tasks such as creating bibliographies. After receiving her B.A. in history from UCLA and a master’s degree in American studies from Pepperdine, King obtained teaching credentials for English and history as well as her library media services credential from Cal State Long Beach. Before coming to Palisades High, she spent 17 years at Emerson, 14 as a teacher and three as a librarian. She lives in Westchester with her husband, Robert Rowe King (an AP teacher at Pali), and her four-year-old twin boys.