This was private property until the state purchased it in 1979. People were in a bit of an uproar, because they thought the state was going to demolish all the cottages. They didn't though! In fact, the state, along with the Crystal Cove Conservancy, began a restoration project of the cottages. So far, 21 cottages are now available for overnight rental. There is a lot more information available, but I think what I just said, is just about all you need. I apologize in advance for the poor quality of some of these photos. It was the middle of a very hazy day and the light was brutal. I would have been better off using the camera on my phone.
...most of them still stand. The cottages in the foreground have been restored to original. This photo is from the same place as the previous one.
The following photos are just a small part of what is left. There is also a second tier of cottages.
There has to be at least one B&W
This is one of the restored cottages
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L. says reservations are hard to come by.....her daughter and SIL spent a weekend there not too long ago.
ReplyDeleteNice pics, Pat
...this looks like sections along the Erie Canal in New York State.
ReplyDeleteAn area in the Smokies (Elkmont) looks like that --after the park bought out the little mountain community.. People were allowed to stay until the last member of the original family was gone. Then their property went to the National Park... Of course the Nat. Park didn't have money to keep the houses in good shape --so they all are in horrible shape now... We hiked there a few times ---and I almost cry every time I see those old homes...
ReplyDeleteHas the area you pictured never had a hurricane or big tropical storm? IF those houses were on the East Coast, they would have been washed out to see due to storms.... Homes along the beach on the east coast are built on stilts --and not too close to the water.
Interesting post... Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy
I loved the contrast between the picture from the 40s to the current one.
ReplyDeleteAs always very good shots Pat, I always enjoy seeing your work.
Should Fish More - Thanks Mike! After reading your comment I just went to the reservation website. Apparently, you have to reserve several months in advance.
ReplyDeleteTom - I've not seen the ones along the Erie Canal, but I"m sure it's a nice place.
Betsy Adams - That is a crying shame about those old houses. The National Park Service seems to ignore a lot of things in some places. If somebody would champion that old community for historical recognition, maybe that would change. The BLM on the other hand, allow old places to be adopted, and maintained by people.
As to the storms, the weather in this part of the country is very MILD. Any kind of severe weather is extremely rare. Thanks Betsy!
Jimmy - Thanks so much Jimmy! I'm not so sure about the photos though. I'm glad you like this stuff.
What a great place to have saved - I'd love to spend a few days so close to the beautiful ocean.
ReplyDeleteSome of those places look nice, but anybeac place with a beach is pretty cool!
ReplyDeleteIt did my heart good to read that they are being restored! There's so much wonderful history there--if only the walls could talk :)
ReplyDeleteAl - I agree! I would like to stay there also. I only live a few miles away and although it doesn't cost too much to stay there, it still ain't cheap...
ReplyDeleteBrian - I totally agree with you! Any beach is a good beach.
betty-NZ - I feel the same way! It kills me to see historic places bulldozed.
I see a painter there doing her thing among those lovely old cottages. I'd love to be there too. The cottages are gorgeous, even in a dilapidated state, and oh I would so much like to be by the sea.
ReplyDeleteShammickite - I believe that a couple of the cottages are set up like studios. Every time I've been there, I've always seen people painting.
ReplyDeleteI've often thought about it but I never came to any conclusion as to whether I'd like living on a beach or not given that I'm a continental coon. I'd constantly be scared of a Biblical flood :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots, and the Godwits, I think so!
ReplyDeletePat, I love the "then" and "now" comparison photographs at the start of this post! I'm fascinated with past and present images.
ReplyDelete"and several silent movies were filmed here in the 1920's."
That is SO cool!!!!
Glad to hear that they are restoring these cottages instead of tearing them down and building modern condos. Great shot of the restored cottage with the woman painting.
Thanks for so much sharing. REALLY enjoyed this post!
Btw, I think your photographs are awesome because they give the images a wonderful misty "feel!"
That was a very nice piece of social history. It was a very clear difference between the 40s and now, but it was good to hear that a restoration project is under way. No need for excuses concerning the picture quality - I have seen (and posted) far worse. Loved the bird!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that the cottages were made from lumber from a capsized ship. I enjoyed seeing the old photo along with the new and the artist at work.
ReplyDeleteI may have lived close to there for a few months. Aunt invited my mom and her two kids to stay when my Navy dad went overseas during WWII. Aunt and Uncle lived in Naples Canal, Long Beach ... Uncle didn't like having babies again and ended up renting a cottage in Laguna Beach for his SIL and her two kids ...my earliest clear memory is watching blimps fly along the beach (while my mother tried to quiet my colicky baby brother.). She moved us back home to Washington State after six months. My Aunt lived to be 105 in the same Long Beach home. We visited her often over the years but I never thought to ask her to show us where that cottage actually was.
ReplyDeleteHaha, what hubs had heard was that it was private property! Am glad you rectified that. But do you need a certain card giving you access, or also not anymore? The city/state has their work cut out for them having to fix up all these dilapidated ones:)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Patrick!
DEZMOND - I totally understand that. I live very close to the coast, but I wouldn't want to live on the beach. The salty air eventually ruins everything that is metal and I wouldn't want to get washed away.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell - Godwits! Thanks Bob, I couldn't remember what they were.
Ron - Thanks Ron. I appreciate the nice words. This whole area is now a state park, so it will never be developed. Yay!
visualnorway - Thanks Rune! I wish I could time travel and experience different time periods in person.
Diane AZ - I really got a kick out of the lumber source also. Thanks for the comment Diane!
Sallie (fullTime-Life) - There aren't any other "colonies" like this on the coast around here, so it you probably are right about live close by. We moved to Long Beach (from Kentucky) because my dad was in the Navy. I spent much of my life in/or near Long Beach and am very familiar with the Naples area. That is some pricey real estate.
The restored version looks like the entire idea will be a good one.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lovely place to live or hang out
ReplyDeletejeannettestgermain - You park in a lot that's the other side of PCH. Then you walk through a tunnel that goes under PCH. No card needed. A lot of people don't know that there are ZERO private beaches in California. Everything from the ocean to the high tide line, is public and accessible.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeannette!
William Kendall - I agree! A lot of work, but a great idea.
sage - Both would be great! All I can afford is the "hang out" option.
Beautifully done photos, Pat. Superbly nostalgic, too! Sitting with them, one senses oneself in a time warp...
ReplyDeleteNevine
Those are wonderful shots of the old cottages. I hope more of them get restored. It would be fun to live in one.
ReplyDeleteNevine Sultan - Thanks Nevine! When I was walking around there, it did feel like a time warp. Nice to see your comment.
ReplyDeleteIda - Thanks Ida! It would be nice if they can save most, or all of them.
What lovely cottages! And on Laguna Beach too! Shame they haven't been restored.
ReplyDeleteWonderful tour of the place.
ReplyDeletePat, the contrast between how this place was before and what it's now is huge. How sad that this beautiful place turned into something that needs a lot of restoration. The restored cottage looks great.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting post! It's curious to look at your pictures and sad at the same time.
Best wishes to you from me.
I love this final picture. You're a great photographer.
ReplyDeleteI'm baffled, Pat. These cottages withstood all the floods and harsh rains for so many decades? How is that possible? Whenever I see home that close to the water, I'm envious for half a second. My next thought is that I'd be too scared to enjoy living there.
Thanks for the wonderfully telling perspective, as always.
Lady Fi - They are in what they call, the "first phase" of restorations. It appears that they are going to try and restore almost all of them.
ReplyDeleteRajesh - Thanks Rajesh!
Kaya - The moisture and salty air destroys almost everything at the beach. It takes a lot of maintenance to new buildings, the older ones take a lot more. I agree with you about a mixture of feelings.
Rawknrobyn - Thanks so much Robyn! It is only possible because it's in south Orange County. We have some of the mildest weather in the world. There really aren't any storms or floods here. In fact, when there is any chance of rain at all (even a tiny bit) all of the news channels go into "Storm Watch!" It's pretty pathetic. The only thing I would worry about are Tsunamis. Even those probably wouldn't here, because the beach actually faces more south than west, and Catalina island (which is very large) is due west from here, and wouldn't probably stop any huge waves from hitting the shoreline in this spot. I hope anyway.
Beautiful shots Pat - and so sad that the buildings have gone to ruin.
ReplyDeleteAre they empty? Who owns them? Why have they been left like that? I honestly don't believe we have anything like that here. Not on beautiful coastline like that.
Fascinating place though. And thanks for tracking down the original shot for comparison.
Love your passion my friend.
Love seeing that beach there and the historical photo and comparison. In my dreams, I live in a house perched above the beach just like these photos. Beautiful there.
ReplyDeleteAnthony J. Langford - Thanks Anthony! They may be ruins now, but that is happily changing. Except for 21 of them that are restored as nightly rentals, the others are in bad shape. The state of California owns them now, and they are renovating as many as they can.
ReplyDeleterobin andrea - I'm right there with you about a house perched ABOVE the beach. Although it doesn't rain much there, fog rolls in with the marine layer on many days.
I thought the image of today was the better one. Until I dscrolled down. Seemed to need more work to look good.
ReplyDeleteNatureFootstep - I agree with you about the older version. I would love to have seen it in person back then.
ReplyDeleteCheers for the update Pat. It would be cool to rent one of those. A writer's dream!
ReplyDeletePrime real estate indeed! It is nice to see rustic cottages instead of mega mansions. Did you stay in one?
ReplyDeleteNice shots - and I like the obligatory black and white.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Anthony J. Langford - Thanks Anthony! I would also like to rent one, but wouldn't want to live there full-time.
ReplyDeleteSharon Wagner - Oh yes, VERY prime! I agree about the mansions. I haven't stayed there.
Stewart M - Thanks Stewart! I like it also. Cheers!
It is wonderful that the area is being restored. Looking at the photos, you can tell the area was popular in the 40s and it still is. More people and generations will be able to enjoy the beauty of the area. Excellent project!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about this lovely area and have a wonderful week, Pat.
I've heard of Laguna beach Pat, must have been in a movie ☺ I hope they do restore more of the cottages in Crystal Cove, they look like they would have been really pretty in their hay day, and it's such a beautiful spot! Your last image is gorgeous!
ReplyDeletebill burke - I agree! It makes me feel good when things like this take place. Thanks so much Bill! You have a great week also.
ReplyDeletePerthDailyPhoto - I agree about them really being something in their hay day. Thanks Grace!
What a fascinating place, Pat- a shame that so many of the cottages are in disrepair! I wonder if there are plans to restore them? The one that has been refurbished looks amazing - I would love to spend time there!
ReplyDeleteHello, Pat! What a great post. I am happy to see the cottages are being restored. The finished cottage looks very nice. I am sure it is a popular area to visit and spend the night. Have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteAnother beautiful photo series. I love beautiful dillapidated things. It's so strange to see these photos in comparison (especiallly the shoreline).
ReplyDeleteI have been on hiatus so I haven't seen your blog in a while. I hope you're doing well (and feeling well!). I don't know your belief system, but I continue to pray for your health. Best wishes.
Nat - It is a shame, but better late than never! There are plans to restore all but the total wrecks. It is a very nice place to visit. Tons of hiking trails around there also. On the beach, in canyons, and in the mountains.
ReplyDeleteeileeninmd - Thanks Eileen! It is popular, in fact reservations have to be made several months in advance.
msmariah - Thank you! I agree with you about loving old things. I am doing well (despite having another little chunk whacked out of my face today). I am most appreciative for your prayers. Nice to see you out and about.
Looks like a lovely, quiet place. I like old cottages, but maybe because it reminds me of my youth on the shores of Lake Erie.
ReplyDeleteM Pax - It really is a great place. Speaking of your youth on the shores of Lake Erie. I also spent some of my time on the shores of Lake Erie. We lived in Port Clinton and Gypsum.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of July!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Pat. Always love to come by and see what you've been up to. I learn something new everytime! Very interesting part of american history you have captured. Love the pictures as well. Especially the birdies at the end. I wish I was there at that moment. =)
ReplyDeleteShammickite - Thanks! I hope you had a great one also.
ReplyDeleteSandy - Hi Sandy! Very nice to see you here. Thanks for all the nice words. I wish I was there right now also. Thanks again!
Love that place. My husband and I go for long beach walks there! It's so hot where I live today that I think a beach walk would be perfect for this evening! Thank you for the idea!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Ford - Hi there! What a coincidence that you should comment just now. My wife and I just decided we're going to either Dana Point, or Crystal Cove today. Don't know if we'll do much walking though. I'm hungry!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat little area! I think it would be really fun to stay there. Beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteBaby sister - Thanks Amanda! I've never stayed there, but visited the beach there several times. I live fairly close to this place
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