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Fresno Met’s Closing Could Hold a Lesson for Detroit

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This museum was established in 1984 and was located in the historic Fresno Bee Building prior to its closing in 2010 after it could not meet loan payments after an extensive and expensive restoration project that was completed two years prior. The museum remains closed as a result of its financial difficulties. 

Fresno Metropolitan Museum (Closed)

This walking tour includes stops at historic mansions, downtown landmarks, historical markers, and museums. 

Downtown Fresno Walking Tour

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The building originally held a 1500-seat auditorium. After the completion of other buildings and a convention center in 1966, the city renovated the auditorium to make it comfortably hold five hundred attendees and converted some of the public spaces into offices. In 1992, local residents and veterans successfully&nbsp;lobbied the city for the creation of a small military history museum in the former auditorium. &nbsp;<br><br>The museum includes memorabilia from all branches of the military. Exhibits include a display of Japanese and American equipment from the Pacific Theater of WWI, various flying suit, a Civil War cannon, an Air Medal of Honor, and many&nbsp;local exhibits donated and interpreted by volunteer staff.&nbsp;

This historic auditorium was part of the Great Depression-era construction projects and opened to the public following a dedication ceremony on December 31, 1936. The Art Deco structure holds many works of art in addition to an auditorium and the Veterans Memorial Museum. Staffed by volunteers, the museum offers a variety of exhibits drawn from its collection of artifacts and memorabilia. The museum's purpose is to display uniforms, equipment, and preserve the history of American military conflicts from the perspective of veterans.  The museum can be visited free of charge and is funded in part by the city of Fresno.  

Fresno Memorial Auditorium and Veterans Memorial Museum 

The Old Fresno Water Tower was designed by Chicago architect George Washington Maher and completed in 1894. Maher lived through the great Chicago fire and recalled that the fire destroyed the city's library but not its water tower. Accordingly, Maher designed the Fresno tower with second and third floors, which were to be used as a library, but this plan never came to fruition and while the building does have a second floor the third floor was never completed. <br><br>The tower was designed in a Romanesque style and stands 100 feet tall and has a capacity of 250,000 gallons. The tower has an inner wall that is over two feet thick and an outer wall that is fourteen inches thick. There is a passage between the two walls that is about three feet wide.<br><br>The water tower was in operation from 1894 to 1963, when the pumping machinery was no longer adequate. In 2001, the second floor was removed and the interior of the tower remodeled so that it could serve as a visitor's center for the city of Fresno. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

This historic water tower was in operation from 1894 to 1963 and now serves as the home of the city's visitor center. The history of the structure dates back to 1891, when the city commissioned Chicago architect George Washington Maher to design a new water tower for the city of Fresno. His design was influenced by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, a famous and destructive event that destroyed the Chicago Public Library but not the Chicago Water Tower. Recalling that the water tower in Chicago acted as a temporary library, Maher's original design called for a library and a third floor to be built within the tower. Construction finished in November 1894 but Maher's vision of housing a library in the tower was never realized. The water tower remained in use until 1963 when its pumping equipment had become inadequate. 

The Old Fresno Water Tower

Frederick E. Twining came to Fresno in 1898 and established Cutter Laboratories. For a number of years following the lab's establishment, Twining served as State Sanitary Inspector as well as the City Bacteriologist for Fresno. In 1913, he established Twining Laboratories, which quickly earned a reputation throughout the state for its scientific work.<br><br>With its slogan "We Test Anything," Twining Laboratories became a leader in scientific investigations. The laboratory was involved in vaccine testing for cattle, sobriety testing, and food and drug testing. Following Twining's death in 1945, his son, Frederick W. Twining, himself a respected chemist, assumed leadership of the company.<br><br>The building was designed by Charles E. Butner, a well-known architect in the area. Butner designed the building with Mediterranean elements. The style was relatively common during the Depression era for schools and residences, but less common for businesses. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

Twining Laboratories was founded in 1898 by Frederick Twining. The building itself was designed by Charles E. Butner in a style with Mediterranean influences. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Twining Laboratories 

Herman Brix was a German immigrant who came to California in the early 1880s. &nbsp;He and his wife Helena were among the earliest settlers to the Coalinga area, where they attempted to make a living as grain farmers but failed. Following his failure at farming, Herman Bix went to Alaska during the gold rush and was moderately successful.&nbsp;<br><br>Brix returned to the Caolinga area as it was experiencing an oil boom and began to invest in oil properties. The Brixes moved to Fresno in 1903 and began investing in properties there. By this point, Herman Brix was a very successful man in both oil and real estate. He commissioned his home in 1909, and it was built by Edward T. Foulkes.&nbsp;<br><br>The mansion is three stories and has 12 rooms. &nbsp;It was, at that time, the most lavish home in Fresno, with 4,500 square feet of living space. Remarkably, it even included an attempt at a solar water heating system.<br><br>The Brixes divorced in 1915, and after that time, Herman no longer lived in the mansion. The home was sold in 1945, and after changing owners several times over the years, it is now the home of law offices. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

The Brix mansion was built for Herman and Helena Brix in 1910-1911. It is the only pure Italian villa in Fresno and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Brix Mansion 

The Meux home was built in 1889 by Dr. Thomas Richard Meux, a native Tennesseean and Civil War veteran. Meux, who was in poor health, came to the area on the advice of his brother, who already lived there. The family arrived in Fresno in 1887.<br><br>Dr. Meux operated his medical practice in the city until his retirement. He was also very active in Democratic politics. Meux and his brother owned vineyards in the area and also engaged in other agricultural pursuits.<br><br>The Meux home was continuously occupied by members of the Meux family for 80 years, and now contains belongings of Dr. Meux himself, including his rocking chair. Dr. Meux's daughter, Anne Prenetta Meux, lived in the home from the time that she was four years old until her death in 1970.<br><br>Following the death of the last of the Meuxs, the home was purchased by the city of Fresno and now functions as the Muex House Museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

The grand Victorian home on R Street was built in 1889 by Tennessee transplant Dr. Thomas Richard Meux. In addition to operating a medical practice, Meux and his brother also owned vineyards in the area and were involved in various agricultural pursuits. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Meux Home

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a number of Basque immigrants arrived in California, drawn largely by the promise of work as sheepherders. By the early 1900s, Fresno had the state's fourth-largest Basque population.<br><br>The Santa Fe Hotel was built in 1913, making it one of the later hotels to be built in the Basque community. It served numerous purposes: not merely a hotel, it served as a restaurant, a community center, a clinic, and a place for nomadic Basque sheepherders to collect mail and store belongings. It even functioned as a retirement home of sorts for elderly sheepherders.&nbsp;<br>

In the early 1900s, Fresno was one of several California cities with a thriving Basque community. The Santa Fe Hotel was built in 1913 to serve the Basque community. The building is now occupied by a restaurant, the Shepherd's Inn, which serves Basque fare. The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, currently houses a restaurant, the Shepherd's Inn, which served Basque cuisine. 

Santa Fe Hotel (Basque Hotel)

The Maubridge Apartments were built in 1911 by Dr. J. L Maupin and Dr. D. H. Trowbridge, Sr., each of whom was a prominent physician in Fresno. The doctors' names were combined to form the name of the building, Maubridge.&nbsp;At the time, the Maubridge Building was considered a high-end and prestigious address.&nbsp;<br><br>The building is four stories with a penthouse and was built in a combination of English and Italian Renaissance styles. It was designed by Benjamin G. McDougall, who designed a number of buildings in the area. An interesting feature of the building is its Otis elevator, which was installed in 1911 and is the oldest operating elevator west of the Mississippi.<br><br>The Maubridge Building is on the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

Built in 1912, the Maubridge Building is the oldest remaining substantial apartment building. At the time it was built, the building was considered one of the city's most prestigious addresses. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Maubridge Building

The Fresno County Hall of Records was built in 1936 by the Public Works Administration (PWA) under the auspices of the New Deal. The building is one of several Depression-era structures in Fresno, the most remarkable of which was the Municipal Auditorium.&nbsp;<br><br>The building was designed by famed architect Henry P. Villalon and was built in the Deco Moderne style. The building is considered one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the city, and a later addition in the mid-1950s was true to the original architecture. A large number of expert craftsmen were employed in the building's construction and their attention to detail is evident; decorative metalwork, terrazo tile, marble, and sculpted water fountains can be found throughout the hall.<br><br>The building underwent a massive restoration in the early 2000s. The restoration maintained the architectural integrity of the building and as a result, the Hall of Records is considered to be in excellent condition. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

The Fresno County Hall of Records was built in 1936 by the Public Works Administration, a New Deal program. The building is considered a fine example of Deco Moderne architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Fresno County Hall of Records 

The oldest theater in Fresno, the Liberty Theatre opened in 1917. The building was designed by local architects W. D. Coates and H. B. Traver, who were responsible for a number of landmarks in California. The theater was built in the Second Empire Revival style.&nbsp;<br><br>The theater changed names three times over the years. It was renamed Hardy's Theatre in 1931 and a sign bearing that name still features prominently on the building's facade. In 1978, it was renamed the Mexico Theatre. The theater once bore a large vertical sign bearing that name, but the sign was removed in 2005.<br><br>Since 2005, the building has functioned as the Spanish Evangelical Church.&nbsp;

The Liberty Theatre is one of the oldest theaters in Fresno. The theater was built in 1917, and has changed names and owners several times over the twentieth century. In recent years, the building has been home to the Spanish Evangelical Church.

Liberty Theatre Fresno (Hardy's Theatre)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Located in Fresno California, the Hotel California ,was built to be a fancy hotel for tourists and a common location for residents of the community to meet and socialize. The hotel&nbsp;represented the potential of Fresno. &nbsp;The building was constructed by R.F Felchlin with a design by H. Rafael Lake. At the time the hotel was built, it was easily the largest hotel in Fresno. The hotel is located between Los Angeles and San Francisco , making it very convenient for tourists.&nbsp;<div><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The hotel was built in the 1920s and easily became one of the most famous hotels to exist.It's grand opening occurred in December of 1923.&nbsp;The hotel was known for having celebrities stay and visit, which increased the popularity of the hotel.The 1920s made the hotel&nbsp;a hot spot for the wealthy and famous. The hotel symbolized fun, class, and a growing economy to Fresno.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The hotel's&nbsp;design reflected Italian Renaissance and Beaux-Arts tradition. The building itself&nbsp;is&nbsp;stone with many windows. &nbsp;The hotel had nine floors. Some of these floors belonged to commercial and retail businesses whom used the space for offices. The building is split into different sections, the Northeast Elevation and the Northwest Elevation, Southwest Elevation, and Southeast Elevation. All of these sections&nbsp;are on specific parts of the street where Hotel California is located. &nbsp;Northeast is&nbsp; located on Van Ness Avenue and is nicknamed the hotel's "capitol." &nbsp;Northwest can best be seen from Kern Street, because symmetrically speaking, it is not located on a street.&nbsp; The penthouse is located on this part of the building.&nbsp; The Southwest and Southeast is actually where the hotel's courtyard is located.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, the hotel is remembered as a famous landmark to Fresno.It is known to the rich and famous and the average person.&nbsp;The Hotel California has even &nbsp;influenced&nbsp;songs. &nbsp;For example, almost everyone can recall &nbsp;the Eagle's song, "Hotel California."&nbsp;Today, the Hotel California has become a place of housing for low income seniors. &nbsp;The ground floors have been converted to retail shops. It is a good place for tourists to find, when looking for a fun time&nbsp;and popular landmarks. The hotel has forever changed Fresno and the community. The Hotel California was glamour and adventure which heavily influenced the 1920s.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p>&nbsp;</p></div>

This luxury hotel opened in December, 1923. The Hotel Californian was renowned for providing the finest accommodations in central California. In fact, the hotel itself became a symbol for the potential of the booming city of Fresno with its symmetrical towers, open courtyard, and grand interior. Guests were particularly impressed by modern features such as central air conditioning. The hotel's opulent ballrooms hosted the premiere social and political events of Fresno in the booming 1920s.

Hotel Californian

Built in 1918, this eight-story building is renowned for its ornate terra cotta and brick. It was originally home to the Bank of Italy, the same bank that later became the Bank of America. The interior lobby reflects California's booming economy during the early 20th century. Visitors would have been awed by the grand entrance and its marble floors and staircases as well as the twenty-five-foot tall ceiling finished with decorative plaster. The elevator doors were finished with etched brass and the stairs were made of solid mahogany.

Bank of Italy building 

Among the numerous unions that were founded in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) were unique in that it welcomed all workers, irrespective of their race, nationality, or trade. Because they welcomed groups that were frequently marginalized even within the organized labor movement and because they advocated the overthrow of the wage system, the Wobblies, as members of the IWW were known, were considered one of the most radical unions.<br><br>In 1910, Frank Little, one of the IWW's representatives, arrived in Fresno to organize the city's workers and to invigorate the IWW Local 66. Little encouraged all of the city's wage earners to join the IWW--seasonal agricultural workers, miners, Chinese immigrants, Latin Americans, and African Americans. <br><br>Little's activism, combined with the Wobblies' notoriety, made him persona non grata among city officials. Little found that one effective method of getting the IWW message to workers was by giving soapbox speeches on street corners and parks, and one of the frequent gathering places for Little and workers was the corner of Mariposa and I Streets. And it was there that Little and other Wobblies were often arrested for "vagrancy," an effort by Police Chief William Shaw to get the organizer and other troublemakers out of Fresno.<br><br>In October of 1910, Little and several other Wobblies were arrested on the corner. Far from stopping the work of the IWW, however, the arrest of Little and other organizers galvanized Wobbly membership in the West. Because Chief Shaw issued permits for Little's speeches, then revoked them whenever he disagreed with the message, the treatment of Little and other Wobblies triggered the Fresno Free Speech Fight.<br><br>As the fall of 1910 progressed, Wobblies from throughout the West descended on Fresno, and many of them were arrested. A resolution was passed by the City Council which banned outdoor meetings, effectively prohibiting the Wobblies' street corner gatherings. Little and others chose solitary rather than work in the jail. When numbers of Wobblies loudly sang IWW songs in jail, authorities had the fire department turn fire hoses on them in the winter cold.&nbsp;<br><br>In spite of the treatment of Little and the other IWW members, Wobblies continued to arrive in Fresno throughout the winter. They set up encampments at several points in the city, and with both the jail and the city filled with Wobblies, the city finally gave in and rescinded the prohibition of outdoor meetings.&nbsp;<br><br>The Wobblies' campaign in Fresno marked the first free speech fight in California. Though the event is little remembered now, the work of Frank Little and other Wobblies in 1910 and 1911 can be seen as a precursor of later movements for social justice, such as the civil rights movement, or the Occupy movement of recent years.

For five months in 1910 and 1911, the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies as they were often known, were a presence in Fresno as they tried to recruit Fresno workers for the union. Led by Frank Little, the Wobblies often gathered on the corner of I and Mariposa. Today, a California Historic Landmarks plaque marks the location.

IWW Free Speech Fight Historic Marker 

The building now known as Warnor's Theatre was built in 1928 as Pantages Theatre by Alexander Pantages, a Greek immigrant and theatre magnate. Pantages was also one of the area's most prominent Vaudeville entertainment promoters.<br><br>The theatre was built in a distinctive style that combined Moorish, Italian and Spanish Renaissance elements. One of the theatre's most unique features is its organ, which was manufactured by the Robert Morton Organ Company. It's an elaborate organ with 1,035 pipes, and was designed to replicate the sound of a full orchestra, and is the only one with its exact specifications still in existence.&nbsp;<br><br>The theatre was purchased by Warner Brothers in 1929, and in the 1960s, the spelling was changed to Warnor's to avoid trademark disputes. For most of its existence, Warnor's functioned as a movie theatre, but it was purchased by the current owners in 1973 and since that time, it has been used largely to host concerts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Warnors Theatre is an historic theater in downtown Fresno, California. The two thousand seat venue opened in 1928 as the Pantages Theater, after the name of its then owner, Alexander Pantages, and later, the Warner Theater in 1929 after it was purchased by Warner Brothers. The name was changed again in the 1960s to &quot;Warnors&quot; to avoid trademark issues.


The theater was designed by B. Marcus Priteca, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Downtown Fresno Walking Tour

Fresno Metropolitan Museum (Closed)

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