Nicole Knight
Managing Editor

After more than a year of chain-linked fences and boarded-up windows holding together the historic Hanawalt House, the University has finalized the plans to begin rebuilding it this spring.

The building, located at 2058 Second Street, caught fire on Dec. 16, 2004. The cause of the fire is still uncertain, but investigators believe a wire shorted out above Chief Human Resources Officer Frank Montalvo’s first floor office.

“The building’s exterior will be renovated and restored to look just like it did before the fire,” University Executive Vice President Philip Hawkey said. “The interior will be remodeled so it’s more functional for meetings and entertainment.”

“The anticipated renovation will restore the east, north and west facades of the building, upgrade the interior while retaining its architectural features, and allow for future addition of support and office space to the south side of the building,” said Brian Worley, director of facilities management

The house’s history, legacy and value to the City of La Verne and the University will be the inspiration and model for the renovation.

“They are going to do their best to rebuild in a fashion that will reflect the old architecture because of its historical value,” said Charles Bentley, the University’s public relations direc?tor.

One of the oldest buildings in La Verne and the oldest on campus, the Hanawalt House was constructed in 1905 as the residence for former ULV
President W.C. Hanawalt and his family.

“The Hanawalt House is a designated “heritage structure” in both the Campus Master Plan and the City of La Verne's Lordsburg Specific Plan,” Worley said. “Its history as a residence for one of the ULV’s founding families, as well as its previous uses by ULV, makes it an important asset for the institution.”

The masonry blocks of the Hanawalt House’s first floor exterior are some of La Verne’s earliest examples of “preset” masonry, Worley said. This style is where the concrete was molded into blocks to resemble quarried stone.

Heavy influence by the city encouraged the University to take action on the project. Since the building is recognized as a historical structure by the city, ULV is by under laws required to renovate, Hawkey said.

Roger Hardy, deputy vice president of major projects and campus development, will be heading up the project.

The University hopes to have the house completed by September.
Funding to rebuild the house will be covered through the University’s insurance.

The staff of Human Resources has found refuge in a portable building in the parking lot adjacent to the burnt Hanawalt House. Although not permanent, the staff is quite comfortable in the building’s facilities.

“The portable building has been very well received by the Human Resources staff,” Montalvo said. “The Hanawalt House was a beautiful, charming, old home but not an office. The portable is better in terms of work space.”

However, once the reconstruction on the house is complete, Human Resources are not expected to return. Montalvo is unsure to where the department will find a new home, but he suspects in either the new Campus Center or Brandt Hall, once the dorms are switched out with a new building.

Hawkey and Worley also confirmed that the future permanent home of Human Resources is yet to be determined.

Nicole Knight can be reached at nknight@ulv.edu.