The historic Aldersgate Lodge will be open to the community on May 7.
Seven Arrows Elementary will open its doors at its location at the historic Aldersgate, 925 Haverford Avenue, from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 7.
“We are excited to continue the tradition of community service that began with the Chautauqua spirit as Seven Arrows humbly stewards Aldersgate into the town’s second century,” Head of School Margarita Pagliai said. “The school is proud to partner with the Pacific Palisades Historical Society in the Centennial Celebration.”
The house was built in 1892 in downtown Los Angeles. It has a Craftsman-style interior, with a Mission Revival-style exterior.
Purchased for $3,000 by the First Methodist Episcopal Church in 1927, it was to be used for a men’s group “We Boys” and for a woman’s group “Jesus Our Companion.”
In 1928, the house was cut in half and moved by truck and mule teams on a three-day trek across Los Angeles to Haverford Avenue.
When the house arrived across from Founder’s Oak, the owners spent $5,600 on remodeling and decorating.
In the late 1960s, the building was donated to the United Methodist Conference Board, and in the 1970s it was turned over to the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Major renovations were done in the late 1980’s, and the Buerge Chapel and Meditation Garden were added on the lot adjacent to the house in the 1990’s.
Aldersgate was designated a Historic Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles in 2008.
In the fall of 2021, Aldersgate was purchased by Seven Arrows, an independent kindergarten through sixth grade Los Angeles-based elementary.
The house will be open for self-guided tours. The community will also be able to view the historical photo and artifact exhibition donated by Randy Young from the Clearwater Collection.
Family activities will take place at the outdoor space and feature the Ultimate Recycling Machine, a hands-on experience for children that combines engineering, collaboration, and sustainability.
Children will also be able to enjoy the outdoor makerspace activity where they can make and take home their creation using the principles of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). STEAM and makerspace activities will be geared towards children ages 3-16.
In addition to the Open House and community activities, Seven Arrows will be engaging in conservation projects with partner nonprofits, and also celebrating the Chumash/Tongva people and the Spanish settlers: the Marquez, Carillo and Reyes families.
There will be activities for kids and the family at Aldersgate.