Beatrice Lang
The Pacific Electric Railway's Red Car service between Los Angeles and Long Beach had a major stop at Watts Station, which was built in 1904 in Watts, Los Angeles, California. The Watts Towers, also known as the Towers of Simon Rodia, are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics within the site of the artist's original residential property in Watts, Los Angeles, California. Sabato (Simon or Sam) Rodia, an Italian immigrant construction worker, designed and built the entire site of towers, structures, sculptures, pavement, and walls over a period of 33 years from 1921 to 1954.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Watts Towers, Towers of Simon Rodia, Nuestro Pueblo |
| Location | Watts, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Creator | Sabato "Simon" or "Sam" Rodia |
| Creator's Birthplace | Serino, Italy |
| Year Construction Began | 1921 |
| Year Construction Ended | 1954 |
| Number of Towers | 17 |
| Height of Tallest Tower | 99.5 feet (30.3 m) |
| Designation | National Historic Landmark, California Historical Landmark, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument |
| Current Status | Closed for restoration since 2017 |
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What You'll Learn
The Watts Towers are located in Los Angeles, California
The Watts Towers are located within the Watts community in Los Angeles, which was built on the old Rancho La Tajauta. The Watts Station, a train station built in 1904, was one of the first buildings in Watts and served as a major stop for the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Car" service between Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Watts community grew due to its railway junction, which connected the Long Beach-Santa Ana line to the San Pedro-Redondo line, providing travel opportunities for its working-class population.
The Watts Towers themselves were designated a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark in 1990. They are also a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and one of nine folk art sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles. The site is now known as the Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park.
The preservation of the Watts Towers has been a collaborative effort involving various individuals and organizations. Actor Nicholas King and film editor William Cartwright played a crucial role in preserving the site by purchasing the property in 1959 and forming the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts. This committee negotiated with the City of Los Angeles to conduct engineering tests to prove the safety and structural integrity of the towers, ultimately preventing their demolition. The committee independently preserved the site until 1975 when they partnered with the City of Los Angeles and later with the State of California in 1978.
Today, the Watts Towers are operated by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and curated by the Watts Towers Arts Center/Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center. Ongoing restoration work is carried out to preserve the undisturbed structural integrity and composition of these unique works of art.
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Sabato Rodia built the towers over 33 years
The Watts Towers, also known as the Towers of Simon Rodia or Nuestro Pueblo ("our town" in Spanish), are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics. They are located within the site of the artist's original residential property in Watts, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Sabato ("Simon" or "Sam") Rodia, an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason, designed and built the towers over 33 years, from 1921 to 1954. Rodia was born in Serino, Italy, in 1878 or 1879 and emigrated to the United States with his brother in 1895 at the age of seventeen. After his brother's death in a mining accident, he moved to Seattle, Washington, where he married Lucia Ucci in 1902. The couple then moved to Oakland, where Rodia's three children were born. Following his divorce around 1909, he relocated to Long Beach before finally settling in Watts in 1920.
Rodia's construction process was improvised, using recycled materials and bits and pieces of shells. The tallest tower reaches a height of 99.5 feet (30.3 m). The towers are an example of outsider art (Art Brut) and Italian-American naïve art. They were designated a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark in 1990 and are also recognised as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
In 1956, Rodia's bungalow inside the enclosure burned down in an accident on the Fourth of July. The City of Los Angeles condemned the structure and ordered its demolition. However, a group of individuals, including actor Nicholas King and film editor William Cartwright, formed the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts to preserve the site. They negotiated with the city to conduct engineering tests to establish the safety of the structures, and the towers were found to be sound, withstanding lateral forces of up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg).
The preservation efforts of the committee and subsequent caretakers have ensured that the Watts Towers remain a celebrated landmark in Los Angeles, attracting visitors who marvel at Rodia's unique creation.
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The site was almost demolished in 1959
The Watts Towers, also known as the Towers of Simon Rodia or Nuestro Pueblo ("our town" in Spanish), are located in Watts, Los Angeles, California. The site comprises 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics within the site of the artist Sabato ("Simon" or "Sam") Rodia's original residential property. Rodia, an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason, designed and built the towers over a period of 33 years from 1921 to 1954.
In response, King, Cartwright, and a group of architects, artists, enthusiasts, academics, and community activists formed the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts. They negotiated with the city to allow for an engineering test to establish the safety of the structures and avoid their demolition. The tests, conducted on October 10, 1959, found that the towers could withstand lateral forces of up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg), proving their structural integrity.
The Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts successfully preserved the site independently until 1975 when they partnered with the City of Los Angeles and later with the State of California in 1978. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark in 1990 and is now a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, reflecting its significant artistic and cultural value.
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The towers are a National Historic Landmark
The Watts Towers, also known as the Towers of Simon Rodia or Nuestro Pueblo ("our town" in Spanish), are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics. They are located within the site of the artist's original residential property in Watts, Los Angeles, California, United States. Sabato ("Simon" or "Sam") Rodia, an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason, designed and built the towers over a period of 33 years from 1921 to 1954. The tallest tower stands at 99.5 feet (30.3 m).
The Watts Towers were designated a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark in 1990. They are recognised as an example of outsider art (or Art Brut) and Italian-American naïve art. The site is also a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and one of nine folk art sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles.
The towers have faced several threats over the years. In 1956, Rodia's bungalow inside the enclosure burned down in an accident on the Fourth of July. The City of Los Angeles condemned the structure and ordered its demolition. However, a group of preservationists, including actor Nicholas King and film editor William Cartwright, formed the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts to save the site. They negotiated with the city to conduct an engineering test to establish the safety of the structures, and the towers were found to be sound.
Despite this, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issued a demolition order in 1957, claiming that the structures were "dangerous and should be torn down" as they were built without a permit, inspection, or approval of the design. The Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts, which included activists, art experts, architects, engineers, and attorneys, fought for decades to preserve the landmark. In 1975, they partnered with the City of Los Angeles for the purpose of guardianship, and in 1978, they partnered with the State of California.
The towers continue to undergo conservation and preservation efforts to maintain their structural integrity and composition. Weather and moisture have caused pieces of tile and glass to become loose, and scaffolding is regularly erected to facilitate restoration work. The Watts Towers stand as a testament to the artistic vision of Sabato Rodia and have become a significant cultural landmark in Los Angeles and the United States.
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The Watts Station was a major railway depot for the Pacific Electric Railway
The Watts Station, located in Watts, Los Angeles, California, was a major railway depot and stop for the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Car" service between Los Angeles and Long Beach. It served as a vital junction, connecting the main line to Long Beach with branch lines to San Pedro and Santa Ana. The station, built in 1904, was one of the first structures erected in Watts and played a significant role in the community's growth. It provided transportation for the working-class population of Watts, enabling them to travel outside the downtown area for work opportunities.
The Watts Station holds historical significance as one of the few remaining buildings from the early years of Watts. Its architectural design, a single-story, 2,200-square-foot wood-frame structure divided into three rooms, served as a model for subsequent depots in La Habra, Covina, and Glendora. The station also witnessed several notable events, including a shooting in 1906 involving a woman named Mrs. Henry Welsh and her husband, as well as an attack on a train car by ex-employees of the Pacific Electric in 1919.
The Pacific Electric Railway, founded by Henry Huntington, played a significant role in the development of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. The company's main train station and headquarters were housed in the Pacific Electric Building, which opened in 1905 in the heart of Los Angeles. The building, designed by architect Thornton Fitzhugh, included a train station, offices, and the exclusive Jonathan Club for leading businessmen.
The Watts Station served the Pacific Electric Railway's Long Beach Line from 1904 to 1961. During the 1965 Watts Riots, the station remained the only intact structure on 103rd Street, becoming a powerful symbol of hope and renewal for the community. As a result, it was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1965 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The station underwent restoration in the 1980s, and the Blue Line of the Metropolitan Transit Authority now operates on the old Pacific Electric right-of-way, with a stop at the station for passengers.
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Frequently asked questions
The Watts Towers are located in Watts, Los Angeles, California, United States.
The Watts Towers were built by Sabato ("Simon" or "Sam") Rodia, an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason.
The Watts Towers are made of bits and pieces of shells, tile, and glass.
