Mission Hills Residents Receive Preservation Award
Janet O’Dea and Allen Hazard pose in Presidio Park.
Mission Hills residents and business owners Allen Hazard and Janet O’Dea have been selected for a 2016 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award by the City of San Diego’s Historic Resources Board (“HRB”) for their critically acclaimed 2015 book, “Images of America, Mission Hills,” published by Arcadia Publishing. Allen and Janet will accept their second Excellence in Historic Preservation Award on May 26th at the upcoming HRB Meeting as part of the City’s celebration of Historic Preservation Week.
Hazard and O’Dea have lived in Mission Hills for over 15 years in a historically designated 1920 California Craftsman bungalow. They started researching and documenting the community’s history, oral histories, period photographs, and ephemera just after they moved in. A majority of the images are from private collections and have never been seen by the general public until now. In writing the book, they met with former and present Mission Hills residents, acquiring over 200 photographs that tell the 100+ year history of one of San Diego’s most intact early 20th century streetcar bungalow communities.
Hazard stated “…this is an especially gratifying award as few Arcadia books are recognized by the City for community involvement.” O’Dea added that, “…it is wonderful to have been nominated for this very rewarding effort.” Last year, the husband and wife historians gave presentations to launch their book for Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) at the 1912 Francis Parker School in Mission Hills; at the Mission Hills Wine Cellar, at their local library, a local bookstore as well as a Barnes-Noble store.
Active members of SOHO, Allen and Janet have served on the board, multiple committees and between them, have won three SOHO People in Preservation Awards. For the last five years, Allen has served as SOHO’s home tour event chairperson. They have also lead popular tours in Mission Hills and Allen has acted as a speaker for SOHO including speaking on San Diego’s interpretation of Prairie School architecture. Allen and Janet helped establish Mission Hills Heritage. Janet was the first chairperson and Allen created the educational programs. Janet also helped organize efforts to install historic lighting in the community to take advantage of the undergrounding project.
O’Dea and Hazard own Powers Plumbing, established in 1914. It is one of the oldest plumbing contractors in San Diego. The Mission Hills books can be purchased there at 1705 West Lewis Street in the heart of the quaint West Lewis commercial district.
Category: Events, Local News
