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Inland Southern California’s mid-century architecture

A recent trip to Palm Springs reminded us of that city’s sizable collection of mid-century modern architecture, including the former Coachella Valley Savings & Loan building pictured above. Designed by E. Stewart Williams, the building is an excellent example of modern bank design from the 1960s. We’ll explore some of these desert gems at a…

3521 Central Avenue – Jack in the Box

March 20113521 Central Avenue, Riverside 20103521 Central Avenue(Google Maps) 1951Jack in the Box, San Diego(Jack in the Box, Inc.) 1950sJack in the Box, Mark I(ModernSanDiego.com) 1960sJack in the Box, Mark II(ModernSanDiego.com) 1960sJack in the Box, Mark III(ModernSanDiego.com) March 20113521 Central Avenue Dating from the late 1960s, one of the oldest Jack in the Box fast…

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William Lee Gates – 3770 Elizabeth Street

R.P. Small Building3770 Elizabeth Street, Riverside(William Lee Gates) Tucked away on a side street off Magnolia Avenue near the Riverside Plaza is the R.P. Small Building, a stylish, mid-century modern building designed by local Riverside architect William Lee Gates. City permits from 1956 show Russell E. Walling as the contractor with an estimated value of…

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Postcard: Downtown civic buildings

Late 1950sTop: Carnegie Library and Riverside County CourthouseBottom: Municipal Auditorium and U.S. Post Office We thought we’d start the new year off with an old postcard showing a few of downtown Riverside’s civic buildings. Dating from the late 1950s / early 1960s, the images show the 1903 Carnegie Library, the 1903 Riverside County Courthouse, the…

Bookshelf: Riverside’s Invisible Past

The latest book documenting Riverside’s history has just hit the bookshelves. Written by fourth-generation resident of Riverside Joan H. Hall, “Riverside’s Invisible Past” is the latest in several local history books by Joan, many of which are must-haves. The 192-page book is chock full of interesting and informative histories surrounding 52 structures and sites from…

Fox theater gets retro ‘blade’ signs

October 2010Retro ‘blade’ signs being added 1930sOriginal ‘blade’ signs The first of two old-style neon signs went up this past week on the Fox Performing Arts Center in downtown Riverside. The signs are replicas of those that adorned the theater in the 1930s and 1940s. According to The Press-Enterprise, the signs are 22 feet tall…