The gardens at Rancho Los Alamitos have national stature as an historic and cultural landscape. They were developed largely in the 1920s and 1930s under the guiding hand of Florence Bixby, utilizing top designers of her day, including the Olmsted Brothers Firm whose founder designed Central Park.
The Tennis Court Area, designed by the Olmsted Firm, is at the east side of the site and is bordered by the Jacaranda Walk, Friendly Garden, and Grape Arbor. Following severe storm damage in 2006, the entire area has now been fully restored based on the historic photographs and plans, with paint analysis dictating a surprisingly vibrant green for the Tennis Court and Jacaranda Pergola.
Funding for the restoration was provided by the City of Long Beach insurance fund, the Long Beach Navy Memorial Heritage Association, the Janeway Foundation, Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation and private contributions.
The restoration team included:
Architectural Resources Group – Architectural Services
Structural Focus – Structural Engineering
KornRandolph – Landscape Architects
Summit Consultants – Construction Oversight
Gates Brothers Construction – General Contractor
Randy Mamelli – Painting Contractor
CNS Environmental – Lead Testing and Monitoring
Desiree Martinez – Native American/Archeological Monitoring
Doug McGavin – Chief Horticulturist Rancho Los Alamitos
Pamela Seager – Project Director, Rancho Los Alamitos
The Curatorial and Archival Staff of Rancho Los Alamitos
Dept. of Parks, Recreation and Marine – City Representative
Cristina Salvador Klenz - Photographic Documentation