As the first full-time professional executive director of the La Jolla Historical Society, John Bolthouse has been on the road to success since he came on board three months ago. He has begun planning a $2 million capital campaign for renovations to Wisteria Cottage that he hopes will be completed by the end of 2008.
“We are trying to build some quiet support before we launch it publicly next year for the whole community and try to widen the scope of support,” Bolthouse said.
The society, which is dedicated to collecting, preserving and exhibiting community artifacts with historical significance, has been rooted since 1963 in a tiny carriage house adjacent to a smaller cabin used for automobile storage; both buildings were constructed at the turn of the century.
Plans to move into Wisteria Cottage have been tentatively scheduled, and the society does not intend to wait for the entire fund-raising goal to be met before it begins its move.
Renovations to the three buildings should cost approximately $1.5 million, and additional funds will be used to implement educational lectures, tours, exhibitions and other community outreach programs, according to Bolthouse.
During the early 1900s, the Prospect Street site belonged to Ellen Browning Scripps’ family, a wealthy clan of newspaper owners who contributed significantly to the community and lived next to the society’s headquarters at what is now the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego.
The property is privately owned, but the society has a 10-year lease agreement with the owners, and they, as well as many La Jolla residents and business owners, have a positive outlook on the changes, according to Bolthouse.
“We have got a lot of support from the community,” he said. “Wisteria Cottage is such a landmark here in La Jolla and so many people are excited and relieved that the historical society are involved in the preservation of it and that it will be our home in the future.”
Because the land is also listed on San Diego’s historical registry, the society will have to go through the city to gain proper permits and has met informally with officials to discuss the details of renovating the building, according to Bolthouse.
Some of the design elements for the cottage’s restoration have been worked out by the society’s Facilities Committee, which is made up of several local architects. The society’s vision for the project is to return the site to its original state when owned by Scripps, according to Bolthouse.
But the main priority for the society at this point is to make the community aware of its function.
“The society is at crossroads right now,” Bolthouse said. “We are at a point where we are about to really take off, and the biggest thing is emphasizing that we are a resource for the community to learn about their heritage. We want people to know we are here to help them learn about their community’s past.”
For information, visit www.ljhs.org/home.