Introducing school children to Los Angeles’s history is the impetus for the Every School Has a House initiative, which connects historic residential architecture to nearby public schools. Created by Friends of Residential Treasures: Los Angeles (FORT: LA), an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to celebrating the history and influence of residential architecture, this valuable teaching resource is available for free. All 1,054 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are included. Every School Has a House can be downloaded here.
“This new guide aims to bridge the gap between students and the rich architectural history that exists within their local neighborhoods,” said FORT: LA founder Russell Brown. “Working with data from SurveyLA, our team researched and mapped historically significant houses near 1,054 LAUSD schools. Through this free online resource, we hope to help integrate architecture into STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) curricula. We hope this project fosters a greater sense of civic pride among students and their communities by highlighting that every part of the city offers something interesting to experience, explore and discuss.”
“Every Los Angeles neighborhood has architectural and historic treasures, so Every School Has a House, is an ingenious initiative to connect LAUSD students and their families to these hidden gems,” said Ken Bernstein, Principal City Planner for Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources. “We’re thrilled that FORT: LA is utilizing the discoveries of SurveyLA, our citywide historic resources survey [searchable at HistoricPlacesLA], to engage the emerging generation of Angelenos and to build community around cultural heritage and architecture.”
Through Every School Has a House, FORT: LA presents four predominate educational benefits to students and educators:
• Increased Civic Awareness: Students gain an appreciation for their local history, which fosters a greater sense of belonging and pride in their communities.
• Hands-on Learning: The program encourages students to engage with local culture, history, and architecture outside of the classroom, promoting experiential learning within walking distance from their schools.
• Critical Thinking: Included educational questions are designed to stimulate curiosity and analytical thinking as students consider the significance of their surroundings.
• Community Engagement: By exploring local historic houses, students build connections with their neighborhood and become aware of the fascinating cultural heritage within their reach.
The searchable, hands-on Every School guide lists all LAUSD schools alphabetically. Each entry has a map route, photo of the house, facts explaining its architectural style and historical context, and educational questions that teachers can use to foster classroom conversations. Also included is a user’s guide and resources for additional information.
The houses—ranging in date from 1880 to 1979—represent the myriad of architectural styles found in Los Angeles: Tudor Revival, Ranch, French Revival, Craftsman, Mid-Century Modern, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tiki, among others. Some houses are by notable architects, such as Paul R. Williams, Rudolph Schindler, Richard Neutra, Eric Owen Moss, and Ray Kappe.
Every School Has a House hopes to inspire students as well as educators, PTAs, school administrators, parents, and other stakeholders, such as civic and neighborhood groups, to engage directly with historic architecture in their neighborhoods.
Additionally, FORT: LA is planning an event that will bring together teachers to discuss how Every School Has a House can be integrated into school curricula, ensuring that the project supports existing learning objectives and enhances student engagement.
About Friends of Residential Treasures: LA (FORT: LA)
FORT: LA seeks to bring people together by celebrating the history and influence of residential architecture. The organization has developed four interlocking programs in pursuit of this mission: an online mapping system for self-guided tours of the exteriors of architecturally significant homes developed by experts in the field (FORT Trails), a fellowship to foster new knowledge (FORT Fellowship), a series of virtual experiences to provide interior access and understanding (FORT Frames), and live and virtual webinars and other in-person educational experiences (FORT Gatherings). FORT: LA is the recipient of an LA Conservancy Preservation award and a California Preservation Foundation Design award. All content is accessible for free here.
About SurveyLA
SurveyLA, the groundbreaking citywide historic resources survey, serves as the primary tool for identifying and recording historic properties and districts in Los Angeles. The data collected from 2010 through 2017 cover more than 880,000 legal parcels and nearly 500 square miles, making it the largest and first all-digital citywide historic resources survey in the nation. It was made possible through a partnership between the City of Los Angeles and the J. Paul Getty Trust. SurveyLA has since become a model for similar efforts worldwide. For additional information, visit SurveyLA’s website.
This project is not affiliated with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
