Financial
Report
By John Figueroa
MVHA Treasurer
Checking Account Balance as of 3/11/15: $ 5,330.65
• Income: $499.59
• Expenses: $984.58
Checking Account Balance as of 6/3/15: $ 4, 845.66
Immigrant House Update
By Marina Marinovich
MVHA Publicity Chair
Certificates of Deposit Balance as of 12/10/14: $83,137.44
Certificates of Deposit Balance as of 6/3/15: $83,224.97
History
Center Update
By Candace Bowers
MVHA Vice President
It’s a big win for the Immigrant House and its new home at 771
North Rengstorff Avenue! The City Council voted unanimously to
approve the new park design with the Immigrant House as the
focal point of the 1.2-acre lot.
And what a wonderful and conceptually different park design
the community has created—commemorating the valley’s
New to the History Center:
history while spotlighting our agrarian roots, a sanctuary that
Greg David has donated panoramic photos of the Highway
also celebrates our wildlife and native plants. The plan includes
School’s class of 1954 and Mountain View High School’s class a demonstration garden while preserving a large heritage tree
of 1958 (then and now), and a large aerial photo of Holy
canopy for current and future generations to enjoy—a new home
Cross High School and its surroundings in the 1960s.
for demonstration gardeners, beekeepers, and history buffs.
Teri Metcalf has donated a copy of her new memoir, Rambler
Rose, about growing up in California during the 1950s and
1960s. In her acknowledgment, she credits MVHA’s Barbara
Kinchen for her invaluable research into historical accuracy.
Join Our History Center Team!
The Mountain View History Center is looking for volunteers
to join our team. Help us share Mountain View’s historic
archives with the public. With your help, we can offer longer
hours and greater access to this invaluable resource. For
more information, send an email to Candace Bowers at
candace.bowers@mountainview.gov or call (650) 903-6890.
The Mountain View History Center
Mountain View Public Library, 2nd Floor – 585 Franklin Street
Mtn.View, CA 94041
Open from 1:00-5:00 p.m. every Tuesday & by appointment.
For more information, call (650) 903-6890.
The Mtn.View History Center’s mission is to collect, organize and make
available Mountain View historical resources and to promote the City’s
heritage. It contains the historic archives of both the MVHA and the Mtn.
View Public Library. Mtn.View history books and pamphlets are also
available for purchase at the History Center.
The centerpiece of the park will be Mountain View’s Immigrant
House that housed laborers and migrant workers more than
a century ago. The structure will be restored to its historically
accurate configuration with a large deck surrounding it, and will
be used as an educational display.
The City purchased the land in 2013 from longtime resident
Frances Stieper, who rejected larger offers from developers to
ensure that her property would be preserved as some type of
public open space. Her vision will soon become a reality.
We have raised $73,000 of the $180,000 needed to restore the
building, and city officials have agreed to cover an additional
$90,000 in estimated costs. That leaves us with $17,000 of
fundraising to do. We are currently applying for a grant from
the Santa Clara Historical Grant Program. For those who can
contribute and wish to get a 501[c ] tax-deductible donation,
leave a message at the Los Altos Community Foundation
Mountain View Immigrant House Fund at (650) 949-5908.
Assuming all goes smoothly, construction on the new park will
begin next spring with the goal of finishing by the end of 2016.
Thank you, everyone, for contributing. We still have a little ways
to go with fundraising, but all in all, this is a time to celebrate!
3