The Tarzana Community & Cultural Center would like to invite you to participate in our “Oral History” program. Please join us in our efforts to preserve Tarzana’s rich and diverse history. We would love to interview you.

 

These oral histories are going to be videotaped and transcribed. When finished, the interviews, in whole or in part, will be shown in the Center’s Museum of History & Culture for patrons to watch, learn and enjoy the history of Tarzana.

 

We are looking for people to share their memories of people, places and things related to Tarzana. We want to hear about your life in Tarzana, and why you chose it for your home and/or place of business. We are interested in any photos, mementos or memorabilia you would like to share with us.

 

Your stories are an asset to the history of this special community. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and would love to hear your thoughts, regardless of whether you decide to sit down with us for an interview or not. We look forward to hearing from you. 

MISSION BELL

The bell originally hung from a wooden pedestal at a large ranch home in Coldwater Canyon, built in the late 20’s or early 30’s. The home was designed in the Spanish hacienda style with a large courtyard where one of the largest California live oaks grew in the circular center courtyard driveway.

 

The house was stucco with a red spanish tile roof. There were beautiful hand painted murals on the walls in the living and dining rooms that showed the trees and plants that grew in that area. There was a reservoir on the hill behind the house that was later converted into a swimming pool. A natural spring at the top of the canyon the house occupied supplied water to the property.

 

Someone had carved copies of all the original Spanish California missions in surrounding rocks and when I saw the house they lined the steps leading to the upper yard. They later “disappeared” when the property was sold.

 

My husband’s aunt bought the property in 1950 and kept it as original as possible. She sold the property in the early 1960’s to Marlon Brando who moved in with his wife, Anna Kashfi. Unfortunately, she had all the walls painted white thus ending the beautiful murals. The property is still there, but I don’t know in what condition. It is a large piece of land and developers would love to subdivide it.

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Donated by: Beverly Angarella – Tarzana resident