Farnsworth, Gen. Charles S., County Park
Also known as: Altadena Park; Davies,William D. Memorial Building; Farnsworth
Why it's listed
Farnsworth Park occupies 8.5 acres on the Altadena hillside below the San Gabriel Mountains, on a site once used by Los Angeles County as a reforestation and ornamental tree nursery. Community leaders, led by General Charles S. Farnsworth, pushed for a park there in the early 1930s, and it was built between 1933 and 1938 with labor from the CWA, WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Its centerpiece is a two-story recreation building of native arroyo granite and wood shingles, designed by Charles H. Kyson in 1934 and later renamed the William D. Davies Memorial Building. Below it is a 500-seat amphitheater built in 1938. Stone walls, barbecues, pergolas, tennis courts, a baseball diamond and a ranger's cottage complete the layout. For an unincorporated community with few public spaces, the park became the main venue for theater, dances, festivals and recreation, and it retains its original plan and character.
Significance in brief: The park is significant for its role as Altadena's major community recreation and social center and for showing how Depression-era work relief programs (CWA, WPA, CCC) built public facilities. The recreation building is a distinctive, late example of the rustic style, and the park is notable for its extensive native stonework.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 97000027, listed February 7, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 568 E. Mt. Curve Ave., Altadena |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | February 7, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000027 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1933-1946 |
| Architect / builder | Kyson, Charles H. |
| Architectural style | Other: rustic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings appear in excellent condition; the park remains in use as a recreation facility. Only roofing materials have changed on the recreation building. |
| Acreage | 8.5 |
| Coordinates | 34.19977, -118.13250 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 97000027.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5530790
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.