Just south of the San Gabriel mountains, within the La Puente
Rancho, a little town called Covina was founded in 1886.
Citizens held an election on August 5, 1901, deciding to incorporate
Covina. Papers were filed with the Secretary of State on August 14,
1901.
At one time, Covina served
as the agricultural hub of the San Gabriel Valley, producing and
shipping more oranges than anywhere else on earth.
The Covina Valley Historical Society was organized to preserve
the history of our community. Our resources are used by
school children, scholars, and family tree researchers. We
share knowledge and
compassion with our visitors to steward conservation efforts and
preserve more historical items.
The everyday business of the organization is handled
entirely by volunteers. We have no paid staff. Our operating income is derived from
memberships, regular donations, memorial bequests, our Trash
& Treasure Sale, field trips and special events, fees
for providing research materials, and sales of books,
coverlets and other miscellaneous items. Soon, the
museum store will be available on this site, including access to
much of our archive collection.
Our Society boasts two
beautiful venues, each unique in its own right. These
facilities allow us to retain objects of a wide variety and showcase
them for the most benefit. The collection includes World War I and
II memorabilia, gowns worn by Ellen Beach Yaw ("Lark Ellen"),
Victorian silver, Covina Union High School annuals, records from the
Covina Citrus Association, rare citrus labels, and much more.
The Firehouse-Jail at
City Hall Plaza has been publicly owned ever since its construction in
1911. Since May 25, 1977, the Society has leased
the building from the City of Covina. We believe it was the first municipal building
constructed in
Covina, though facts may emerge at some point to demonstrate
otherwise.
The Society is entirely responsible for maintenance and repair of
the Firehouse. We have been very fortunate over the years to
enjoy warmly cooperative working relationships with city leaders and
administrators. Most recently, in 2004 the City Council graciously
assisted with our air conditioning upgrade for the Firehouse-Jail
Museum, enabling summer operations and providing better temperature-controlled archival storage for the many
resources we steward.
The
Firehouse Jail Museum is open every Sunday from 1-3PM, or group
tours can be arranged by appointment. We are closed on most major
holidays. For special reservations, call (626) 966-9871.
The Heritage House at
Covina Park is Society-owned. Since December 1, 1989, the
Society has occupied and leased the site from the City of Covina. The Society is
entirely responsible for maintenance and repair of the building, as
well as the grounds immediately around the facility.
Our original lease specified that
required renovation work must be
"at no cost to the lessor," so a total of over $21,000 in
HUD/CDBG funding was used between 1989 and 1991 to prepare the site,
move the house and & renovate the building, including a later
addition of wheelchair access ramps on the southeast corner.
The Heritage House is open on
the fourth Sunday of each month from 1-3PM. Teas may be arranged in
this historic home by calling (626) 966-9871.
