The Santa Monica Conservancy is currently accepting applications for docents at two historic sites: the Preservation Resource Center (2520 2nd Street) and the Annenberg Community Beach House (415 Pacific Highway). Applications must be received by September 27.
Docents at the Preservation Resource Center help thousands of residents and visitors from around the world gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of how historic resources contribute to the fabric of a modern city. Docents lead tours of the shotgun house built in 1897, highlighting its architectural style and the history of the area, as well as concepts of adaptive reuse and the benefits of preservation.
The Shotgun House was rehabilitated and transformed into the Conservancy’s Preservation Resource Center in 2016. It is open to the public Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12-3 pm. Docents volunteer in pairs twice a month for three-hour shifts. A series of three training sessions will take place on 10/12, 10/26 and 11/2.
Docents at the Annenberg Community Beach House lead free tours of this former “Gold Coast” hot spot for celebrities like Charlie Chaplain, Clark Gable and Greta Garbo. Beach House docents also take part in annual events like Happy Birthday, Marion! and Julia Morgan Legacy Day. Docents will volunteer in pairs or small groups twice a month for three-hour shifts. The Guest House is open Friday-Monday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Training for the Beach House is on a rolling basis and will begin in the fall.
“I love telling the story of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst and life here at the Beach House. I have also had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people over the years. You would be surprised how many people are really interested in this story,” says Beach House docent Moonie Fishburn.
Apply online or download the Conservancy’s Docent Application and mail it to the Santa Monica Conservancy at P.O. Box 653, Santa Monica, CA 90406-0653. The deadline is September 27, 2019. For more information, contact us at volunteer@smconservancy.org.
Submitted by Patricia Godon-Tann
