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Long Point
Long Point
Home to expansive views, and Tovemur, a sacred site to the Tongva people, Long Point is a stunning part of the Peninsula. The area was farmed by Japanese farmers from the early 1900s. It was chosen for the development of Marineland of the Pacific in 1954, and was one of the first oceanariums on the West Coast. After Marineland's abrupt closure in 1987, it was developed in 2009 as Terranea Resort.
When I was about nine or ten years old, my friends and I rode our bikes from Lunada Bay to Marineland. A pier jutted out from the rocky shoreline next to the cave. An excursion boat took us out to sea to observe schools of dolphins and whales as they migrated through the channel. The boat sat low in the water so we really felt a close connection to the marine life near us. When the boat returned, we ran down the wooden pier and entered the sea cave. It went quite a way back into the side of the cliff and we were certain pirates had buried treasure there.
Marineland of the Pacific pier, Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Image shows view looking south at the Marineland of Pacific pier located in Rancho Palos Verdes. A portion of a parking lot is visible at left with the coastline and hills visible in the background. Designed by architects, Perieria & Luckman, construction of the Marineland of the Pacific oceanarium started in 1953 and was completed in 1954. The facility included large tanks housing sea life, observation pier, administrative offices, with several additions made later. Marineland offered 15 minute excursions from the pier. Marineland of the Pacific closed in 1987.
When I first moved to the Peninsula in 1959, the entire coastline was dotted with farms. The yellow fields in summer set against the deep blue of the ocean was one of my earliest memories. One Saturday in the spring of 1980, I was driving along PV Drive South and I noticed a large sign standing in the field of the last Japanese Farm on the Peninsula. It read, “Coming Soon, Luxury Homes”. I immediately went back home and gathered up my drawing equipment and went back. I spent the next two days drawing the various buildings trying to record what I could before they were gone. It was the end of an era.
"From this photo by Satoshi Ishibashi, which was taken about five years before I saw the luxury home sign, I was standing on the corner of Palos Verdes Drive West and Concord Drive looking at the farm buildings. The tree in my drawing is the clump of trees in the center. "
This is a closeup sketch of a farmhouse I did in 1980 when I saw a large sign standing near the last Japanese farmhouses that read, “Coming Soon, Luxury Homes”. I spent two days trying to capture the farm houses before they'd be gone and this era of Peninsula history would be gone too. This house was occupied when I was sketching it
I gave this sketch to a friend 30 years ago and he recently reminded me of this. This farmhouse is in one of the farm buildings in Satoshi Ishibashi's photo.
Distant view of Masaichi Ishibashi farm and homestead
"This photo was taken from Hawthorne Boulevard. The nearest field is barley. The farmland was surrounded by condominiums. On the left is a gas station. May's Vegetable Stand (not shown) was to the left of the gas station. To the right of Concord drive is the packing shed, tractor shed, chicken coop, barn and the farmhouse. Location: Portuguese Bend." Satoshi Ishibashi
