Engraved bricks preserve memories
By Loreen Berlin
The Buena Park Historical Society held its 51st Anniversary Picnic recently at Plaza Buena, 6631 Beach Blvd., located next to its two historical homes, the Whitaker-Jaynes Estate and the Bacon House.
Additional historic bricks, offered through the Historical Society, were unveiled during the Dreger Clock and engraved bricks are still available at www.fundraisingbrick.com/online under the direction of Rinda Berry, wife of former Councilmember Steve Berry.
According to Buena Park Historical Curator Art Brown, who also serves as the current Mayor and Rinda Berry, 150 bricks have been sold so far, with raised funds edging toward the $10,000 mark, for upkeep of the two historic buildings.
Currently ceilings in the historic homes are in need of refurbishing and so the Historical Society will continue to offer the bricks throughout the year, unveiling the new bricks each year during the annual picnics.
“I love it that the community is embracing the brick project and that they want to be part of history,” Rinda said.
Berry said she came up with the idea of engraved bricks as a way to raise money for upkeep of the historic Whitaker-Jaynes Estate and the Bacon House in Plaza Buena while visiting back East.
“Bricks were installed by Director of Public Works and City Engineer Dave Jacobs and his assigned brick crew, with not a single brick broken nor chipped,” said Historical President Chris Brown, who also serves as immediate past president of the Savanna School District Board. “Thank you to Buena Park Senior Center Director Mark Saucedo for setting up and preparing the rose garden and to the city of Buena Park for coordinating our event.”
Entertainment was furnished by six of the nine amazingly talented Eng family members during the picnic, performing on their melodious brass handbells, with the addition of vocal solos this year by several of the family members. Originally, Mr. Eng had said, “The family wanted to sing together, but we couldn’t sing, so we began playing the handbells.”
Well, that has all changed now that family members are maturing and they were a treat to listen to with their handbells and vocal solos.
Participating in the event were board members of the Historical Society and City Council Members, along with community residents and Miss Buena Park Kelly Smith-Bennett and court members Jenny Yoo and Julia Cruze.
Plaza Buena is the rose garden in the center of Buena Park’s Historic District adjacent to the Buena Park Historical Society’s two museums, the Whitaker-Jaynes Estate and the Bacon House, directly across from City Hall.
“The Whitaker-Jaynes Estate and the Bacon House, which features donated antiques and other period furnishings of an earlier ‘farmhouse era’ of the 1990s are always open for self-guided tours throughout the picnic,” said Curator Art Brown. “Personal oral and written histories are always welcome at the Buena Park Historical Society.”
In 2009, the historic Dreger Clock, which originally stood at Knott’s Berry Farm, then disappeared and was later found online for sale, has been totally refurbished and permanently placed in front of the Whitaker-Jaynes Estate House.
The historical homes/museums are maintained by the City and the Buena Park Historical Society.
Buena Park Historical Society Board and members include: Curator Art Brown, Treasurer Laura Rodehaver, Recording Secretary Alcene Cain and Trustees Joe Rodehaver, Verl Standford, Billie Whitsett, Barbara Gonzales, Rinda Berry, Silverado Days General Chair Pat Donnelly, Linda and Roger Mahaffey, Priscilla Perez and the newest Historical member is Steve Knott, the grandson of Knott’s Berry Farm Founder Walter Knott.
For information, call 714-521-1887 or visit BuenaParkHistory.org.
