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Founded 1959 Vol. 36, No. 2 THE LANDMARK June 2008 A quarterly publication of the Landmarks Society Beverly Wright Bastian, 1919 to 2008 When Beverly Wright Bastian passed away on Friday, April 18, at the age of 88, the Landmarks Society lost the force that had held the organization together for the better part of 50 years. From the founding of the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society in 1959 to the West Shore House Tour PHOTO DIANE BY SMITH on May 1, 2008, she was involved in almost every aspect of Flags at the ChinaCabin and the organization she loved, and the & Garden Center, and guided the at the Railroad-Ferry Museum history preserved and unique sites evolution of the Tiburon Depot flew at half-mast in honor of Beverly Bastian. we cherish today are her legacy to into a museum, giving particular an entire community. attention to the stationmaster’s Mrs. Bastian settled in Belvedere residence and the details that in 1946 and made it her home capture life in a railroad town in for more than 60 years. Clearly a the early 20th century. She also visionary, her accomplishments was instrumental in establishing were remarkable. She was a wife the History Collections at the and mother, the founder of several Boardwalk, which archives nursery schools, an educator, a documents, photographs and other writer, a businesswoman and an items that would have been lost avid historian. She was one of 14 history had the Landmarks Society citizens who saved Old St. Hilary’s not provided a place to preserve from destruction and gained them. landmark status for the former She was a formidable adversary, Inside: church, and that was just a starting noted for having a keen wit, a President’s Corner point. sharp tongue and little patience She took on the China Cabin and with those who disagreed with Making History steered its transformation from her, but those very qualities were among many that allowed her to Picturing West Shore shoreline cottage to recaptured beauty, reflecting its original glory succeed when others might have Get on Board for an as the social saloon of the Pacific faltered. We’re much richer for her Evening of Presidential Mail steamship SS China. contributions and will be grateful Pomp forever. The Landmarks Society In addition she oversaw the Grooving with Acoustic thanks and salutes Beverly Bastian Guitars at Old St. Hilary’s restoration of the Newman as she goes down in history. property, which became the Art interview formed an integral part of the I had hoped that we would all have President’s Corner final film, “Turning the Tide,” helping more time to benefit from Beverly’s By Dave Gotz, President to tie together the various parts of the wisdom and guidance, but her story with one voice, and her wonderful intuition sadly proved to be correct. My personal acquaintance with sense of humor sparkled throughout. Her passing leaves us to carry on the Beverly Bastian goes back exactly five great work she helped to start with As board president for the past year- years when, in May of 2003, I had The Protestant Protective Society for and-a-half, I met with Beverly regularly. the honor of presenting the Town of the Preservation of Old St. Hilary’s Even though her physical condition Tiburon’s Heritage Preservation Award Catholic Church, the humorously was deteriorating, her mind was always to her. What struck me that evening sarcastic name given to the group sharp and focused. I would come away were two things. First was that even that founded the Landmarks Society from our conversations with pages of though she was physically frail, her in 1959. There would be no better notes, sprinkled with new ideas for presence was significant, and second way to honor her than by making our future projects and events. was her wry sense of humor. As she golden anniversary a celebration of commanded the room from a chair, Most recently we spent much of our historic proportions. I invite all of our time discussing Landmarks’ Golden membership to join the board and Anniversary which we will celebrate in our dedicated staff by getting involved 2009. I was always reminding her that and helping us to preserve, protect her presence would be required for the and disseminate local history for the 50th anniversary events to be successful, benefit of our community and future to which she responded, “Yes, well, generations. don’t count on it.” Landmarks Society 2008 Board of Directors David Gotz, President Phil Cassou, Vice President Jim Allen, Treasurer PHOTO DIANE BY SMITH Mimi Clarke, Secretary her self-effacing comments about her age and physical condition and comic Board Members observations about our peninsula his- tory had everyone chuckling. Janice Anderson-Gram, Ida Mae Berg, Jon Fisher, Abbi Fox, Pam Hamilton, Anne Kasanin, Helen Lindqvist, Alan Perper, Judith Wilson In the too few years that followed, I found myself working with Beverly Andrew Allen, Legal Counsel more often. Initially my involvement Diane Smith, Landmarks Editor/Publishing was with the History Collections, that Judith Wilson, Landmarks Editor/Content part of the Landmarks Society that few know about but contains some of Staff our greatest assets. Our mutual desire Alan Brune, Executive Director to find ways to bring the collections Leslie Doyle, Executive Director to the community’s attention gave Barbara Carlson, Rental Manager me a closer look at Beverly’s intellect Mary Jane Wentz, Office Manager and skill as a creative thinker. Her Jim Davenport, Archivist ability to come up with dozens of new Piper Berger, History Collections Consultant ideas and practical solutions, not just for the Collections but for all of the Landmarks Message Center: 435-1853 Landmarks sites, always amazed me. Archive Office: 435-5490 When I began work on a documentary Email: [email protected] about Richardson Bay, she graciously Website: www.landmarks-society.org spent two hours on camera recounting Landmarks News: www.telli.com, type Landmarks in search box her personal knowledge of the events and clarifying the history. That 2 LESLIE LOOKS BACK Picturing West Shore By Leslie Doyle The West Shore story continues with an art The Cottage at the Art & Garden show at Tiburon Town Hall, opening on Center might be a restored farmhouse, July 11. Fine Art, maps, photographs and artifacts, including some from the Union but the bell outside has a history that Codfish Company, will be on display. goes beyond calling the cows home. Fine art will include works by Jerry O’Day, Originally a fire bell, its first home David Lemon and Clem Herd, who were was on Belvedere Island, where it was residents of the art colony that made its mounted on the roadside on Golden home on West Shore after the cod fishery Gate Avenue to alert the neighborhood closed. Among the highlights will be a to fires before the community had a fire sculpture by David Lemon. department. Also on display will be a recently donated In 1939, local residents donated the bell map, Esther C. Meyer’s etchings and two Selden Gile oil paintings, which will be on Landmarks archives from Photo to Belvedere School when it opened at Cod Fishery on West Shore, 1912 the top of Laurel Avenue, and it served loan for the preview party only. as a school bell, ringing every day at 4 An opening reception for the show, “Fine p.m. to tell children that it was time to Art and Photographs of West Shore,” will head home. The school closed in 1978, take place at Tiburon Town Hall on July 11, and after the building served for a time 6 to 8 p.m. NEW MEMBERS as the Belvedere Child Care Center, The show will run through August 31. MARCH TO MAY 2008 it was demolished to make way for Golda Boeck residential development. Bill and Christine Carbonel With the help of Erwin Farley, the Friday Night Fun Belvedere Bell made its way to the Scott Elrod Landmarks Society for preservation Tiburon’s popular summer street festi- Gail Harter and was installed at Old St. Hilary’s val, Friday Night on Main, returns this Scott Johnston Landmark, where it remained until a summer, and Landmarks plans to be larger bell replaced it. It then moved Martin Kobus and Chris Bergin part of the action. Stop by to say hello to the Art & Garden Center and now Barbara and Larry Lonn and see what we have to offer, starting hangs in the garden outside the cottage. with a scavenger hunt on June 27. Look Diana Painter (See back page for photo) for our table on the following dates as Steve and Jeremy Potash Piper Berger and Jim Davenport well: June 27, July 11, August15 and John Scarborough contributed historic information. September 26. Get Your Name on the List Landmarks members who were on our e-mail list received notice quickly when the concert at Old St. Hilary’s at the end of January was rescheduled due to bad weather. You can receive breaking news and notice of upcoming events by e-mail too. Send your address to us at [email protected] and we will add you to our list. We can also send you the newsletter by e-mail. If you prefer to receive it electronically, please let us know. 3 Get on Board for an Evening of Presidential Pomp Want to feel presidential? Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 8, 2008, when the Landmarks Society will host an elegant, yet casual, party starting aboard President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s floating White House. The USS Potomac will dock at the San Francisco Yacht Club at 4:30 p.m.