The fascinating stories behind 5 Bay Area monuments

Around the Bay Area where the term move fast and break things originated it s easy to lose sight of the historical moments that have shaped our landscapes Whether you re looking at a Julia Morgan-designed columbarium or an abstract bell tower that memorializes a child s last gifts there are plenty of monuments around the region that not only remind us about the past but challenge us to envision what that means for our present and future Here are the stories behind five iconic Bay Area monuments To Honor Surfing sculpture Santa Cruz SANTA CRUZ CA - AUGUST The memorial surfer sculpture along West Cliff Drive is photographed on Sunday Aug in Sant Cruz Calif The sculpture was erected in in honor of the death of Santa Cruz Surfing Club member Bill Lidderdale Aric Crabb Bay Area News Group Whether he s wearing a jack-o -lantern head or a pandemic mask Santa Cruz s surfer sculpture stands sentinel over West Cliff Drive a young man stoically holding a surfboard as he stares out to the horizon Related Articles In current times in History September FBI captures Patricia Hearst In the modern day in History September aircraft crash kills a person for the first time Asia s forgotten Holocaust focus of Bay Area conference A story of sex outrage Inside an infamous North Bay cult Berkeley a Look Back City marks two years since its calamitous fire The surfer was commissioned in by the Santa Cruz Historical Association following a competition to create a monument to surfers past present and future says sculptor Thomas Marsh who won the competition with a former pupil Brian Curtis The figure they decided would resemble the young men who helped to popularize the sport in the s down to the haircut and old-fashioned redwood surfboard Marsh says he also worked to bring other emotions to the sculpture for instance he desired to capture the feeling of being on the verge of adulthood with all of the excitement and fear that brings Several of the young men who were part of the s surfing craze went on to fight in World War II and not all returned he says Soon after beginning meetings to launch the monument s construction the October earthquake hit and the project hit delays The sculpture was unveiled in Even at the time there were debates about representation over who ought to be depicted as the stereotypical surfer While the s Santa Cruz surfers may have been shown as primarily white men the sport dates back to th-century Polynesia and was first demonstrated in Santa Cruz by three Hawaiian princes in In contemporary times efforts are under way to design and install a female surfer sculpture too Marsh says Details Open at W Cliff Drive Santa Cruz choosesantacruz com The Children s Bell Tower Bodega Bay At the Children's Bell Tower in Bodega Bay bells donated mostly from all over Italy chime in the wind These donations came after -year-old Nicholas Green who was shot while on vacation with his family in Italy became an organ donor The Children's Bell Tower has bells including those from schools churches and cows -- plus the Marinelli foundry in Italy the official bellmaker of the papacy Kate Bradshaw Bay Area News Group A family s unimaginable tragedy was the starting point for this moving installation erected in a serene meadow just north of Bodega Bay Young Nicholas Green was just years old in when he was shot and killed on a family vacation in Italy by highway robbers during an attempted carjacking After his death his parents opted to donate the child s organs to people in need of transplants Seven people were given a new lease on life thanks to Green s donations and his parents went on to become advocates for the cause of organ donation This -foot-tall structure rises from the ground a skeleton of elevated rectangles holding a collection of bells largest part donated by Italians At the center is the largest bell from Italy s Marinelli Foundry a nearly -year-old family business that makes bells for the Vatican and papacy The bells chime in the wind then fade when the wind abates Although it was inspired by Nicholas death the tower was designed to be a memorial accessible to everyone a place where children would feel at ease states the Nicholas Green Foundation s website Its delicacy reflects both the preciousness and fragility of young life Plenty of families visit it to give thanks for their children others find various solace for a loss Details Open at Highway One Bodega Bay nicholasgreen org Tassajara School Danville Emily O'Connell dresses the part to visit the one-room Tassajara Schoolhouse on Finley Road Danville This one-room schoolhouse is the last remaining th-century school in the San Ramon Valley according to MuseumSRV Built in it operated until when a couple of large local families moved leaving enrollment at just youngsters The remaining students and educator transferred to Danville Elementary In the present day the charming bell-topped structure still is used for its original purpose Each year third-graders from around the San Ramon Valley get decked out in pioneer garb and pay a visit to the schoolhouse They re-enact what school was like a century ago from tying knots and learning from the McGuffey Reader to recess spent with stilts and jacks Details Finley Road Danville museumsrv org Gonzalez-Peralta Adobe San Jose A flag from King Carlos III of Spain is displayed as part of the Gonzalez-Peralta Adobe Fallon house historic site during San Jose Roots Celebrating Our Heritage event hosted by History San Jose at San Pedro Square Region in San Jose Calif on Saturday Nov In addition to the historic house visits the free family event featured ethnic performances by local cultural projects and different sessions from that time Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Walk through the food hall at the San Pedro Square Industry to dine in the courtyard beneath the stars and you might just find yourself staring at one of San Jose s oldest buildings Jose Manuel Gonzalez a member of the Apache tribe built this adobe structure in after being named alcalde or magistrate of the pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe California s first municipal establishment in He died there in Californio ranchero Luis Maria Peralta later moved into the adobe with his family and he became the commissioner of the pueblo in He was later awarded the Rancho San Antonio a -acre land grant that included territory that s now San Leandro Oakland Alameda Emeryville Piedmont Berkeley and Albany At present the adobe is the last remaining structure from El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe Overseen by History San Jose It s home to a initiative for fourth-graders who get an experiential look at colonial life for the Spanish residents of Alta California Details Tours are offered at noon and p m on weekends at W St John St San Jose historysanjose org Chapel of the Chimes Oakland Chapel of the Chimes Oakland tour guests photograph the unique architecture and artifacts unveiled within the historic building on Oakland's Piedmont Avenue Courtesy Local Food Adventures Legendary California architect Julia Morgan led the expansion of this columbarium a resting place for cremated remains tucked at the end of Oakland s Piedmont Avenue Aaron Green an architect and follower of Frank Lloyd Wright also contributed to later additions Natural light serene cloisters and Spanish gothic architectural flourishes characterize this memorial space which is also home to an annual music festival held annually during the summer solstice called the Garden of Memory Details Open daily a m - p m at Piedmont Ave Oakland Guided tours are offered monthly oakland chapelofthechimes com