A two-story home went up on Yale Avenue, and preservationists contend it doesn’t belong there; it sits too close to the sidewalk, the architecture doesn’t match the historic neighborhood, and it towers over neighboring houses. According to Fullerton Heritage president Ernie Kelsey, the city was aware of the issues, but negotiations failed to stop construction, and the home was built in violation of Fullerton’s historic district rules. For Fullerton Heritage, this is the kind of battle they face in their attempt to safeguard historic buildings and neighborhoods.

The warning came up more than once at Fullerton Heritage’s annual meeting on June 7, where the group gathered at Rutebagorz Restaurant, drawing its largest crowd of 46 attendees in its 34-year history. The all-volunteer organization works closely with the city to educate residents, advocate for historic resources, and communicate what’s at stake.

The Yale Avenue home is not an isolated incident. Another blow to Fullerton Heritage was the demolition of the one-of-a-kind commercial building at 801 South Acacia, designed by noted mid-century modernist firm Jones & Emmons. The firm designed the seven floor plans for the 280 Eichler “Fullerton Forever Houses” that were built between 1953 and 1956. A handful of unmodified examples survive. “We had a historic building that was one of a kind… now it’s a vacant lot,” said Kelsey, bemoaning the permanent loss.

Kelsey, who has led the organization for several years, is direct about the stakes. “Our concern is that there might be other people who say, hey, I want to do the same thing,” he said of the Yale Avenue situation. The longtime resident lives in a historic home himself and sees the organization’s work as a race against time. He expressed concern over new state housing laws that make it difficult to enforce historic district rules.

Despite the losses, Fullerton Heritage remains steadfast in its mission to protect Fullerton’s history. The city has accepted a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to restore and remediate the Fullerton Police Department, known as “Old City Hall”. The Dunbar Architecture team is leading the renovation design phase of the building because of their expertise in historic building renovations. Fullerton Heritage is working with city staff to preserve the Spanish Colonial Revival local landmark. The organization is concerned that the grant will not cover the cost of the needed courtyard repairs.

The urgency of their mission to preserve history was underscored by guest speaker Chris Eppling, author of over 40 travel and history books, including The Lost Landmarks of Orange County and the newly released The Hidden History of Orange County. Eppling researched Fullerton for years while writing a memoir with a resident and Baseball Hall of Famer, Tommy Lasorda and argued that the places where history has happened deserve to be recognized and protected.

Fullerton Heritage will face increasingly complex preservation challenges as new state housing laws are reshaping what cities can enforce in historic districts. For those who want to be more involved, Fullerton Heritage runs three walking tours of historic neighborhoods, provides an online database of 114 local landmarks at fullertonheritage.org, and operates an up-to-date hotline for residents with questions about preservation, landmark designation, and the Mills Act. Membership is open to anyone who believes in the importance of preserving Fullerton’s architectural history.