Preserving the Roots of our History
by Mayor Laurene Weste
Old Town Newhall has faced devastating fires before. In the late 1800s, the original Southern Hotel, once a centerpiece of early Newhall, was destroyed by fire. A surviving outbuilding at Main and Market Streets was later converted into the Second Southern Hotel. On March 18, 1919, fire struck again, destroying that building as well. The blaze was so intense that the heat blew out the front windows of the new Swall Hotel across the street.
Fire also struck Newhall’s schools. In 1914, Newhall’s school at Ninth and Walnut Streets burned to the ground. The community rebuilt and as Newhall grew, the school eventually moved to Eleventh and Walnut Streets in 1928. On Valentine’s Day in 1939, another devastating fire gutted that campus.
Each time, Newhall rebuilt.
Today, as we face another painful loss in Old Town Newhall, that history reminds us of the strength and resilience that have always defined this community.
Old Town Newhall is the root of our City’s history. It is Santa Clarita’s oldest and most historic neighborhood, where generations lived, worked and built the foundation of the community we love today.
The recent fire took historic buildings from us, but it cannot take their stories. I am tremendously grateful to our firefighters for containing the blaze and protecting surrounding buildings, including the historic Canyon Theatre Guild.
Now, the City of Santa Clarita will move forward. We will support our businesses and the people who make Old Town Newhall special and work to bring back what we have lost. Old Town Newhall is more than a part of Santa Clarita’s history, it is where our story began, and it will always be at the heart of who we are.
Mayor Laurene Weste is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at lweste@santaclarita.gov.