2019 CGLHS Conference

Early California Landscapes and Gardens:

Romance and Reality

Lompoc, home of Mission La Purísima Concepción 

Friday, October 4 through Sunday, October 6, 2019

Join us as we explore the authentic history of the pre-Spanish era and post-Spanish settlements, along with the myth-making reinvention in the 19th century of these working landscapes as idyllic places of pastoral enchantment. We will also look at the late 20th century cultural shift to a more authentic telling of these stories.

Our keynote speaker, Brian Tichenor, has practiced architecture and landscape architecture in California for 35 years. He is a faculty member at USC, where for the last ten years he has taught a class called ‘Authenticity and Artifice:  a History of Southern California through the Lens of the Landscape.'

Brian’s talk “At the Cusp: the Collision of Pre- and Post-Colombian Landscapes in Southern California” will be an exploration of the living landscapes of two highly nuanced cultures, both before the point of contact, and as the influx of the highly adapted Mediterranean plants of Europe began their dominance of the region.

At Mission La Purisima we will see one of the only missions still situated in a rural & agricultural area that closely resembles the landscape the Spanish missionaries of the middle 18th century found in Southern California, a landscape startlingly similar to their home. Visiting the site constitutes one of the most complete pictures of life in the California missions. 

Conference speakers and CGLHS board members have contributed to an  annotated reading list for the conference: click here for updated reading list  

LAST WEEK TO REGISTER—SEPT. 28 IS THE DEADLINE!

GROUP HOTEL RATE IS NOW EXTENDED TO SEPTEMBER 30 (see details below)

BECOME A MEMBER NOW! 

MEMBERS: 

For member access and pricing, please log in before proceeding to register

ONLINE REGISTRATION  MAIL-IN REGISTRATION

IMPORTANT: When you register, please note that your registration includes ALL events and dinners. Separate tickets are available for those traveling with you who are NOT registered for the conference but who would like to attend a tour, dinner, talk, etc. on an "à la carte" basis. THANK YOU!

Conference Schedule:

FRIDAY | 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. | MISSION LA PURISIMA

La Purisima, Alta California’s eleventh mission, was founded in 1787. Following its destruction in the 1812 earthquake, it was rebuilt outside of town in the Valley of the Watercress. The mission was secularized in 1834 and sold in 1845, then returned to the Church 1874. It was acquired by State of California in 1935. Because of its accurate reconstruction by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s, Mission La Purisima is known as the “Williamsburg of the West.” The Mission’s volunteer group, Prelado de los Tesoros (Keepers of the Treasures) de la Purisima, will lead us in small group tours though the Mission and its grounds. Following the tours, we will gather for a welcome reception hosted by the Prelado, who will serve posole, a Mission era soup.

SATURDAY | 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | OLD TOWN LOMPOC

A series of conference talks will take place in the morning and after lunch at historic Stone Pine Hall. At the conclusion of the talks in the afternoon, we will visit the Lompoc Museum and take a walking tour of Old Town with its many historic buildings and colorful murals depicting scenes of Lompoc’s heritage, flower industry, and scenic beauty. 

Lunch break: Next door to Stone Pine Hall in the Victorian garden of the Lompoc Museum.  

Dinner: Sissy's Uptown Café in Old Town Lompoc

SUNDAY | 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. | MISSION LA PURISIMA

We will return to Mission La Purísima to learn about the orchard, garden, and vineyard. Speakers will discuss plant introductions and early agriculture, including water systems.

THE CONFERENCE ENDS AT 11:30 ON SUNDAY. 

For those who can stay a few more hours, there will be an optional carpool excursion to Jalama Beach County Park for a "World Famous Jalama Burger" at the Jalama Beach Store and Grill. The scenic 30-minute drive from Lompoc will take us by working ranches, vineyards, and a few of the remaining flower fields. 

Reserve your hotel room now:

A block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lompoc has been reserved at a discounted rate of $139.00 a night. 

 BOOK HOTEL AT GROUP RATE

You may telephone the hotel directly at (805) 735-1880; just let them know you are booking a room for the CGLHS Conference. 

The deadline for the discounted hotel rate is Monday, September 30

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

IS AVAILABLE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28