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Above, the Glen Tavern sits in bright sunshine and stands out as a centerpiece of Santa Paula. Bottom photo: General Manager Monica De La Torre cuts the showpiece of the showcase that was created by (back) Jana Heredia of Jana’s Creative Cakes, who said she recreated the Glen Tavern Inn in edible form in a cake, crafted from photographs, that would serve more than 100 guests. |
Glen Tavern Inn turns 100 years old
September 16, 2011
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
She’s been neglected and celebrated, abused and pampered and even survived a fire that threatened her very existence, but the Glen Tavern Inn is going strong at 100 years old, a centennial that was recognized with a party for the Grand Old Dame on North Mill Street.
Whether Dame or dame, it was in 1910 that the investors committee selected the design of acclaimed Los Angeles architects Sumner Hunt and Silas Burns. Their Craftsman-Tudor design of a 20,000-square-foot hotel now has 41 rooms and an Italian restaurant, Enzo’s, in a building designated a National Historic Landmark.
Completed in 1911, the hotel has undergone decades of change within the building including elegant hotel, at times a discreet third floor brothel, gambling den, center of civic activity, and regular stop for the rich and famous - and some infamous - including rumored ghost guests who checked in but never really checked out.
Although always a beautiful building, years of neglect hid the fact that in her heyday the Glen Tavern Inn had welcomed early 20th Century celebrities from Harry Houdini, Rin Tin Tin and Mary Pickford to fiery preacher and presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan to Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who capped his career as a composer and pianist to become prime minister of Poland. The 21st century has seen the inn host contemporary actors such as Lindsay Lohan and Jeff Bridges, among others, who have found themselves on a Santa Paula-based film shoot.
It wasn’t until Rosanna and Tom Jennett bought the inn, located at 134 N. Mill St., in 2004 that renovation began in earnest, an effort that was almost derailed when the third floor caught fire in April 2006 causing heavy damage.
At the gala September 9 Centennial Birthday Celebration - billed as Make Glen Tavern Inn a Part of Your History! - guests enjoyed a private party in the warm embrace of the inn and her owners.
Asked for a professional opinion on the Glen Tavern, Dr. Richard Tushla said, “She looks very healthy,” and although a physician’s usual role is tending to others, “We’re treated royally every time we come in.... Visiting the inn is wonderful; just being here brings me back to the early part of the 20th century.”
Santa Paula Mayor Fred Robinson agreed, noting the Inn “is a historical treasure in the community and the Jennetts have done wonderful job in restoring it. We owe them a tremendous debt... and look forward to the next 100 years.”
“In 53 years I’ve watched a lot of people own and operate this hotel,” and Cathy Barringer said she believes the community as well as the inn itself is “grateful that the Jennetts took such effort to restore her to her glory.... It’s just a wonderful place!”
Ruth Taylor Kilday of Oak Park had copies of documents showing a very early link her family had to the inn: “My great-grandmother bought the property in the 1880s or so and then sold it in 1909,” probably to the 100 investors who put up $250 each to create the hotel. “I heard about the anniversary and just had to attend,” and when she contacted the Inn Kilday said she was invited to the celebration.
Santa Paula was then among the top cities in Ventura County, a Mecca of oil and agricultural leaders who relied on the railroad to not only carry their products, but to bring visitors and investors to the city.
In 1903 the Petrolia fire had burned down the city’s only hotel located on East Main Street, and the few boarding houses were filled to the brim. The Glen Tavern Inn was about the first thing visitors saw when they pulled into the Depot, and present day tourists riding the Fillmore & Western Railway still enjoy the same visual greeting which sets the scene for the historical downtown and Santa Paula overall.
The inn has undergone numerous renovations, but none as ambitious as the Jennetts who found the then sadly neglected property online and drove from their then Malibu home to inspect the property. Rosanna Jennett said she was sold even before they arrived in Santa Paula while driving into the Santa Clara River Valley along Highway 126.
“It was just gorgeous, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was,” an impression, Rosanna Jennett said upon arrival at the Inn, was not shared by her husband, initially dubious about the financial future of making such a heavy investment in the past. But he admitted it only took a few minutes to realize the potential of the Inn, “a gem that just needed polishing... a lot of polishing!”
The couple spent two years polishing that gem before the April 2006 fire. After the fire not only did the Jennets start over, but they decided to make even more improvements - determined to restore the hotel to the showcase early photos showed.
Brian Yanez said the Jennetts have demonstrated what is “typical Santa Paula... moving forward. The city was the county’s frontrunner in the beginning when the inn was built and they say history repeats itself... and with it the inn being a showcase of Santa Paula. The Jennetts have done a wonderful job.”
A showpiece of the showcase was created by Jana Heredia of Jana’s Creative Cakes, who said she recreated the Glen Tavern Inn in edible form in a cake, crafted from photographs, that would serve more than 100 guests.
“How would you cut that?” asked Pam Strange of the towering cake. “Do you know what’s inside it? Probably ghosts.” Strange was right: Heredia had thoughtfully provided a ghost peering out of a window of the upper floor of the sweet Inn, a piece of cake claimed by a couple who had recently wed at the Glen Tavern.
General Manager Monica De La Torre, the Jennetts’ daughter, said the Inn is booked more than a year in advance for full service weddings and other special events. In fact, the Inn was the scene of three weddings on the last weekend in August, which means often the hotel is filled to capacity with guests of the wedding party.
De La Torre said she enjoys the looks on the faces of first time visitors: “When they walk into the lobby and look around you can see they don’t believe it, it takes them a second sometimes and then wow... “ as they take in the comfortable couches, large stone fireplace, authentic-type lamps and other touches that bring them back to the beautiful designer touches of 1910.
According to Connie Hanks it’s typical of the Glen Tavern Inn, or rather the family that purchased, restored and now nurture it: “It’s just like Rosanna and the family - first class all the way.”
