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[Background Music Plays]
The Muckenthaler Center you see today looks much like it did when it was built as a family
home in the 1920s for Walter and Adella Muckenthaler.
Walters love of the performing arts, traveling, and mission-style architecture are
evidenced in the Muckenthaler villas design and purpose.
The villa is built atop a hill in Fullerton, California and was resided in by
the Muckenthaler family until it was generously gifted to the city of Fullerton in 1965.
It was then transformed into a cultural center to continue the Muckenthalers desire to
encourage and provide a platform for the performing arts as a celebration of the human
spirit through the arts.
Today, the Muck, as it is affectionately called, welcomes over 100,000 visitors
each year and serves over 25,000 people. Its 8.5 acres of manicured lawns is
consistently a popular venue for the over 75 weddings, soirees, and other
celebrations they host annually. It produces over 100 performances each year,
such as: the Muck Luau, various concerts and art exhibits of various mediums
featuring local and international artists. They also offer an array of
educational programs for children and adults, including:
painting, dance, photography, music, pottery, and ceramics, among others.
The Muck not only enjoys a wide reputation for
its excellence and dedication to the performing arts,
but also for its historic villa.
In 1999 The Muckenthaler Center received the designation by the
National Registry of Historic Places and was added to its selective list of places in
America that are worthy of preservation. And indeed, the villa certainly is worthy of
preservation. Its blend of Spanish Colonial Revival and Italian villa architecture is
beautifully displayed among the lush foliage and trees that were once part of Californias
robust citrus grove industry.
[Zoot Velasco]FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU LOOK OUT THE WINDOW THERE YOU WILL SEE ALL OF THOSE ROOF TOPS.
THAT WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERYTHING FROM COMMONWEALTH TO MALVERN,
EVERYTHING FROM EUCLID TO BASQUE,
THAT ENTIRE ABOUT 12 BLOCK NEIGHBORHOOD WAS
THE MUCKENTHALERS RANCH. IT WAS 80 ACRES FROM END TO END, AND THERE WAS
ANOTHER 8 ACRES UP HERE ON THE HILL THAT WAS THEIR HOMESTEAD PROPERTY.
AND THE 8 ACRES THAT WAS UP HERE WAS USED TO RAISE PRODUCE AND FRUIT THAT THEY
USED FOR THEIR OWN CONSUMPTION, WHEREAS THE 80 ACRES WAS FOR THE COMMERCIAL CITRUS RANCH.
[Narrator] The Muckenthaler villa was commissioned in 1924 for $35,000. It was designed by
local architect Frank Benchley, who had also designed several other Fullerton buildings,
including the California Hotel and the Farmers and Merchants Bank.
It was built by E.J. Herbert, who had also constructed the Santa Fe Depot in 1930.
Walter Muckenthaler was intricately involved in the design and building of the
18-room Mediterranean inspired estate, incorporating his fine taste and love of
architecture and traveling into its architecture.
Walter and Adellas Italian Renaissance-style villa was not Italian in style only.
[Zoot Velasco]THE MUCKENTHALERS WENT TO ITALY AND THEY FOUND A BEAUTIFUL
RAILING AND STAIN GLASS WINDOW THAT HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN AN EARTHQUAKE THERE, AND
THEY HAD IT SHIPPED OVER HERE AND THEY HAD THE HOUSE BUILT AROUND IT, AND THATS
THE FRONT RAILING THAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU GO INSIDE.
The villas 7,600 square foot interior also boasts of mahogany windows,
hand-combed plaster moldings, and tiles designed by the prestigious
Ernest Batchelder Tile Company. The famed tile company was
commissioned to design tiles for the Butlers Pantry, the solarium floor,
and two fireplaces.
The two-story octagonal solarium, with its original hanging lamp overhead
and the original Batchelder tiles underfoot, is beautiful for its
exquisite style and the view it once held. The solarium was designed to
display the 80 acres of land and groves of lemons, avocados and walnuts
that once surrounded the villa. It no doubt offered a breath-taking view
through its Palladian windows of what Southern California looked during its
citrus grove heyday, prior to the population explosion of the mid-century.
Across from the solarium on the first floor is the living room,
which now houses one of the art galleries and exhibits.
Just beyond the living room is the formal dining room,
which has been preserved with original family furniture and relics.
There was also a large open-air central atrium, that has now been
covered for many years.
The upstairs portion of the villa once housed the bedrooms
and a bathroom; the bedrooms have since been transformed
into administration offices for the Mucks staff.
The villas grounds are as stunning today as they were
when first built, despite some changes. Walter planned
the landscaping with Clark Lutschg of Sequoia Nursery in Fullerton,
one of Californias first landscaping architects, which took over
four years to complete. The grounds originally included an arbor, a fountain,
peristyle gardens and a reservoir for irrigation of the citrus groves.
[Zoot Velasco] WAY BACK WHEN IT WAS A FARM, ON THE CORNER OF THE RANCH
THERE WAS A SIGN, THERE IS A SIGN NOW, THAT IT USED TO BE AN IRRIGATION POND.
AND THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL STREAM THAT WENT DOWN THE HILL TO THIS IRRIGATION POND,
AND THEYD PULL A LEVER AND IT WOULD IRRIGIATE THE FIELDS ALL BY GRAVITY. AND THAT
POND WAS A FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY FOR THE KIDS AND FOR HAROLD WHEN HE WAS A KID, IT
WAS THEIR SWIMMING POOL BASICALLY. AND BECAUSE THE STREAM WAS SO NICE GOING DOWN
THE HILL AND ALL THESE LUSH GREEN FERNS AND STUFF GREW UP AROUND IT, THEY BUILT
A NICE STONE GAZEBO THERE-ITS STILL THERE TO THIS DAY. IF YOU NOTICE THATS
THE LUSHEST PART OF THE PROPERTY BECAUSE IT IS STILL GROUND WATER THERE FROM WHEN
THERE WAS A POND AND A STREAM THERE.
Today, the stone gazebo at the original citrus grove reservoir is a favorite
of bridal parties and photographers alike, as is the picturesque Italian garden.
Palm trees frame the Italian garden, sans its original sundial at the west end,
and serves as the backdrop to over 75 weddings annually.
There was also a large aviary with peacocks and other exotic birds on the
north side of the villa, and even though the aviary no longer exists,
its former site, in addition to Walters Rose Garden, is now known as Adellas Lawn.
The original circular driveway is still surrounded by the originally
planted palm trees, although the once young palms now gracefully tower over the estate.
The Muckenthalers hosted many birthdays, holidays and family
gatherings at their home. The original barbeque in the
rear courtyard is still there, although the courtyard is now known as
the Center Circle Courtyard. In keeping with the spirit of its original use,
the Center Circle Courtyard now hosts parties, concerts and poetry readings.
The Muckenthaler villa is second to none in its architecture, ingenuity and beauty;
the only thing that can rival its grandeur is the extraordinary story of
the Muckenthalers themselves. Just as the family was a part of shaping the city of Fullerton,
it also has deep roots in the history of California.
The Muckenthaler villa is the product of several generations
hard work and perseverance during the formation and struggle of the state of California.
Their story witnessed, and took part, of some of Americas most historical events;
from the Spanish expedition of California led by Junipero Serra in the 1700s,
In 1854 Walter Muckenthalers grandparents,
Martin and Elizabeth Muckenthaler (originally Muggenthaler),
emigrated from the Baden-Wurttenberg region of Germany to the United States.
They eventually settled in Newbury, Kansas where Martin
helped lay out the town and owned a two-story home.
Martin and Elizabeth had nine children,
including Walters fatherAlbert Muckenthaler.
When Albert was 20 years old he had visited
the small German settlement town of
Anaheim, California for work; he liked Anaheim very much,
but wasnt able to stay there permanently. He moved back to
Kansas where he married Augusta Ebert in 1889; the same year that
California legislature divided Los Angeles County to create Orange County.
Together they had 6 children and ran a successful dairy farm near Paxico, Kansas.
They had a good life in Kansas, but Alberts dream of permanently
moving to Anaheim with his family was never far from his mind.
Walter Moritz Muckenthaler was born in Paxico, Kansas in 1896 to
Albert and Augusta. He spent the first 13 years of his life in Kansas,
until his father Albert made good on his dream of returning to California
with his familythey moved to Anaheim, California in 1909.
Walters future wife, Adella Kraemer, a daughter of the
wealthy Kraemer family in Placentia, California, had a similar
immigrant background as well. Her paternal grandparents, Daniel
and Eleanora Kraemer, immigrated to the US in the 1850s from Bavaria,
Germany, initially settling in the Midwest before coming to Anaheim,
California. In 1865 Daniel purchased a dirt floor adobe that had been
built in 1837 from the Ontiveros family, one of the great land grant
rancho families that had received a land grant from the Mexican government
for exploring Alta California, the northern part of California
that was then a part of Mexico. Little did the Kraemers know,
this would not be their only connection with the Ontiveros family.
When Daniel purchased 3900 acres of land for 30 cents an acre in 1867
in an area not far from Anaheim, he became the first English-speaking
settler of Placentia.
Daniel Kraemers son, Samuel Kraemer, married Angelina Yorba in 1886,
unifying what land the Kraemers had to that of one of the last of the
grand Yorbas. Angelina was the daughter of Maria de los Dolores Ontiveros,
one of the grant rancho families who were also one of the earliest
Mexican-American families in the region. Her father was Prudencio Yorba,
the grandson of Jose Antonio Yorbathe Spanish adventurer/soldier
who fought the pirate Bouchard at San Juan Capistrano as part
of the Portola expedition in 1769.
Jose Antonio Yorbas services were rewarded by the Spanish government
in 1810 when they awarded him the 63,414 acre
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana land grant.
[Zoot Velasco] AND HE WAS AWARDED A LAND GRANT,
AND HE FOUGHT LATER WHEN IT BECAME PART OF A MEXICO HE SIDED
WITH THE AMERICANS AND HE GOT TO KEEP HIS LAND GRANT. AND IT WAS
HIS GRANDCHILDREN, ONE OF WHICH WAS BERNARDO YORBA, WHO ENDED UP SETTING UP
SHOP IN YORBA LINDA, THAT SOLD THIS PART OF NORTH ORANGE COUNTY TO DIFFERENT
FARMERS. AND IN ANAHEIM IT WAS THE GERMAN FARMERS.
[Narrator] In fact, Yorba Linda was named after Bernardo Yorba,
and it was his granddaughter Angelina who married Samuel Kraemer in 1886.
In Angelina and Samuels marriage the history of California could be seen:
its adventurous Mexican and Spanish heritage combined with the immigrant
spirit of ingenuity and opportunity. Their marriage produced 8 children,
including Walter Muckenthalers future wife, Adella Kraemer.
Walter and Adella met through St. Boniface Church in Anaheim,
which both their families attended. Their Catholic faith was
very important to them, as it was an integral part of life for
many in the rancho and immigrant communities in southern California.
Walter displayed signs of leadership at an
early age as he ran his fathers bakery in Anaheim-Boston
Bakeryand took on the responsibilities of being the eldest son.
While he was attending Anaheim Union High School he was heavily
involved with the schools theatre group, which helped cultivate his
love of the performing arts and culture.
He graduated from Anaheim Union High in 1914,
and briefly served in the Navy during World War I.
Unfortunately, Walter was denied service when it was discovered
that he had a heart murmur and he returned home to Anaheim. Alongside his brothers,
he helped run his dads newest bakerythe White Lily Bakeryand set aside some of
his earnings so that he could attend college one day.
In the meantime, he enjoyed traveling all over California.
He traveled to Catalina Island, the local mountains, Long Beach,
Anaheim Landing (now known as Seal Beach), and San Francisco.
His camera accompanied him everywhere he went, capturing his adventures and memories.
He was especially fond of mission architecture in
southern California, particularly the San Gabriel mission.
In 1915 Walter visited the San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Expo
in San Francisco, and the San Diego Panama-California International Expo in
San Diego, photographing many buildings at the expos. Walters love and appreciation
of mission-style architecture was predicated by his trips to these expos, as evidenced
by the many pictures he took and the mission-style architecture that is reflected in the
design and building of his own home several years later.
In 1916 Walter attended University of California at Berkley in the
School of Architecture and Design with the money had saved working at his
fathers bakery. The civil engineering education he received during his time at
UC Berkley assisted him in becoming a civil engineer for the
city of Fullerton later on in his life.
Adella Kraemer was a devout Catholic and enjoyed traveling and
outdoor activities as well. Having grown up on a rancho, from a
young age she was accustomed to helping her family by tending to her siblings,
the cattle, horses and chickens. In her spare time she enjoyed horseback riding
and attending various church activities, where she and Walter first met.
Walter and Adella were married in 1919 at St. Boniface Church on
Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim. Their first apartment was in Fullerton,
as was their wedding gift from Adellas parents: 80 acres of land.
In addition to their marriage, the year 1919 was monumental for
another reason as well: Union Oil Company discovered oil on
Samuel Kramers land in what is now known as Brea, making him
one of the richest men in southern California. He allowed them
to start drilling oil wells in 1920, yielding enormous earnings
that the Kraemers shared with their children, including Adella and Walter.
Samuel went on to build the first high-rise building in Anaheim in 1925,
the Kraemer Building. Kraemer Avenue, which runs through the cities of
Yorba Linda and Orange, is named in his honor.
Adella received one of the oil leases, from which the royalties
funded the transformation of her and Walters 80 acres of land
in Fullerton into citrus groves. They also purchased 8.5 acres of
lemon trees north of Malvern Avenue in Fullerton as the site for their new dream home.
Before the Muckenthaler villa began construction in 1924,
Walter and Adella welcomed their only child, Harold Walter Muckenthaler,
into the world on October 1, 1922.
Walter became a
civil engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad, for which he later surveyed.
Due to safety concerns of being so close to destructive railroad
construction work, Adellas father used his acquaintances to secure
a job for Walter with the city of Fullerton as a city surveyor;
thus beginning a relationship with the city of Fullerton
that would continue the rest of his life.
Walter and Adellas villa was built in 1924 and was a
perfect blend of the their histories and interestsfrom the
villas Italian-Renaissance style, to its salute to the
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Just as the
family loved to travel to various locations such as Hawaii,
Big Bear, the Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite National Park,
Palm Springs and the beach, their adventurous spirit is displayed
in the home as well. Their appreciation for the finer things in life is
reflected in the villas large walk-in closets, Walters affinity for cars and
their rich wardrobe and chic attire.
Young Harolds childhood was filled with fun and adventure,
courtesy of his backyard aviary, the stream and the vast orange groves.
Despite being an only child, he never lacked playmates.
Their home hosted many family functions year-round, and he had
many cousins in Anaheim whom he played with, in addition to the
neighbors and the children of the ranch employees.
Walter and Adella operated their prosperous citrus
grove business from their home on the hill, while Walter
continued working for the city of Fullerton.
In 1936 Walter was elected as a city councilman for
his beloved city of Fullerton, which he served for eight years.
Walter and other councilmembers helped guide the city of Fullerton
as an agricultural center and in the construction of the new city hall in 1940.
[Zoot Velasco]WALTER MUCKENTHALER WAS A CITY COUNCILMAN HERE IN FULLERTON.
HE WAS CITY COUNCILMAN WHEN THEY BUILT THE ORIGINAL CITY HALL,
WHICH IS NOW THE POLICE BUILDING, AND THE PLUMMER AUDITORIUM.
A LOT OF GREAT PROJECTS WERE DONE UNDER HIS TUTELAGE WHEN HE WAS A COUNCILMAN.
AND SO REALLY, BETWEEN THE MUCKENTHALER FAMILY, THE KRAEMER FAMILY,
AND THE YORBA FAMILY, YOU HAVE 3 FAMILIES WHO ARE FOUNDERS OF
ANAHEIM, PLACENTIA, YORBA LINDA, AND FULLERTON; PEOPLE WHO ARE
MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN THOSE 4 CITIES, AS WELL AS
THE WHOLE COUNTY OF ORANGE COMES FROM THE YORBA FAMILY."
[Narrator] Walters son Harold graduated from Fullerton Union High School
in 1941, after which he promptly enlisted in the Navy in 1942.
In 1943 Harold married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Zoeter,
at St. Marys Church in Fullerton on Valentines Day.
In 1944 Harold and Shirley gave birth to their eldest daughter Peggy,
who was followed by Sherryl and Kathleen within a few years.
1944 also marked election year; Walter declined to serve another
term as city councilmember, opting instead to serve on the citys
planning commission.
After hiss service in the Navy ended. Harold began a gas station business;
but as his fathers health deteriorated he took over the
business of the family ranch.
Walter passed away at the age of 68, on April 20th of 1958.
[Zoot Velasco] SO, IT WAS THEN WHEN WALTER GOT OLD IN
THE 60S AND PASSED AWAY, THAT HIS WIDOW AND HIS SON
HAROLD DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO FIRST THEY HAD
THE IDEA TO MAKE CONDOS OUT OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH WAS
A VERY NEW IDEA AND VERY REVOLUTIONARY IN THE 60S. BUT
THE NEIGHBORS DIDNT LIKE THE IDEA OF CONDOS BEING HERE,
AND THE HOUSE WOULD BE THE CLUBHOUSE FOR THE CONDOS.
THE NEIGHBORS WERENT INTO IT SO THEY DECIDED INSTEAD
TO GIVE THE PROPERTY TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO BE A SCHOOL,
BUT THE CHURCH DIDNT WANT THE MAIN BUILDING-THEY WERE GOING
TO TEAR IT DOWN. AND THEIR ONLY STIPULATION WAS THEY COULDNT
TEAR DOWN THE FAMILY HOMESTEAD. SO THE CHURCH WAS OUT,
AND INSTEAD THEY DECIDED TO GIVE IT TO THE CITY OF FULLERTON
TO BE A CULTURAL CENTER. AND THE CITY DID PROMISE THEY WOULD
MAINTAIN THE BUILDING. AND NOW THE BUILDING IS IN THE NATIONAL
REGISTRY OF HISTORIC PLACES AND IS ONE OF THE PRIME HISTORIC PROPERTIES
IN NORTH ORANGE COUNTY.
[Narrator]Adella and Harold desired to see his childhood home used as
a cultural center, and this finally came to fruition in 1972.
Due to red tape and legalities the family home wasnt formally utilized
as the Muckenthaler Cultural Center until this time.
Beginning in 1981, the Muck underwent extensive renovations
to make the center more conducive to hosting art exhibits
and live performances.
In 1995 a 246-seat amphitheater was constructed on the
south lawn to host performing arts programs, while
two studios have been added for arts classes.
In 1999 The Muckenthaler Center received the
designation by the National Registry of Historic Places
and was added to its selective list of places in America
that are worthy of preservation.
Harold and Shirley actively supported the center for years,
until Shirley passed away in January 2010. Harold still supports
the center today, as does their eldest daughter Peggy.
Harold is also heavily involved with the Muck.
Peggy is very active in the center-she is a board member,
and serves as a historian and docent. She is also president of
the Center Circle Guild, which she co-founded in 1967 with her mother Adella,
who passed away in 1974.
The Muckenthaler Cultural Center has won many awards including:
Best Historic Site and Best Cultural Center
awards from OC Parenting Magazine in 2008, the Quality of Life
award for the best non-profit organization in the city from
the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, and the center won the
Best Arts Organization Award in 2010 from the
county-wide arts council, Arts OC.
The over 100,000 visitors that the Muck receives
annually testifies to the timeless architecture,
the magnificent landscape, and the celebration of
the human spirit that is offered to the local community.
In anticipation of the Muckenthalers 50th anniversary
as a cultural center in 2015, there are more plans in store for the Muck.
Nothing would please Walter and Adella more than to know that the home they
built and the life they built together in that home,
has left a legacy of giving and
inspiration to thousands of people in Orange County.
[Closed Captioning by "Great-Depth Productions"]