June 23, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Behind Brentwood: How the Crestwood Hills Park Emerged

By Cory Buckner

Special to Brentwood News 

On a hillside in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, the Mutual Housing Association (MHA) broke ground for its residential dream on October 5, 1947. Courtesy image.
On a hillside in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, the Mutual Housing Association (MHA) broke ground for its residential dream on October 5, 1947. Courtesy image.

On a hillside in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, the Mutual Housing Association (MHA) broke ground for its residential dream on October 5, 1947. Crestwood Hills, formerly MHA, was to become the only successful large-scale modern housing cooperative in the West. Architects A. Quincy Jones and Whitney R. Smith, and structural engineer Edgardo Contini – all steeped in the ethos of Southern California modernist architecture – were selected as the design team. They provided a selection of more than 20 innovative designs for 350 small lots. A large flat area was designated for the cooperative services, which included a park, clubhouse, nursery school, gas station, a variety store, swimming pool, amphitheater, and an administration building to house medical services and credit union activities.

But idealism met harsh reality when two contractors went bankrupt building the structures. Eventually only 85 of the MHA houses and the preschool were completed. The ambitious plans for a cooperative utopia began to fade and several day camps began using the acreage that was designated for the park.

Founding members Sharon Leonard and Marge Bonderman decided they had better establish a park facility before it was taken over by other users. Organizing their own day camp, a group of Crestwood Hills mothers reclaimed the park for the community. Addressing a need for more equipment and expert supervision, they collected $10 from each Crestwood Hills family. The Los Angeles City officials were approached and agreed to supply a park director in exchange for the funds collected and included a swing set and slide, as well as other equipment.

Visit Crestwood Hills Park at 1000 Hanley Ave. Photo by Jeff Hall.
Visit Crestwood Hills Park at 1000 Hanley Ave. Photo by Jeff Hall.

A deserted contractor’s shack was moved to the park area and it became the first clubhouse. Close to 30 children, including Leonard’s four boys, used the little clubhouse. With more people moving into the area, the group approached the City to take responsibility for the park since it had become more than the community members could manage. The land was given to the City in 1961 to maintain as a park. Residents Marvin Braude, the future County supervisor; Ray Siegal, one of the four original founders of MHA; and Leonard pitched to the City the idea of building a clubhouse, which resulted in $30,000 granted towards construction of the structure.

A. Quincy Jones and his partner Frederick E. Emmons designed the clubhouse with community input. The facility included a small amphitheater facing a moveable wall. With the wall opened, the space provided ample room for concerts, plays, and performances. A grand piano was donated for the space and Fritz Feld, the character actor and Crestwood resident, lured musicians, dancers, and other artists to perform for the community. The amphitheater was later named the Fritz Feld Theater in his honor.

Carnivals were held every year with the City supplying the booths and a spook house at Halloween. Neighborhood potluck picnics were a common event for all of the holidays, including the 4th of July, but eventually many of the founding members aged out of the community and the clubhouse and park were seldom used.

It wasn’t until the early 1990s, when a new generation of families began moving into the community, that the need to revitalize the park became apparent. The park activities kept the community cohesive until several years ago when cuts in the City budget eliminated the park director and closed the clubhouse for all but two days a week.

Today, the increased use created by the new preschool director, Joanna Port, combined with the needs of the community have resulted in a new energy at the park and a fulltime park director, Mark Wilson. Once again, the park has become a magnet to unite the community within a beautiful natural setting.

Related Posts

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...

Paris Hilton Buys Mark Wahlberg’s Beverly Park Mansion for $63.1M

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

The Heiress and Media Mogul Joins a Star-Studded Neighborhood Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum have purchased a high-profile estate...

A.O.C. Brentwood to Close After 16 Years on San Vicente Boulevard

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Chef Goin and Styne Cite Unsustainably High Rent in Decision to Close  A.O.C. Brentwood, the acclaimed Westside outpost from James...

Brentwood Book Signing Explores Why Wolves Matter to Nature’s Balance

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Children’s Author Karen B. Winnick to Appear June 22 at DIESEL, A Bookstore Children’s author and wildlife advocate Karen B....

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

LA City Councilwomen Yaroslavsky and Jurado Call for Legal Action Against Federal Immigration Raids

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

City Motion Targets Alleged Unconstitutional Tactics, End Qualified Immunity for Fed Officers  City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Ysabel Jurado introduced...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

Princess Diana’s Largest Wardrobe Auction Set for Beverly Hills

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Over 200 Royal Garments to Hit the Auction Block for Charity More than 200 garments and royal artifacts, including the...

Queer Beauty Through the Ages: Getty Hosts Lecture on Greek Art’s Influence on LGBTQ Aesthetics

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Art Historian to Trace Homoerotic Imagery From Ancient Greece to Modern Queer Identity As part of its ongoing Pride Month...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Navy Vietnam Vet Finally Gets His UCLA Commencement Moment

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

John Fong, 80, Missed His Graduation in 1968 While in Vietnam  Nearly six decades after completing his studies, U.S. Navy...

Films, Flair, and Panoramas: Free Cultural Events Light Up The Ebell This Week

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The Ebell Theatre Hosts a Double Feature of Films, Plus a Coffee Talk A pair of free public events this...

9th Circuit Court Backs Trump in Battle Over California National Guard Control

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Federal Judges Allow Trump to Retain Command of Troops in Los Angeles Federal judges on Thursday cleared the way for...

Nightly I-405 Lane Closures Begin June 23 for Sepulveda Pass Rehab

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Caltrans Will Shut Down Select Lanes Nightly Through June 28 The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced overnight lane...