Beachwood’s Earthly Paradise: The Lost Gardens of the Krotona Colony
December 10, 2010 § 9 Comments
- The Italian Gardens/All Photos Copyright Krishnamurti Foundation of America, except where noted
The Theosophical Society’s Beachwood Canyon sojourn lasted less than 15 years, from late 1911 until 1926, but it produced a planned community of distinctive public buildings and houses, roughly two dozen of which survive. The Krotona Colony’s buildings can be identified by their eccentric architecture, which includes domed roofs, keyhole windows, arched doorways and art glass panels.
Hope Anderson Productions
Upon closer examination, one can make out details such as the star of David, cross, swastika (an ancient Hindu symbol used also by Buddhists) and lotus, which connote the melange of religions contained in the Theosophical doctrine.
Hope Anderson Productions
Gone forever are the lovely grounds of the Krotona Colony. As I wrote in my previous post, “The Agrarian Origins of Beachwood Canyon,” the Theosophists wanted to grow as much of their own food as possible, a desire reflected in the Colony’s fields and vegetable gardens. But–as the map shows–considerable attention and land were devoted to gardens whose purpose was recreational and contemplative. Chief among these was the Italian Gardens, located at the top of Temple Hill. Its formal layout was crowned by a magnificent Mogul-style pergola that provided members a place for reflection, as well as an impressive view of Hollywood to the south.
Map of the Krotona Colony
Hollywood’s burgeoning urbanism would drive the Theosophical Society to relocate to the Ojai Valley in 1926. The Krotona Colony’s public buildings were turned into apartments and private homes; its houses were sold to new, non-Theosophist owners. But the grounds, including the Italian Gardens, were subdivided into residential lots. Houses soon rose up, leaving no trace.
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For more about the Krotona Colony, purchase the documentary “Under the Hollywood Sign” at http://hopeandersonproductions.com/?page_id=3361
The film is also available for rent at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/uths
Under the Hollywood Sign 
Als theosoof lid van het Theosoofich Genoodschap(Pasadena),geniet ik van deze fotos, heel mooi
en leerzaam, bij deze hartelijk dank
bedankt voor het schrijven van
Strange, I’ve been living in the building marked “workshop” for many years and have always been told this is where the single women lived at the time.
In the units that still have fireplaces, there are symbols cut in stone on the hearths but they are slightly different from the Krontona’s main symbol.
What do they look like? Is your building on Vista del Mar?
I lived in a unit/wing that had fireplace in the master bedroom. about 30 yrs ago. one man owned the property then. He said Krishnamurti, lived on the property at one time, and wrote many of his books there. Does anyone know about this? what transitions did the property go through after I left?
I’m not surprised to hear that Krishnamurti lived on the property, as he was closely affiliated with the Theosophical Society. Have you heard of the book “Lives in the Shadows”? The family it involves, which included Krishnamurti, lived in a house a stone’s thrown away. Richard Neutra modified the house, which is located on Gower just south of Scenic. http://www.amazon.com/Lives-Shadow-Krishnamurti-Radha-Sloss/dp/0595121314
Gower. Sort of like a sextant. Out of the four units, mine is the only one that doesn’t have a hearth in it. (There is old fire damage under the floor, so one can imagine why it was removed. All of the remaining fireplaces have been long sealed, and the chimneys removed.)
Did it look like this?
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/his/TS-seal.htm
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