Neighbor News
Saving Rockhaven (with Guest Speaker Joanna Linkchorst)
Joanna Linkchorst, President of Friends of Rockhaven, will talk about the community's efforts to save this historic treasure on Thu. Apr. 28
Our next speaker meeting will be on Thursday, April 28th at 7 p.m. Come to hear the stories of the now abandoned Rockhaven Sanitarium, a facility in Glendale designed to care for women with mental illnesses, and the last intact sanitarium in our valley. Joanna Linkchorst, President of Friends of Rockhaven, will talk about the community's
efforts to save this historic treasure.
Rockhaven Sanitarium was opened in 1923 by psychiatric nurse Agnes Richards for women with "mild mental and nervouse disorders" as the brochure read. Having worked in state run insane asylums, she witnessed the atrocities firsthand and set out to create a haven where women could be treated with dignity and grace in a beautiful and serene environment. Richards ran Rockhaven until 1967 when she passed it on to her granddaughter Patricia Traviss. In Traviss' time Rockhaven changed with the needs of its residents and became popular for care of the elderly women with dementia. In 2001 Traviss sold Rockhaven to a large hospital corporation. However, by 2006 they found the upkeep too costly and sold it to developers who planned to scrape the lot and build condos. The community stepped in to stop the demolition and the City of Glendale purchased Rockhaven with the intent to open the property to the public for use as a community park.
However, because of the downturn of the economy, in the years since the purchase, the City of Glendale has allocated no funds to rehabilitate or open Rockhaven, and the property sits empty. Friends of Rockhaven works to help educate the public on the importance of Rockhaven and help the city to restore the property.
Mrs. Linkchorst is a lifelong Crescenta Valley Resident and a wife and mother of two. She is one of the founders of the Friends of Rockhaven organization and an Autry docent. The program, which will be held at the New Life Church, 10650 Reseda Blvd, Porter Ranch, CA 91326 (on the corner of Chatsworth and Reseda in Porter Ranch) is
free to the public. There will also be free refreshments and a free door prize drawing (although donations are gratefully accepted).
For more info on how you can help, please visit
http://www.friendsofrockhaven.org/