The Historic Monrovia Depot Rededication Sunday to feature the Unveiling of Bob Bartlett Memorial

Carole Chouchair Oueijian, created a portrait of Bob Barlett in mosaic- Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

By Susan Motander

One feature of the re-dedication of the Historic Monrovia Santa Fe Depot will be the unveiling of the memorial to Monrovia’s former Mayor, Bob Bartlett. It is entirely fitting that the memorial to Bartlett be at the depot as the man worked tirelessly to promote public transportation.

The depot building itself is not a restoration as much as it is a refurbishment. Daylight Limited, whose parent company is Samuelson and Fetter, the major developers undertook the project more as a public service than as a money-making proposition.

Nic Fetter, of that company has gone “above and beyond” to bring dignity back to the depot while making it a place suitable for a modern restaurant.  He had made certain the work was done in a way that retained the feeling of the original building. When they had the exact originals pieces they were used or duplicated.

In place, where there were only photographs to show what had been in place, Core-Ten replicas were created.  In fact, when workers discovered evidence that decorative scrollwork formerly surrounded the oval window on the north face of the building, a effort was made to “recreate” the work, again in that Core-Ten.

That steel was even used on the floor where original walls had been.  Rather than just replicate the tiles, Nic chose to pay tribute to the original building by delineating those line in Core-Ten.

It is interesting to note that without knowing how those refurbishing the depot were using Core-Ten to pay homage to what had been, the artist, Carole Chouchair Oueijian, who created the Bartlett memorial, used the same material as its base.  The memorial consists of a series of Core-Ten panels with mosaics showing various aspects of Bartlett’s service to the community.

The re-dedication and unveiling will take place this Sunday with a ceremony at 1 pm.

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