By Mary O’KEEFE

Rockhaven Sanitarium is a historical property, not just because it should be – after all, it was a woman-owned and -operated business that began in the mid-1920s and it was a business that supported women in need – but because it is actually on national and California state historical registries; it is certified as a historical property.

But having the nation and State of California recognize this woman’s historical property does not guarantee its respect and maintenance.

The City of Glendale purchased the Rockhaven property and had grand plans for its development and refurbishment until the economic woes of the early 2000s. Then the City had to put its plans on hold and since then Rockhaven has been in a strange limbo. City staff and Council had several suggestions over the years as to Rockhaven’s future and, until recently, the organization Friends of Rockhaven had worked with the City on those plans. Sometimes there were disagreements on the direction of the property but the Friends of Rockhaven was allowed a seat at the table.

Over the years members of Friends of Rockhaven noticed a lack in maintenance of the Rockhaven property. The organization’s members had for years held tours and special events at the location to spread the history of Rockhaven and to raise funds to help Friends of Rockhaven with some small maintenance projects. Friends of Rockhaven is composed of members who love history and who love that Rockhaven is specifically a woman’s story. At the heart of the organization is Joanna Linkchorst. She not only learned the history of Agnes Richards, the nurse who founded/owned/operated Rockhaven, but those who worked there and especially “the ladies” who called the sanitarium home.

California has had a lot of rain in the last few years, especially in the last two years. Linkchorst and members of Friends of Rockhaven, the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley and The Glendale Historical Society all noticed how the rain was ravaging the buildings at Rockhaven. Several times historians, historical architects and community members came to the Glendale City Council to bring attention to the damage they were seeing to the property’s buildings.

The buildings had roof damage; City staff had tarps put on the roof but they blew off or disintegrated.

According to Linkchorst, Friends of Rockhaven went to the City staff numerous times asking staff to authorize the repair of the roofs. Members reported seeing signs of mold in some of the historic buildings.

Rockhaven appeared to be falling apart due to neglect, which led the Friends of Rockhaven to file a lawsuit in April 2023 alleging the City harmed the historical location via Demolition by Neglect.

“Demolition by Neglect means the process in which the owner of a building or structure allows its ongoing deterioration over a period of time as a result of lack of maintenance, failure to secure it from pests or vandals, and/or failure to take reasonable measures to prevent ingress of water or wind through the roof, walls or apertures, leading to deterioration and/or structural failure constituting a threat to public health and safety,” according to the City of Glendale’s Municipal Code 15.20.020.

According to the lawsuit, the City of Glendale and its City Council failed to “comply with the Glendale Municipal Code and prevent waste of taxpayer funds and injury to the public property by failing to maintain and preserve [the] historic property originally known as Rockhaven Sanitarium.”

After the lawsuit, the City stopped communicating directly with Friends of Rockhaven. Their once tenuous partnership had been strained to the breaking point.

Friends of Rockhaven had played an important role in securing funds for the property when in June 2021 State Senator Anthony Portantino announced he had secured $8 million for the property. According to his website, “Under the Portantino proposal, the State will allocate the money to the City of Glendale to renovate and preserve the historic Rockhaven property for the public to enjoy and appreciate as a museum.”

“Years ago I went on one of the Friends of Rockhaven tours and met Joanna. She took me on a tour [of the former sanitarium] and I was blown away,” Portantino said in a previous interview.

“We formed as a non-profit to advocate on behalf of the community, and the community is tired of the City deferring proper maintenance,” said Linkchorst in a previous interview. “We felt this [lawsuit] was a move we needed to take to make sure that this historic place will be saved to tell the story of Rockhaven and women in the mental health system.”

Rockhaven Part III next week.