Pasadena Heritage Marks Preservation Month with a Look at Where the City Has Been — and Where It’s Headed

When Pasadena Heritage was founded in 1977, the city’s downtown was on the brink of being erased. Aggressive redevelopment plans aimed to revive a struggling local economy at the cost of demolishing historic buildings and threatening neighborhoods. Residents organized at the grassroots level, pushed back, and ultimately helped reframe Pasadena’s future. Nearly 50 years later, Bridget Lawlor argues, those same tensions are surfacing again.

On Monday, May 4, Lawlor — who became executive director of Pasadena Heritage in December — will deliver “Historic Preservation: Then & Now,” a presentation kicking off National Historic Preservation Month. The talk runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Heritage headquarters, the 1906 Blinn House at 160 N. Oakland Ave., and tickets are $10.

Lawlor brings more than 15 years of experience in historic preservation, archival management and cultural resource stewardship. Before joining Pasadena Heritage as preservation director in August 2024, she served as the historic preservation officer for Riverside County, where she managed a $1.2 million budget and directed initiatives to safeguard nationally and state-registered historic sites. She holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in history with a concentration in archival studies from Claremont Graduate University.

As Pasadena Heritage approaches its 50th year, Lawlor said in a recent interview that she hopes the nonprofit will be a constructive partner with developers and city leaders so that new housing and mixed-use projects respect the character and fabric of historic neighborhoods while meeting community needs. The Monday talk offers a chance to look closely at how earlier generations of advocacy shaped the city Pasadena residents recognize today — and at the harder questions about growth, density and identity now resurfacing.

“Historic Preservation: Then & Now” will run on Monday, May 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pasadena Heritage, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (626) 441-6333 or visit pasadenaheritage.org. Tickets: $10.