You’re Invited to a Public Tour of the Dr. Smith House, Victorian-Era Jewel of Garvanza

Like Victorian melodrama, Victorian houses are larger than life. Born during the Industrial Revolution, they are products of materials and technologies that had never been seen before the 19th century.

As architecture buffs well know, Garvanza is home to some stunning Victorians. Among the most historic of them is the so-called Dr. Smith House. Built in 1886, it belonged to John Lawrence Smith, a physician and horticulturist who was "way ahead of his time in bringing organics and aesthetics into home gardening," according to Garvanza artist and activist Tina G. Miller.

Coincidentally, Dr. Smith also happened to be the founder of the Garvanza Improvement Association. In the decades since he died, the house fell into disrepair. In fact, the property was so overrun with weeds at point that it came to be referred to as the Jungle House.

The good news is that the Dr. Smith House has gotten a complete makeover over the past year. And the Garvanza Improvement Association, along with the office of Councilmember José Huizar, has a big hand in it. Both worked closely to transfer ownership of the house in 2012 from the Dr. Smith family to the current owners, Brad and Wendy Chambers.

The couple is so proud of the extensive renovation and landscaping they’ve done to the main house and property once owned by the founder of the GIA that they’ve opened it to the public for a guided tour today, Saturday, Nov. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to Miller.

The Dr. Smith House is located at 120 N. Avenue 63, on the corner of Garvanza Avenue. Click here to read more about it on its Facebook page.

And while you're in the area, Miller encourages you to saunter down the street to Judson Studios. The founder of Judson Studios, William Lees Judson, and Dr. Smith were "neighbors and strong advocates of community and the arts," says Miller.

Click here to read about how the Judson Studios, under the leadership of William Lees Judson's great-great-grandson David, is helping restore the windows of the former Masonic Temple building on Figueroa Street, which has been leased by Councilmember Gil Cedillo as his CD 1 field office.