A Brief History of Historic Resources Group:

Historic Resources Group was established in 1989 as a multi-disciplinary practice devoted to Historic Preservation.  The founding partners were Christy McAvoy, an architectural historian and the firm's current managing principal, and William F. Delvac, a tax attorney.  Both individuals brought their established reputations in historic preservation to the firm.

Shortly after establishment of the firm, the partners and additional investors purchased their own piece of Hollywood history:  a unique, two-story bungalow court in the center of Hollywood, known as Whitley Court.  Built in 1918, the complex is a Los Angeles Cultural-Historic Monument and consists of four duplexes added to an original 1903 Victorian house on the property.  Whitley Court is still Historic Resources Group's home.

Historic Resources Group received awards and recognition for numerous projects from organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the California Preservation Foundation, the Los Angeles Conservancy, the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Architects California Council and Los Angeles Chapter, and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission.

In January 1994, the Northridge Earthquake struck the Los Angeles region.  To expedite the review of conditions and repair of older and historic structures, the California State Office of Historic Preservation (SHPO) took the unprecedented step of appointing a representative to assist in this monumental task.  Christy McAvoy was appointed as SHPO representative, and Historic Resources Group expanded to accommodate the review and repair of over 2,000 buildings and structures on behalf of the State Office.

Involvement in national, state, and local preservation organizations keeps Historic Resources Group at the cutting edge of preservation and has allowed the firm's members to more widely use their talents and expertise.  Christy McAvoy has served as a California Advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a board member of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (appointed by the Secretary of the Interior), president of the California Preservation Foundation, and president of the Los Angeles Conservancy.  Peyton Hall was Chair of the Board of Pasadena Heritage and is a Trustee of the California Preservation Foundation.  Andrea Humberger has served as the president of the Glendale Historical Society and on the boards of the Alex Regional Theatre Board, and the Alex Film Society.  Other members of the staff are frequent volunteers and have served on the boards of the Society of Architectural Historians Southern California Chapter and Highland Park Heritage Trust.

The need to streamline governmental review for housing and community projects brought Historic Resources Group into an experiment with the Los Angeles Housing Department, Los Angeles Community Development Department, the California State Office of Historic Preservation, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1994.  These entities jointly established programmatic review process to expedite the review of projects receiving federal funding and requiring review under Section 106 of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act.  As the City's historic preservation consultant, Historic Resources Group has conducted Section 106 review for the City of Los Angeles since the Programmatic Agreements implementation in 1995.

The ownership and management of Historic Resources Group expanded to four principals in 1995.  Long-time staff member, Andrea.Humberger, a project manager with a background in history, and Peyton Hall, a preservation architect, became partners in the firm.  Their addition reflected the firm's growing size and complexity.  Shortly thereafter, William Delvac left the firm to pursue an interest in land use and environmental law.  The three remaining partners then formed the current limited liability company.

The Fox Studio project was one of the first of many projects that put the firm's combined talents to use.  A historic studio plant in Los Angeles, Fox Studios was preparing for a major rehabilitation and expansion of their facility in 1991.  The need to integrate historic preservation into the planning process was recognized at the outset.  The Studio called upon Historic Resources Group to provide expertise in preservation planning, design guidelines for new and historic construction, environmental review, and community outreach through the duration of the project.

Educational efforts have always been important to individual staff members and the firm as a whole.  In 1989, Historic Resources Group became involved in heritage education efforts aimed at children and their parents during the "Live on Hollywood" promotional effort and helped produce a children's activity book for the reopening of historic Angels Flight, "the World's Shortest Railway," in downtown Los Angeles.  Historic Resources Group staff also participate in tours for the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Highland Park Heritage Trust, Pasadena Heritage, and the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Chapter.  We have produced architectural tours for the Getty Conservation Institute, the Society of Architectural Historians, Fox Studios, and the Society for Decorative Arts.  The firm's principals and staff regularly teach classes at the University of Southern California and various other area universities in historic preservation and architectural history.

Affordable housing and historic preservation are natural partners in Los Angeles.  Historic Resources Group has worked with many developers to coordinate federal affordable housing and historic preservation tax credits.  Projects in the Los Angeles area, such as the Mary Andrews Clark Home, the Pasadena YMCA, Euclid Villa, St. Andrews Bungalow Court, the Halifax Apartments, and the Bryson Apartments, have provided affordable and beautiful housing for individuals and families while renewing important landmarks.

Historic Resources Group assisted the Gamble House in obtaining a Getty Project Preparation Grant to write a Historic Structure Report for the property in 1998.

Building on experience gained in the post-earthquake rehabilitation of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Historic Resources Group completed an award-winning Historic Structure Report for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  Both stadiums are National Historic Landmarks.  The document tried new technologies for cataloguing features, including an illustrated database of alterations to the site and treatment methods for materials found in the structure.

Historic Resources Group, along with other national experts from Project Management Advisors, Inc. and Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi, were selected to prepare a Cultural Heritage Masterplan for the City of Los Angeles.  This ambitious project included community meetings, analysis of existing policies and comparable programs nationwide, and the identification of policies, goals, and objectives for how the City should manage the preservation and interpretation of its historic and cultural resources in the coming decades.

Historic Resources Group completed historic preservation general plan elements for the cities of West Hollywood, Anaheim, and Glendora, California through a collaborative process involving city councils, historic commissions, planning staff, and citizens.

In 1999, Historic Resources Group celebrated its tenth anniversary.  It was reported at this time that the firm was involved in over 200 client projects during that ten year period.