by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Claremont Heritage archivists Carina Arias and Sarah Mackey have spent months sifting through Garner House history for an exhibition up now at the Ginger Elliott Center celebrating the iconic structure’s 100th anniversary.

“It’s going to be a timeline of the history of the house,” Mackey said.

The show, up through June 3, includes images of the land that would become home to the Garner House and later Memorial Park, and of Claremont icons Herman and Bess Garner. It also showcases how the Garner House evolved from a private residence in 1926 to a community resource and home to Claremont Heritage and the Claremont Courier today.

“People of all ages were using this and they still are today,” Arias said.

Familiar and never seen photographs are part of the exhibit, as are historic documents. The most difficult aspect of assembling the show was deciding how to narrow down 100 years of history, Arias said.

“We’re like, ‘Okay, if you don’t know about the Garner house, what is a new and exciting thing you want to see?” Arias said. “It’s not just a house; again, it started off as a place where people, yes, they slept here and their family stayed here, ate here, all of that. But it’s a house that goes beyond the typical residential concept of a space.”

The exhibit also includes elements of the Spanish Colonial Revival style structure that have been lost to time, including a courtyard water fountain, trellis, and a three-story tower that served as playrooms for their children.

Guests can leave notes of their Garner House memories at the exhibit. “That would be kind of nice to have for our archives so that in the future, so people can understand what this house meant to the community,” Arias said. “It’s just a special place for people to get together and learn about their own history, share their history.”

The Garner House 100^th anniversary exhibit is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and by appointment on weekends at the Ginger Elliott Center, 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd., Claremont. More information is at claremontheritage.org/garnerhouse.html.