Walking through downtown Riverside, past century-old buildings and preserved districts, there was a distinct realization that these structures were more than just relics of the past—they were the heart of the city’s identity. But keeping them intact was no small feat.
Scott Watson, Riverside’s historic preservation officer, played a key role in ensuring these landmarks stood the test of time.
“I think it’s important to understand that the city, in my role as a preservation officer, we’re not actually out doing the work of the preservation, right?” Watson said. “We’re reviewing the work and making sure we’re going through the process of creating those landmarks, identifying them, taking them to the Cultural Heritage Board for review and approval.”
However, maintaining historic sites wasn’t just a matter of bureaucracy. The biggest challenge, according to Watson, was getting community buy-in.
“You have the property owners who own the historic properties. Some feel that they want to—you know, are absolutely proud to own a city landmark. Some are happy to maintain it. Others, when you’re talking to a home within a historic district, they may not necessarily see that their property is historic,” Watson said.
Riverside’s Title 20 historic preservation code outlined what qualified a site as a landmark, with criteria ranging from architectural significance to notable historical figures associated with a structure. Some landmarks, such as the Mission Inn—the city’s first designated landmark—were well known, but others, like the Chinatown archaeological site, preserved lesser-known but equally vital stories.
“So the way that we work, and my department works… we work a lot more based off of applications. We don’t actually create the projects. For the most part, we review them,” Watson explained.
Recently, his team reviewed the rehabilitation of the Cesar Chavez Center, a city landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places. “Through that rehabilitation process, they had to go to the Cultural Heritage Board for review of their proposed modifications.”
Dave Stilts, an advocate for historic preservation in Riverside and president of Old Riverside, echoed Watson’s thoughts about the importance of education.
“Different people would give you different answers, but in my opinion, it’s awareness and kind of fighting against the cultural tide that values something new and shiny versus something that has a history,” Stilts said. “I believe that if people understood what makes these places so special and understood their value, they might feel more inclined to protect them.”
For Stilts, Riverside’s architecture was central to its character. “Culturally? I think our historic architecture, particularly in [the] downtown historic core, really helps define Riverside as a place,” he said. “A place that has a soul and has a history that we can talk about and share and is special.”
Watson agreed that preservation wasn’t about stopping progress but guiding it.
“Our job is not to stop change. It’s to help guide and direct change,” Watson emphasized. “It’s not about putting a glass bubble over things and preventing change. It’s how do we guide that change in a manner that’s respectful of history?”
Looking around Riverside, it was clear that historic properties created the city’s soul. Whether it was the iconic Mission Inn, the parent navel orange tree that shaped the citrus industry, or the structures that housed the stories of immigrant communities, these landmarks reminded people of the city’s roots.
There was hope as Riverside continued to embrace its past, ensuring that future generations would walk these same streets surrounded by the echoes of history.
