Old Highway 395 through Riverside was once dotted with roadside motels like the Sage & Sand, the Thunderbird and the Farm House. That last one was a red rustic ranch (complete with fiberglass horse and wagon) where each guest room was an intricately detailed miniature barn. The icon sat empty and forlorn for 20 years — until now. “It was vacant for a long time and became a target for vandalism and fires,” says preservation consultant Jennifer Mermilliod. “We’re doing a rehabilitation under the Secretary of the Interior’s standards. We’re embracing a new use with sensitive modifications.”
The 1953 landmark makes its big comeback this month, reopening as the Farm House Collective . The outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment experience in and around the restored neon sign and motel rooms includes a new craft beer garden; gelato stand; Filipino, sushi and Oaxacan restaurants (along with plant and record vendors); and live music in the courtyard. “They’ve built a large stage area meant to be a really flexible space. You can do anything there from a concert or speakers. You can have a town hall meeting or a holiday party.” A customized Airstream trailer will become a gift shop selling souvenirs and the whole experience will feel like a road trip you can walk through.
“We have envisioned a unique environment that would appeal to all,” owner Beverly Bailey wrote . “Our goal is to create a memory, a moment, a smile. By doing this, we have accomplished our dream.”
Countless legions of roadside motels have disappeared as they age and are poorly maintained, neighborhoods change, or they fall to corporate branding makeovers that strip them of the character that made them special in the first place. There are a handful of original survivors in greater L.A. The Beverly Laurel , Burbank’s Safari Inn , and the Saga in Pasadena really show off their 1950s pizazz while remaining a fun and affordable place for vacationers. The city of Los Angeles is currently considering the 65-year-old Hollywood Premiere Motel as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
But even on a national scale, only a previous few have had the good fortune of being reimagined in innovative new ways. The 1937 El Vado Motor Court on Route 66 in Albuquerque has been restored as motel rooms and groovy restaurants while Ferguson’s Motel in Las Vegas has become an indoor-outdoor art experience with a restored neon sign flanked by a 50-foot tall twisted tanker truck called “Big Rig Jig.”…