The history of the land
The Groves community site is the former Whittier State School, the oldest State School for juvenile offenders in the State of California. In 1941 the name was changed to Fred C. Nelles School in memory of its Superintendent of 1912 to 1927. Under his leadership, innovative programs were initiated, the first psychiatrists and psychologists were introduced, clinical programs were initiated.
Designated a California State Historical Landmark in 1983, the institution remained in continuous operation for 113 years until its closure in 2004.
Architectural Reuse
Three existing buildings built in the 1920s and 1930s will be restored and repurposed into productive re-use as part of the retail and residential areas.
Whittier's beginnings
The City of Whittier was named after Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier in 1898. The community's early prosperity tied to its agriculture and citrus and walnut crops were the community's main economic base and chief employer. Agricultural settlement coincided with the extension of the Southern Pacific Railroad's first spur in 1887, and with its availability, Whittier's first commercial and industrial enterprises were established and the community began to flourish.
For more historical information visit: www.fredcnelles.com
Football team circa 1918 - 1921
Through the athletic program, wards could learn teamwork, good sportsmanship, and honesty, which was thought to contribute to their development as useful citizens.
Our agricultural roots
When the Whittier State School was founded in the late 1800s, agriculture was an integral component, both for instruction of the wards and to provide the majority of food supplies for the institution. It's estimated that at one point the land included about 55 acres of citrus fruit, 20 acres of walnuts, 30 acres of vegetable garden and a deciduous orchard of about 350 trees and occupying about 25 acres.
Whittier’s Beginnings
The successful conveyance of water into the community in 1890 along with the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroads, provided the infrastructure necessary for Whittier to thrive into the 20th Century.