Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
London Nelson Community Center
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, August 27, 2022
1. London Nelson Community Center Marker
1930
London Nelson Community Center
William Weeks, Architect
Laurel Street School, 1931-1974
Louden Nelson Center, 1979-2021
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
Erected by Santa Cruz County Museum of Art & History.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.
Location. 36° 58.155′ N, 122° 1.653′ W. Marker is in Santa Cruz, California, in Santa Cruz County. Marker is on Center Street near Laurel Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is mounted to the right of the front door. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 Center Street, Santa Cruz CA 95060, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 411 Cedar Street (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Matilda Dreher Home (about 500 feet away); Progressive Baptist Church (about 700 feet away); Progressive Baptist Hall & Parsonage (about 800 feet away); Hexagon House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Blackburn House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cope House (approx. 0.2 miles away); German-Methodist Parsonage (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Santa Cruz.
Related markers.
this page online
Also see . . . How a man born into slavery became one of Santa Cruz’s most famous philanthropists.
"Details of London Nelson’s life are scant, and not a photograph or likeness remains. But a portrait emerges from historical accounts of a smart and resourceful man who was trusted and liked by adults and children alike, and who quickly joined in community and commercial life in his adopted town, going door-to-door selling produce grown on a plot by the river near what is now Downtown Santa Cruz."(Submitted on September 6, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)
Additional commentary.
1. Santa Cruz Historic Building Survey, Volume II, May 1989, Page 14
”301 Center Street, Louden Nelson Community Center, Spanish Colonial Revival, 1929, John J. Donovan
A highly successful use of Spanish Colonial detailing in a school building. Adapted for reuse as a community building, the colorful structure is very appealing. The carved and brightly painted trusswork in the auditorium is particularly noteworthy.
— Submitted September 6, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, 
California.
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, August 27, 2022
2. London Nelson Community Center
Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 6, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
