Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve near Los Gatos in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Marian Shrine

Built c.1936

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 1, 2024

1. The Marian Shrine Marker

Inscription. This structure once shaded a statue of the Virgin Mary. A second shrine near Upper Lake honored St. Joseph, patron saint of Italian - including many of the immigrants who built Alma College.

Held up only by vines, the structure leaned dramatically and the old roof was rotting away prior to rehabilitation in 2022.

Erected 2023 by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas • Religion & Religious Structures.

Location. 37° 10.921′ N, 122° 0.13′ W. Marker is near Los Gatos, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. It can be reached from Bear Creek Road south of Mellotts Road, on the left when traveling south. The resin marker is mounted in a metal frame along the walking trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Los Gatos CA 95033, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Alma College Original Library (within shouting distance of this marker); Millionaires transformed this place into a land of luxury (within shouting distance of this marker); Alma College Library Foundation (within shouting distance

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of this marker); Remnant of the Alma College Classroom (within shouting distance of this marker); Courtyard Fountain (within shouting distance of this marker); Tevis’ Mansion, Lost to Fire (within shouting distance of this marker); From Rec Room to a Place of Prayer (within shouting distance of this marker); Men Become Priests at Alma College (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Gatos.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Alma College

Also see . . . Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve

"Prevented from becoming a golf course and country club with luxury residences by a coalition of environmental activists, the land was far from pristine. It was extensively logged in the mid-1800s and briefly became a fish farm before being developed into a massive self-sufficient estate that passed between a couple of California's wealthiest families. The Catholic order of the Society of Jesus later repurposed the estate buildings to open Alma College, a theologate to train Jesuit priests."

The Marian Shrine and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 1, 2024

2. The Marian Shrine and Marker

(Submitted on May 20, 2024, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2024, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 218 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 20, 2024, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.