Bembridge House

I went on a field trip with Wyatt's class to the Bembridge House last week. It is one of the oldest houses in Long Beach. Dorothy Bembridge moved in there as a little girl in 1919 and lived there till she died in 1999. Basically nothing had changed in those 80 years, no new furniture or remodeling, so the house it a perfect time capsule. The docents even found Dorothy's doll house and dishes in perfect shape in the attic. Unfortunately the neighborhood around the home has changed. The docents were telling us that in the late 30s there was not enough housing for the people working at Naval Shipyard, so all the mansion homes in this area became boarding houses. I am guessing that is what started the down-turn in the neighborhood. Still, being there you could see what a beautiful place it would have been when it was built. The home is on a knoll overlooking a park and before the flood control channels were built the Los Angeles River also ran in front of the house. The ocean was also a few blocks away. It is open for tours for anyone interested.