Herbert Heron (writer)
Herbert Heron | |
|---|---|
 Herbert Heron playing in Romeo and Juliet at the Forest Theater | |
| 9th and 13th Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea | |
| In office 1930–1932 | |
| Preceded by | Ross E. Bonham |
| Succeeded by | John C. Catlin |
| In office 1938–1940 | |
| Preceded by | Everett Smith |
| Succeeded by | Keith Evans |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Herbert Heron Peet October 26, 1883 Englewood, New Jersey, US |
| Died | January 7, 1968 (aged 84) Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, US |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Occupation | Writer, actor, poet |
Herbert "Bert" Heron (October 26, 1883 – January 7, 1968) was an American writer, actor, and poet. Heron is best known for founding the Forest Theater in 1910. He was the former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for two terms in the 1920s. He lived in Carmel for 62 years.[1]
Early life[edit]
Heron was born, as Herbert Heron Peet, on September 9, 1868, in Englewood, New Jersey. His parents were Gilead Smith Peet (1847-1885) and Jeannie Spring (1843-1921). He came from a background of writers and dramatists. On July 17, 1911, he changed his name to Herbert Heron in Superior Court because he wrote and was known under that name.[2]
Career[edit]
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Heron grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Harvard Military School in 1901. He attended Stanford University but left to go on the stage. He joined the Belasco Stock Company, the Crawley-Meatayer Company, and the Morosco Stock Company in southern California. This experience taught him how to work on the stage and be a Shakespearean actor.[3][4]
He married Sara Opal Piontkowski Heron Search in 1905, the daughter of a Polish Count.[3] In 1908, Heron, his wife and daughter, came to the art colony at Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where he built a home and was among the earliest writers.[3]
In 1910, Heron approached James Franklin Devendorf, co-founder of the Carmel Development Company, to purchase a lot for an outdoor theater.[4] By February 1910, construction began on what would be called the Forest Theater with a platform stage and wooded benches. Devendorf paid the expenses knowing it would be good for Carmel. There was no electricity at the theater, so Heron used calcium floodlights that were brought by covered wagon from Monterey to light the stage.[4][5]
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On July 9, 1910, Heron put on the first of the annual theatrical productions at the Forest Theater. It was David, a biblical drama by Constance Lindsay Skinner under the direction of Garnet Holme of UC Berkeley. Heron was in the title role as David and writer Alice MacGowan as Astar.[6][5][7] The play was reviewed in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, and was reported that over 1,000 theatergoers attended the production.[8] The second play was the Twelfth Night, on July 3 and 4, 1911. Heron played the character Feste. He was part of the cultural circle that included Jack London, George Sterling, James Hopper, and Mary Hunter Austin, Alice MacGowan, and Sinclair Lewis.[7] In 1911, Heron directed the play The Land of Heart's Desire at the Forest Theater. It was a play written by playwright W. B. Yeats.[9]
In 1918, Heron opened the first Seven Arts bookstore, selling books, art materials, poetry, and antiques near the Forest Theater. In 1923, Heron commissioned Michael J. Murphy to build the Seven Arts Shop for him and in partnership with Helena Conger at a new located on Ocean Avenue and Monte Verde Street, next to Edward G. Kuster's Carmel Weavers Studio.[10] In 1924, Heron maaried Conger.[3]
In 1925, he hired architect Albert B. Coats and builder Percy Parkes to build the Tudor Revival style building called the Seven Arts Building, located on Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Street. The building is now the Carmel Bay Company.[10] The building accommodated several art organizations, including the Carmel Art Association, and the studio of photographer Edward Weston.[11][12]
In 1916, Heron left Carmel with his wife and children for Los Agneles to be a diretor of the Little Theatre at the request of producer Aline Barnsdall. Following his return to Carmel, he and his wife seperaed, ventually leading to their divorced.[3]
In the late 1920s, Heron, concerned about Carmel being commercialized, he entered city politics. He was elected to city council and served twice as mayor of Carmel. He was on Carmel's first planning commission.[13]
In 1960, Heron finished his 50th year with the Forest Theater with his play, Pharaoh. By 1963, the theater had shown over 140 plays.[13]
Death[edit]
Heron died on January 7, 1968, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, at age 84. Funeral services were private and held in the Little Chapel By the Sea in Pacific Grove, California.[1]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Herbert Heron Former Carmel Mayor, Dies". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. 8 Jan 1968. p. 22. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Change of Name Is Asked By Author". The Californian. Salinas, California. 17 Jul 1911. p. 8. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Watkins, Rolin G.; Hoyle, Millard F. (1925). History of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties, California: Biographical. Illinois: S.J. Clarke. pp. 199–200. Retrieved 2024-01-28. Search this book on
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Rose McClendon (June 12, 1963). "History of the Forest Theater". Forest Theater Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Edwards, Robert W. (2012). "Chapter Two – Western Frontiers: Birth of the Carmel Art Colony (1896-1909)". Jennie V. Cannon: The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies, Vol. 1 (PDF). Oakland, Calif.: East Bay Heritage Project. p. 39. ISBN 9781467545679. Search this book on .
- ↑ Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-by-the-sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia. pp. 56, 82, 88. ISBN 9780738531229. Retrieved 2022-03-16. Search this book on
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Forest Theater Plays". Harrison Memorial Library. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. July 9, 1910. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- ↑ "Poet Walks With Plumber In Play". he San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. 10 Jul 1910. p. 39. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- ↑ "Fairy Play In Forest Theater. The Land of Heart's Desire Is Given by the Carmel Club". The San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. 24 Sep 1911. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dramov, Alissandra (2019). Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. Arcadia. pp. 38, 73, 74, 77. ISBN 9781467103039. Search this book on
- ↑ "About Us". Carmel Bay Company. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- ↑ Kent L. Seavey (January 31, 2003). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Herbert Heron Collection" (PDF). Harrison Memorial Library. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Herbert Heron. |
- Herbert Heron Interview by George Robinson
- Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey
- Herbert Heron's 1903 Diary
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