Woodland Hills Assembly Hall, Woodland Hills CA

by AudeSapere 28 Replies latest jw friends

  • AudeSapere
    AudeSapere

    I have a few questions regarding this property (Woodland Hills Assembly Hall, Woodland Hills CA).

    1. Rumor had it that Bob Hope built the building but there was insufficient parking to allow for 'worldly' concerts. True or False??

    2. What happened to the building?? I drove by there last week and there's nothing left.

    3. Where is the old circuit meeting now? Back in the late 80's there was rumor of building a new hall up by SantaClarita/Palmdale area but I'm out so long I have lost track.

    4. For many years George Kelly was the caretaker or something for the AH. Is he still around???

    Anyone up-to-date on this?

    -Aude.

  • zeroday
    zeroday

    It was built by Bob Hope don't know why it was sold to the JW's I do know they got a great deal on it. MY first assembly apparence was there describing my experience comming into the JW's in the 70's...The brother that studied with me was on the stage with me and he related his experience with his study then I was introduced to answer a few questions...Have not been back there since then so don't know what happened to it...

  • BlackPearl
    BlackPearl

    Wow! We went there for years when I was a kid. I was baptized there. When I was a kid, I always thought it would be fun to climb that building, it looked so easy because it was dome shaped. I had heard the same thing too, that Bob Hope had owned it before the Society bought it. Funny,...most of my childhood memories of assemblies seem to gravitate to that place. Working at the food counters, giving parts on the assemblies, etc...

    Well, they must have razed it. Gone for good.....

  • zeroday
    zeroday
    I always thought it would be fun to climb that building, it looked so easy because it was dome shaped.

    I was told that when it was built they mounded up dirt and poured concrete over it and then dug the dirt out to creat that dome...wow this is going way back...I was baptized at the Inglewood assembly in 1976 I think a year before my assembly experience there...

  • zeroday
    zeroday

    It also had a rotating stage that would turn so as to face the entire audience every few minutes...

  • ladylove
    ladylove

    I remember Woodland Hills, but have no Idea what happened to it. I was baptised at the Dodger Stadium when I was 13. do they still hold conventions their?

  • Warlock
    Warlock

    I'm pretty sure it was sold, as was the Leimert Theater.

    I loved that old theater.

    Warlock

  • Dagney
    Dagney

    Woodland Hills was sold quite a few years ago.

    A new double assembly hall was built, darn if I can remember the name, off the 10 that takes care of LA area and Valley.

    No assemblies at Dodger for around 10 years or so. (Man, I can't believe how much you forget when you are not involved.) All conventions are held in Long Beach, and will be for probably the next 15 years. The WBTS renovated the convention center in exchange for locking in the venue for like 20 years. (When they did this we all thought, "hmmm, long range plans...???")

  • Warlock
    Warlock
    The WBTS renovated the convention center in exchange for locking in the venue for like 20 years. (When they did this we all thought, "hmmm, long range plans...???")

    Yeah, there you go, and I was discouraged, as all of us were, to buy a house, to plan for retirement, to plan to live old enough to DIE in this 'system of things'.

    Even though a few elders and their children did otherwise, I was so blinded as to not see what they REALLY believed.

    What a dumbshit I was.

    Warlock

  • beksbks
    beksbks

    OMG, I remember the Woodland Hills assembly hall. It was a circular theater, so teens could walk around and around and around, hoping to see the teen girl/boy of interest. I may have been baptized there myself. That's bad, I don't remember where I was baptized. hmmm I think that would have been 1973.

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