The Watts Towers of Simon Rodia

     A stunning piece of art, The Watts Towers of Simon Rodia in south Los Angeles is an aesthetic and architectural gem. Locals refer to the Towers as “Nuestro Pueblo,” or “Our Town” in English, a name given by its creator Simon Rodia. Rodia was born around 1879, in Italy, and migrated to the US in the 1890s. Although illiterate, Rodia was fascinated by Marco Polo travels and Leonardo Da Vinci artwork. 

http://www.wattstowers.us 

     Today, The Watts Towers are registered as a National Historic Landmark. Public tours are offered Thursday- Sunday for $7. Our tour and exploration of this unique place begins on a warm and beautiful Sunday morning. 

      In 1921, Rodia purchased a triangle shape lot that measured 1/10th of an acre in Watts.  Immediately after his purchase, construction on The Towers began from 1921 to 1955.  The Towers were hand made from structural steel and covered in mortar; machinery was never used. Each Tower was decorated with broken glass bottles, mosaic tiles, shells, plates, rocks, and pottery. Surprisingly, the structure resembles a ship and many believe Rodia is paying homage to Marco Polo’s ship.

    “The Watts Towers consist of 17 major sculptural forms and is the largest folk art structure in the world constructed by one individual,” tour guide Lucy De La Tore said. “The tallest of the three main towers in 99 ½ feet tall and contains the longest slender reinforced concrete column in the world.” 

     Rodia worked on these towers for over 33 years. At age 75, Rodia gave away his property to a neighbor and moved to Martinez, Calif. A decade later, in 1965 Rodia died. Many architects believe he was a true genius. Check out this cool video. 

      Yearly, The Towers’ welcome thousands of students from Southern California for field trips. This historic site also has a courtyard for children to play in and relax. The Cultural Affairs Department through The Watts Towers organizes two must see annual events: Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival and The Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival. 

http://wattstowers.org/Calendar_of_Events.php

      After today The Watts Towers became my favorite historic site in L.A. After learning its rich history, this fantastic site was worth every penny. Rodia once said, “I had in mind to do something big and I did it.” This quote concludes my tour—simply magnificent!