Theosophical community in California, United States of America
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (November 2017)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
View a machine-translated version of the German article.
Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 9,031 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:Lomaland]]; see its history for attribution.
You should also add the template {{Translated|de|Lomaland}} to the talk page.
Lomaland was a Theosophical community located in Point Loma in San Diego, California from 1900 to 1942. Theosophical Society leader Katherine Tingley founded it in 1900 as a school, cultural center, and residential facility for her followers. The American headquarters of the Theosophical Society Pasadena was also situated there. The facility was important to the growing city of San Diego for its cultural offerings, and it left a lasting legacy in its campus (now Point Loma Nazarene University) which still retains many of the unique architectural features of the original Lomaland. The residents of Lomaland also transformed their Point Loma neighborhood by planting so many trees, orchards and shrubs that the formerly barren neighborhood is now known as the "Wooded Area".
Led by Katherine Tingley, the group came to Point Loma to establish a community that would model the philosophical and humanitarian goals of Theosophy. The "White City" envisioned by Tingley was to be located on the extreme western edge of the North American continent but oriented toward India, the spiritual center of Theosophical beliefs. The blend of new world confidence, Victorian morality, a love of antiquity, and Indian spirituality created a unique community that found its expression in architecture that is still visible on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University.
History of the Point Loma site
Laying of the cornerstone, February 23, 1897
Gottfried de Purucker visited Point Loma in 1894, and in 1896 he met Katherine Tingley in Geneva where he spoke about the place. In 1897 Tingley bought a piece of land at Point Loma, and in February 1897 she laid the first stone for a School for the Revival of the Lost Mysteries of Antiquity (SRLMA). In 1899 Tingley moved to Lomaland, and in 1900 Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society (UBTS) also established their headquarters there. Agricultural experimentation was essential to the Lomaland community's desire to be self-sufficient in all respects, and the group imported and tried many different types of plants and trees including avocados, oranges, and other fruit. Katherine Tingley's goal was to serve fresh fruits and vegetables at Lomaland every day of the year.
In summer 1900, the educational arm of Lomaland, a Raja yoga school, was opened up. In 1901 followed an open air Greek theatre, a temple, in 1914 a college, and by 1919 a theosophical university. Many other buildings were established including a hotel, a theatre, a textile factory, a joinery, a bakery, a publishing house, and more. Vegetable and fruit gardens were planted. Around 60 percent of the community was female, and notable for this time, the same percentage was also represented in executive positions.
Children at Raja Yoga Academy, Point Loma, 1911
"Raja Yoga" meant divine union, and the educational goals of the school involved not only the intellect, but also moral and spiritual development. The Raja Yoga Academy was a boarding school; over 300 students lived together in group homes that were known as "Lotus Houses." Children from poor families could go to school without paying any charges. The students also played classical dramas, as well as those of Shakespeare. Each student had to learn to play at least one instrument, so that after 1905 the first school orchestra of the United States could hold weekly concerts and go on tour.
A theosophical university was established in 1919. It offered courses in the humanities and in science, and was accredited by the state of California. In 1942 the university was relocated to Covina.
The publishing house changed its name several times, it was called The Theosophical publishing company, Aryan theosophical press, or Theosophical university press.
In 1942 Lomaland was sold, and the Theosophical Society moved to Covina, near Los Angeles.
Historic buildings
The Raja Yoga Academy and the Temple of Peace, c. 1915
At its height, the community consisted of at least five or six dozen buildings, some quite distinctive. By 1900, the campus was dominated by the imposing Academy Building and the adjoining Temple of Peace. Both buildings were constructed in the Theosophical vernacular that included a flattened arch motif and whimsical references to antiquity. The buildings were topped by amethyst domes, which were lighted at night and could be seen offshore. The entrance to the Temple of Peace was dominated by two massive carved doors that symbolized the Theosophical Principles of spiritual enlightenment and human potential. These doors are currently located in the archives of the San Diego Historical Society.[1] The sculptor, Reginald Machell, was educated in England, but moved to Lomaland with the community in 1899. The interior furnishings he carved for the Academy Building were influenced by the Symbolist style popular in Europe at that time. Machell also supervised the woodworking school at Point Loma. Agricultural experimentation was essential to the Lomaland community's desire to be self-sufficient in all respects.
Lomaland had public buildings for the entire community and several private homes. The home of Albert Spalding, the sporting goods tycoon, was built in 1901. The building combines late-Victorian wooden architecture with historical motifs such as the modified Corinthian column (now shaped like a papyrus leaf) and flattened arches. The amethyst dome was restored by a team of scholars led by Dr. Dwayne Little of the department of history and political science at Point Loma Nazarene University in 1983.
The first Greek theater in North America was built on this site in 1901. It was used for sporting events and theatrical performances. Tessellated pavement and stoa were added in 1909. The theatre was the site of a number of productions of Greek and Shakespearean dramas.
Cabrillo Hall, which served as the International Center Headquarters, and the Brotherhood Headquarters (also called "Wachere Crest" and "Laurel Crest"), was completed in 1909. It served as office for the Theosophical Society and as a residence for Katherine Tingley after 1909. It was originally located on the west side of Pepper Tree Lane but was moved in the early 2000's to the east side. Cabrillo Hall is currently the home of the Communication Studies department.
The reception area was housed in a rectangular building known as the Executive Building. This multi-purpose structure was originally located just southwest of the Academy Building. It served a variety of functions that included telephone and mail services; in 1908 it was used as a display center for the Woman's Exchange and Mart. The unusual truss design in the interior of the building emphasized the square and the circle, which were symbolic of heaven and earth.
After the Theosophical Society
Lomaland dissolved in the aftermath of the Great Depression of the 1930s and the death of Katherine Tingley in 1929. In 1942, the campus was sold to Coronado developer George W. Wood. The Theosophical Society staff and remaining students moved to Covina. Wood planned to use the buildings and site to create a 5,000 population housing district (after using the property for temporary war housing during World War II.) However, due to limitations in the property transfer agreement and the dangerous condition of many of the buildings on the site, he was allowed to move in only 300 patrons. After Wood died, Dwight Stanford helped purchase the property for the struggling Balboa University, a deal which was finalized on September 15, 1950.
Albert Goodwill Spalding was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised in Byron, Illinois, yet graduated from Rockford Central High School in Rockford, Illinois. He played major league baseball between 1871 and 1878. Spalding set a trend when he started wearing a baseball glove.
The Theosophical Society (Pasadena) is a branch of Theosophy based in Pasadena, California. It claims to be the successor organization to the original Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875 in New York City. Currently is the second largest Theosophical group in members and international reach after the Theosophical Society Adyar.
The United Lodge of Theosophists or ULT is an informal and wholly voluntary association of students of Theosophy. It was founded in 1909, mainly through the efforts of Robert Crosbie. The first parent lodge of the ULT was started in Los Angeles by Robert Crosbie and seven other associates through the adoption of its Declaration on February 18, 1909. Owing largely to the revival efforts of B.P. Wadia after Crosbie's death, there are currently about twenty active lodges spread all over the world. The ULT is considered to be part of the second generation or the third section of the Theosophical Movement started in 1875 by H.P. Blavatsky in New York. Presently, it is also one of the existing four main "branches" of the original Theosophical Movement. The following founding principles when taken as a whole, sets apart the ULT from the other Theosophical Organizations:
Robert Crosbie was a theosophist and founder of the United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT).
Katherine Augusta Westcott Tingley was a social worker and prominent Theosophist. She led the American Section of the Theosophical Society after W. Q. Judge. She founded and led the Theosophical community Lomaland in Point Loma, California.
Gottfried de Purucker was a Theosophist, author and leader of the Theosophical Society Pasadena from 1929-1942.
Cabrillo National Monument is at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California, United States. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event marked the first time a European expedition had set foot on what later became the West Coast of the United States. The site was designated as California Historical Landmark #56 in 1932. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) is a private Christian liberal arts college with its main campus on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego, California, United States. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college by the Church of the Nazarene.
Grace F. Knoche was leader of the Theosophical Society with international headquarters at Pasadena, California from 1971. The Society was founded in 1875 in New York City to promote universal brotherhood, the study of philosophy, religion, and science, and to investigate the powers innate in nature and man.
The Theosophical Society in America (Hargrove branch) was an organization that developed from the Theosophical Society in America.
The Theosophical Society Point Loma was based at the Theosophical community of Lomaland in the Point Loma district of San Diego, California from 1900 to 1942, and the international headquarters of a branch of the Theosophical Society from 1900 to 1942. It moved to Covina in Los Angeles County in 1942 and was the branch's international headquarters to 1945, when it moved to Pasadena, California and became the Theosophical Society Pasadena, the branch's current international headquarters.
The original Point Loma Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located on the Point Loma peninsula at the mouth of San Diego Bay in San Diego, California. It is situated in the Cabrillo National Monument. It is no longer in operation as a lighthouse but is open to the public as a museum. It is sometimes erroneously called the "Old Spanish Lighthouse", but in fact it was not built during San Diego's Spanish or Mexican eras; it was built in 1855 by the United States government after California's admission as a state.
Boris Mihailovich de Zirkoff was an American Theosophist, editor and writer.
Point Loma is a seaside community within the city of San Diego, California, United States. Geographically it is a hilly peninsula that is bordered on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, the east by the San Diego Bay and Old Town, and the north by the San Diego River. Together with the Silver Strand / Coronado peninsula, the Point Loma peninsula defines San Diego Bay and separates it from the Pacific Ocean. The term "Point Loma" is used to describe both the neighborhood and the peninsula.
Ron Benefiel was the eighth president of Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. His term as president was July 2000 – June 2011. Benefiel currently serves as the Dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego California.
The Wooded Area is a neighborhood within the community of Point Loma, San Diego, California. It encompasses the hilltop area south of Talbot Street on both sides of Catalina Boulevard; the area west of Catalina is also referred to as the College Area. The Wooded Area borders Naval Base Point Loma to the south, La Playa to the east, Roseville-Fleetridge to the north, and Sunset Cliffs and Point Loma Nazarene University to the west. The boundaries of the neighborhood are not universally agreed upon, with different maps showing different borders.
Rosecroft is a historic estate and gardens in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego, California. It was built in 1912 by architect Emmor Brooke Weaver for wealthy heiress Marion James Robinson, née Marion James Duncan (1873-1918), and her husband Alfred D. Robinson (1866-1942), a retired medical instrument merchant. Rosecroft is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Alfred D. Robinson (1866–1942) and his wife Marion James Robinson (1873–1919) were wealthy residents of San Diego, California known for their impact on gardening and the cultivation of flowers, particularly begonias. Their extensive home garden was used to propagate and develop more than 100 new varieties of ornamental flowers and was later opened to the public as Rosecroft Begonia Gardens. Rosecroft was the name of their estate in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego. The residence, built for them in 1912, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Judith Tyberg (1902–1980) was an American yogi ("Jyotipriya") and a renowned Sanskrit scholar and orientalist. Author of The Language of the Gods and two other texts on Sanskrit, she was the founder and guiding spirit of the East-West Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California, a major pioneering door through which now-celebrated Indian yogis and spiritual teachers of many Eastern and mystical traditions were first introduced to America and the West.
Sibyl Anikeef was an American photographer. She worked for the Federal Art Project, and lived variously in New York City, San Diego, Chicago, Carmel by the Sea, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. She is best known for her portrayal of the Monterey Peninsula and portraits of fisherman, still lives, and landscapes. She used various names including Sibyl Brainerd, and Sibyl Brainerd Freed.
Ashcraft, W. Michael, The Dawn of the New Cycle: Point Loma Theosophists and American Culture. The University of Tennessee Press, 2002.
Gafford, George N.: Odyssey of a Law School. Mountain N' Air Books, La Crescenta, CA, 2001.
Greenwalt, Emmett A.: California utopia, Point Loma, 1897–1942. Point Loma Publications, San Diego 1978
Greenwalt, Emmett A.: City of glass, the theosophical invasion of Point Loma. Cabrillo Historical Association, San Diego 1981
Greenwalt, Emmett A.: The Point Loma community in California, 1897–1942, a theosophical experiment. AMS Press, New York 1979; ISBN0-404-60068-9
Hine, Robert V. (1953). California's Utopian Colonies. San Marino, Calif.: Huntington Library. pp.33–54.
Streissguth, Thomas: Utopian visionaries. Oliver Press, Minneapolis 1999; ISBN1-881508-47-1
Whiting, Lilian: Katherine Tingley, theosophist and humanitarian. Aryan Theosophical Press, Point Loma 1919
Whiting, Lilian: Katherine Tingley und ihr Râja-Yoga-System der Erziehung. Buchhandlung für Universale Bruderschaft und Theosophie, Nürnberg o.J. (ca. 1920)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
