By Justin HAGER

After decades of planning and an unwanted visitor knocking on the door in the form of the 2009 Station Fire, the City of Glendale will finally host the grand opening of the Stone Barn Nature Center this weekend. On Saturday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a celebration more than a century in the making will culminate in festivities that include community booths, a climbing wall, educational content, a gift shop and tours of the newly renovated Le Mesnager barn – the interior of which has been closed to the public for decades.

The history of the stone barn dates to 1898 when the property was acquired by George Le Mesnager, a French emigrant and prominent Los Angeles vintner, from Dr. Benjamin Briggs, the founder of La Crescenta. Between 1914 and 1918, George’s son Louis constructed the original stone barn and shed along with several other buildings that no longer exist. They were used for storing equipment and grapes until 1920, when Prohibition ended the winemaking industry and forced the Le Mesnagers into the water industry. Then in November 1933, just one month before Prohibition ended, a massive fire swept the hillside area, damaging the barn and destroying its roof, the shed, winemaking equipment and most of the smaller outbuildings. The fire was followed by significant flooding that led to construction in 1934-35 of the County dam and debris basin adjacent to the site.

The barn was rebuilt with a new arch roof and residential quarters on the upper floor. An architecturally unique and relatively rare two-story vernacular structure, the barn was where the Le Mesnager family moved in 1937, living there until 1960. At that time the property passed to a developer who intended to construct homes on the 700 acres of land.

While the developer was making plans, the property was leased to a horse stable operation leading to fond memories for many local residents who rented horses or trained for equestrian competitions on the site. The development plans eventually fell apart due to community opposition, allowing the City of Glendale to purchase the site in 1988 and rename it Deukmejian Wilderness Park, in honor of California Governor George Deukmejian, who donated the final $2 million for the project. Despite its value to local historians, it is not included in any register of historic places except that of the City of Glendale.

Since then, the park has continued to evolve and now includes picnic areas, hiking trails and even a demonstration vineyard that harks back to the original vision of the Le Mesnagers. However, the stone barn remained neglected, unused and closed to the public. Fortunately, though, while the interior may have been out of sight it was not out of mind and, thanks to the tireless efforts of the late Marc Stirdivant, the barn doors are ready to swing open for a new chapter in history.

As Susan Bolan recently wrote in her CV Weekly column Views from the Valley, “I can’t tell you how many meetings I attended over the years when someone said, ‘It’s coming.’ And now it has finally arrived.”

New features include interactive maps and information on hiking and recreational activities, wildlife exhibits, laboratories for studying insects and plant life, and historic video reenactments that demonstrate the daily life of the Le Mesnager family, their winery and living at the intersection of the a modern city and an ancient mountainous forest.

Deukmejian Wilderness Park is located at 3429 Markridge Road, between Dunsmore and New York avenues. All visitors on Saturday must park on Markridge or other neighborhood streets; a shuttle will transport visitors from the entrance on Markridge to the barn for the grand opening with festivities kicking off at 11 a.m. and continuing until 1 p.m.

For more information, call (818) 548-3813 or email nmower@glendale.ca.gov.