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Lothlorien
Map
General information
Location2405 and 2415 Prospect Street, Southside, Berkeley, California 94704
Coordinates37°52′4″N 122°14′58″W / 37.86778°N 122.24944°W / 37.86778; -122.24944
CategoryStudent housing cooperative
Population58
No. of units14 Singles - 15 Doubles - 2 Triples - 2 Quads
Constructed1883 and 1920
Other information
Governing
body		Berkeley Student Cooperative

Currently known by residents as "Loth," Lothlorien is a cooperative house consisting of two former mansions built next to the University of California, Berkeley, located on 2405 and 2415 Prospect Street. Like Kingman Hall, Casa Zimbabwa and Cloyne Court Hotel it is one of the most well known houses in the Berkeley Student Cooperative system. Both buildings are considered to be significant for their architecture and location, as well as history of its residents. With North House built in the 19th century for George Hebard Maxwell, one of the initial water rights advocates in the United States. Beginning in 1910s both mansions were converted into group homes, hosting multiple fraternity and sorority organizations. In the early 1970s both became home to the One World Family Commune cult that practiced a New Age, UFO centered religion. In 1975 the complex was sold to Berkeley Student Cooperative to become Lothlorien the vegetarian themed house. Lothlorien has retained some principles of the previous residents - a communal culture that emphasizes vegetarianism and artistic creativity and rejecting individualism and conservative social norms. It is known for progressive activism and is considered to be one of the flagships of the organization.

History 1883 to 1972

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Maxwell House 1895
 
Galpin mansion 1909

The North House on 2405 Prospect Street, was built in 1883, and designed by Clinton Day, a prominent Bay Area architect, who designed the City of Paris building in San Francisco, and Architectural Building and Metallurgical Laboratory at UC Berkeley.[1][2][3] Known as the Maxwell House it was originally built on the intersection of Channing Street and Piedmont Way, a California Historical and Berkeley Heritage Landmark, built by Frederic Law Olmstead and considered a prototype for his parkway.[4][5] The house was built for George Hebard Maxwell, at the time a young lawyer and an up and coming Republican Party organizer.[3][6][7] Who took on water access cases for small agricultural land owners, and became a recognized public proponent of water reclamation and communal irrigation projects and later became the co-author the National Reclamation Act.[8][9] The house was sold by the Maxwell family in 1903 and moved two blocks up to Prospect Street sometime before 1909.[10] The North House is one of three remaining 19th century houses built on Piedmont Avenue.[11] The South House on 2415 Prospect Avenue was built in 1906 for an established lawyer Phillip G. Galpin.[3]

With the completion of Memorial Stadium in 1923 and the International House in 1929, the Piedmont Avenue neighborhood transferred from one of quiet, expensive mansions into Berkeley's student-oriented home for Greek Life with numerous fraternity and sorority houses.[12] Both houses served as homes to often boisetrous Greek organizations and student dormitories until 1960s.[n 1][n 2] During this period both houses became property of a single owner and now share a common courtyard.[22]

One World Family Commune

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In early 1973 the two properties were rented by the One World Family Commune (OWFC), a UFO and Christianity based new religious movement, considered by some to be a cult, and led by Allen Noonan.[23][24] A New Age, hippie community, it was largely composed of young people, rejecting of capitalism and western religion, and instead centering on artistic expression and a closer connection to nature through macrobiotic diet and psychedelics, embracing communal living and non-monogamous relationships.[25][26] It was formed in 1967 in San Francisco by Allen Noonan, a 51 year old year old artist and UFO enthusiast. He opened the first vegetarian restaurant in the city, completely operated by the commune's members.[27][28] Following a brief stop in Marin County the main branch relocated to Berkeley.[29] In 1970, it opened the One World Family Natural Foods and Entertainment Center was located in a large building on Telegraph Avenue and Haste Street in Southside part of Berkeley.[30][31][n 3]

That year, OFWC rented the former residence of Acacia fraternity on Piedmont Avenue, this was followed by another move, and by early 1973 the OWFC settled at North and South houses, its final Berkeley location.[34] The commune wasIn early 1973 moved to the North and South houses, its final Berkeley location.[35][36] The houses were named Novida and Altamira and were home to 55 adults and 25 children.[36] Centered on artistic expression, members performed at home and in public, part of the natural foods and entertainment center was "Far Outs" an airbrushed clothing store and OFWC bands often performed at public venues.[35] While on Prospect, a group of members including their leader, began practicing Natural Selection a tantric yoga group sexual activity. One of the members stated that: "We could see the benefit of going beyond the mortal-minded status quo programming in order to provide for one another the health benefits in exchanging hormones and energies in right sexing and the accompanying increased telepathic communication, while at the same time ridding ourselves of false programming of shame, guilt, jealousy and possessiveness."[37][38] By 1975 OFWC began decreasing in size and due to financial struggle and the two houses being sold to Berkeley Student Cooperative, the commune relocated to a a twelve bedroom mansion in Stockton.[39][40]

Lothlorien

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Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) bought both houses the summer of 1975, and opened Lothlorien as vegetarian themed co-op that fall.[22][40] Residents refer to themselves as elves after the elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy book The Lord of the Rings, who inhabit Lothlórien.[41][42] Although there was no connection, organization or member wise, between BSC and One World Family Commune, Lothloriens retained some key principles of OWFC.[n 4] From Spring 2001, Communities: Life in Cooperative Culture:

The commune's story always piques our collective imagination, perhaps because we seem to share more than a little in common: for example, we're a vegetarian house; they ran a vegetarian restaurant on Telegraph Avenue. They were a community with a mystical philosophy and some supposedly wild gatherings; we're also a community with uncommon, if disparate, beliefs, and some decidedly uninhibited gatherings.[41][n 5]

Like OWFC Lothlorien is known for its rejection of conservative social norms.[43][39] Customs with elements of folklore and mythology are part of Lothlorien culture,[n 6][n 7] with new members being encouraged to go through an annual ritual of initiation.[41]

Because Lothlorien is a Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) vegetarian themed house, all house-bought food is vegetarian and house bylaws prohibit preparation, storage, or consumption of meat in common space.[45][46] Many residents of Lothlorien are vegetarians and vegans, but type of diet is not a condition of residence.[47] Collaboration and community living are emphasized, it is the only BSC house to make decisions by Quaker based consensus, rather than majority vote.[48] House council meets weekly, and usually consists coordinator reports and proposals such as budget expenditures. Proposals are adopted when all those present at council come to consensus on the issue, a member can raise a major objection meaning that they are considering moving out if the proposal is adopted.[49] Raising the objection results in denial of the proposal.[49]

Political activism and environmental concern is one of the main themes of the Lothlorien community.[48][50] Often, members major in different fields of environmental science and/or actively participate in protests.[51] Lothloriens joined other activists in the university oak grove controversy, where a tree sitting near the Memorial Stadium lasted from December 2006 to September 2008.[52][53][54] Lothlorien also organized and passed a UC Berkeley referendum creating an annual $100,000 fund for green initiatives at the university.[52]

Killing of 'Bibi' Lee

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Main article: Killing of Roberta 'Bibi' Lee

In 1984 Lothlorien, Roberta 'Bibi' Lee, a former Lothlorien disappeared while jogging in Oakland hills with two Lothloriens, one of whom was her boyfriend Bradley Page.[55][56] At this time Bibi and Page were undergoing a stressful period in their relationship. During the jog, Bibi separated from the two Lothloriens and never arrived at the end point. The two walked back to the parking lot, but could not find her. Alone, Bibi's boyfriend drove along path to look for her, coming back approximately twenty minutes later.[57] Even though they were unable to find her the two drove back to Lothlorian. Later that day Page and several housemates went on a pre-planned to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. He reported her missing the next day. [58]

The trail was searched extensively by the police and volunteers, and several days later someone reported seeing her on the side of the road forced into a van by a heavy set man.[59][60] Berkeley and Oakland Police departments along with the FBI became involved in the case.[61] At the same time, Page, Bibi's friends and other Lothloriens set up Treehaven a command center for a coordinated search, more than 2,000 volunteers participated with approximately 3 million flyers distributed along the west coast.[62][63] Five weeks after her disappearance, Bibi's body was found close to where she was last seen.[58][64] Page was interviewed by the police, and admitted to killing her during a struggle after finding her. He further admitted to going back the same night and having sex with her corpse. An hour and half after his admission, he took back his statements claiming that he imagined the events due to stress.[58][64] Page was arrested, with almost all of Lothloriens refusing to believe he was guilty.[65][66] Page's an initial 1986 trial ended in mistrial due to a hung jury, and in 1988 he was retried and convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six years, he was released on parole in 1995 after serving two and a half years.[67]

Over the years Bibi's death has been has been integrated into Lothlorien folklore. The narrow room that she lived in, on the top floor of one of the houses, it is now known as the "Spirit Room" with the whole floor considered to be haunted by her ghost.[68][69][70]

Structural Layout

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Section through courtyard

Lothlorien consists of two adjacent houses: North House at 2405 Prospect Street, and South House at 2415 Prospect Street. The two houses surround a common courtyard area and share a communal kitchen and dining room in the South House. There is a tree house, and in 2010, Lothlorien was the first co-op house to install photovoltaic solar panels.[71]

Notes

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  1. ^ In 1929, North House was rented to the Theta Alpha (ΘΑ) fraternity.[13] Theta Alpha was replaced by Chi Pi Sigma (ΧΠΣ), which in turn moved out in 1938 due to failure to pay rent.[14] In the 1940s and 1950s it was rented to Prospect Terrace a female dormitory.[15][16]
  2. ^ Beginning in 1911, South House was home to different sororities for the next forty years - Pi Beta Phi (ΠΒΦ),[17] Pi Sigma Gamma (ΠΣΓ),[18] then Beta Sigma Omicron (ΒΣΟ)[19] and Delta Sigma Epsilon (ΔΣΕ).[20] During the 1960s it was rented by a fraternity - Delta Sigma Phi (ΔΣΦ).[21]
  3. ^ In 1990 that building become the founding home of the renowned Amoeba Music record stores.[32][33]
  4. ^ Like in Novida and Altamira, Lothlorien's walls are covered in murals, and remnants of the OWFC commune, like paintings, drawings, and literature have been preserved in one of the houses.[22]
  5. ^ In a magazine article a former elf: "... our most legendary tradition, Food Orgy, we all create the endless trays of fruit, vegetables, and other finger foods that we feed each other throughout the party. This Bacchanalian festival is completed with bottomless jugs of wine. There are only two rules as you dance the night away: "No Utensils" and "No Feeding Yourselves"...these kinds of celebrations require a familiar atmosphere where we all feel comfortable with each other-otherwise they just wouldn't work.[41]
  6. ^ Rhetorical custom is often a part of political conversation: "Lothlorien resident Iman Kazah said, 'It took me a long time to learn a certain dialect in Loth,' a house where the culture encourages speaking in a specific rhetoric as to best engender inclusivity.'"[3]
  7. ^ In a description of some members' beliefs, Libby Rainey writes: "Ghosts of past residents haunt the hallways, known to bang on walls, rearrange furniture and make trouble, particularly for the men living in the house. Two female spirits haunt the co-op — both victims of domestic violence and fraught passion who died while living at Lothlorien years ago."[44]

References

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  1. ^ "National Register #75000471: City of Paris Building in San Francisco, California". noehill.com. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  2. ^ "BAHA :: U.C. Berkeley Buildings and Landmarks". berkeleyheritage.com. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  3. ^ a b c d "41 Walking Tours - 2009" (PDF). Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2021-03-18. Cite error: The named reference ":0" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Piedmont Way". CA State Parks. Retrieved 2021-03-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Berkeley Landmarks :: Piedmont Way". berkeleyheritage.com. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  6. ^ "BARNS. Masterly Republican Address". The Oakland Tribune. 28 October 1886. p. 3.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Jones, William Carey (1895). Illustrated History of the University of California, 1868-1895. San Francisco: Frank H. Dukesmith. p. 101.
  8. ^ "The George Hebard Maxwell Papers, MG 1, 1903-1905". www.azarchivesonline.org. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  9. ^ "Maxwell, George Hebard, 1860-1946 - Social Networks and Archival Context". snaccooperative.org. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  10. ^ "Reliable Information for the Homeseeker or Investor". The Oakland Tribune. 13 June 1909. p. 35.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "2241 College Avenue, Historic Structure Report, Prepared for the University of California, Berkeley" (PDF). Page & Turnbull: II-7, 8. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ "Piedmont Way & Berkeley Property Tract Addendum" (PDF). Historical American Landscapes Survey, US Department of Interior: 3.
  13. ^ Blue and Gold Yearbook - Class of 1929. University of California, Berkeley. p. 422.
  14. ^ "'BROTHERS' FACE LOCK OUT FROM 'FRAT' HOUSE". The Oakland Tribune. 11 July 1937.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Blue and Gold Yearbook - Class of 1947. University of California, Berkeley. p. 457.
  16. ^ Blue and Gold Yearbook - Class of 1955. University of California, Berkeley. p. 366.
  17. ^ "New Chapter House". The Berkeley Gazette. 5 June 1911.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "Sorority Alumni Chapter Entertains at Bridge Supper at College Women's Clubhouse". The Oakland Tribune. 17 February 1931.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Affair Given For Delegates". The Oakland Tribune. 13 October 1935. p. 33.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Blue and Gold Yearbook - Class of 1956. University of California, Berkeley. p. 360.
  21. ^ "Dope Peddling at UC". San Francisco Examiner. 4 November 1964.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ a b c "Lothlorien House - History of the Houses". lothlorienhouse.org. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  23. ^ Ramella, Richard (12 December 1973). "Noonan spreads the galactic word". The Berkeley Gazette. p. 13.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ Tumminia, Diana (2007-05-17). Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-0858-5.
  25. ^ Rainer, Del. "My Life In The One World Family Commune". Galactic Messenger. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ Weinstein, Henry Elliot (6 September 1970). "College-educated rebels spurn conventional careers". The Boston Globe. p. 25.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ Kauffman, Jonathan (2018-01-19). "How the Bay Area's counterculture helped sprout hippie food". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ Tumminia, ps. 54-55.
  29. ^ Dian (10 January 1971). "What the readers think". San Francisco Examiner.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ Ramella, Richard (12 December 1973). "Noonan spreads the galactic word". The Berkeley Gazette. p. 13.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ Conroy, Ed (1990). Report on Communion. Avon Books. ISBN 978-0-380-70811-6.
  32. ^ Kruth, John (February 14, 2021). "Amoeba Music: Marc Weinstein's thirty-year odyssey curating California's musical treasures". WaxPoetics.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. ^ Pereira, Alyssa (September 28, 2016). "Amoeba Music Berkeley gets license to open pot dispensary". Archived from the original on August 16, 2021.
  34. ^ Rainer, Del. "My Life In The One World Family Commune". Galactic Messenger. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ^ a b Rainer, Del. "My Life In The One World Family Commune". Galactic Messenger. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. ^ a b Ramella, Richard (12 December 1973). "Noonan spreads the galactic word". The Berkeley Gazette. p. 13.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ Rainer, Del. "My Life In The One World Family Commune". Galactic Messenger. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ^ Tuminia p. 55
  39. ^ a b "My Life In The One World Family Commune – Page 3 – Galactic Messenger". Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  40. ^ a b "Our History | Berkeley Student Cooperative". www.bsc.coop. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  41. ^ a b c d Sterling, Ted (Spring 2001). "It's a magical life". Communities. 110: 41–44 – via ProQuest. {{cite journal}}: External link in |via= (help)
  42. ^ Posner, Honey Shor (Spring 2001). "Finding our way home in the giant of Berkeley". Communities. 110: 45–47 – via ProQuest. {{cite journal}}: External link in |via= (help)
  43. ^ Daniels, Carol (Jan 19, 1972). "Frat Houses Get Different Occupants". The Indianapolis News. p. 19.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ Rainey, Libby (2016-08-14). "A real haunted house: the spirits of Lothlorien". The Daily Californian. Archived from the original on 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  45. ^ "Lothlorien | Berkeley Student Cooperative". www.bsc.coop. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  46. ^ Kurata, Elizabeth; Smith, Conner (2016-04-29). "Demystifying the co-ops". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 2021-01-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  47. ^ Robeznieks, Andis (September 1986). "Vegetarianism on Campus". Vegetarian Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  48. ^ a b "Lothlorien | Berkeley Student Cooperative". www.bsc.coop. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  49. ^ a b Schiffer, Zoe (10 June 2019). "Low-income students question whether UC Berkeley co-ops are living up to mission". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  50. ^ Tammerlin, Drummond (2016-02-10). "Drummond: UC Berkeley students feel the Bern". East Bay Times. Retrieved 2021-01-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  51. ^ Habeshian, Sareen (2016-10-31). "Campus students join protest efforts in North Dakota over proposed pipeline". The Daily Californian. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  52. ^ a b Alfred, Twu (2011-09-05). "It's a Co-op: Lothlorien & the limits of sustainability". It's a Co-op. Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  53. ^ Jones, Carolyn (2007-12-02). "One year into protest, UC Berkeley's tree-sitters firmly planted". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  54. ^ Will, Kane; Lee, Stephanie M. (9 September 2009). "Four Remaining Tree-Sitters Leave UC Berkeley Oak Grove". The Daily Californian. Archived from the original on 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  55. ^ Pane, L.M. (November 16, 1984). "Task force seeks missing jogger". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  56. ^ Ginsburg, Masha (February 10, 1995). "Killer of Berkeley student "Bibi' Lee to be paroled". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  57. ^ People v. Page, No. A043127 (Court of Appeal, First District, Division 3, California December 31, 1991), Text.
  58. ^ a b c People v. Page, No. A043127 (Court of Appeal, First District, Division 3, California December 31, 1991), Text.
  59. ^ People v. Page, No. A043127 (Court of Appeal, First District, Division 3, California December 31, 1991), Text.
  60. ^ Examiner East Bay Bureau (November 10, 1984). "Missing jogger suspect pictured". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  61. ^ Thernstrom (1990, p. 81)
  62. ^ Thernstrom (1990, p. 77-79)
  63. ^ Ginsburg, Marsha (1995-02-10). "Killer of Berkeley student "Bibi" Lee to be paroled". SF Gate. Retrieved 2021-01-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  64. ^ a b Thernstrom, Melanie (1990). The Dead Girl. Pocket Books. pp. 223–238. ISBN 0-671-66332-1.
  65. ^ Ginsburg, Masha (December 12, 1985). "Jogger's beau admits attack". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  66. ^ Thernstrom (1990, p. 218-219)
  67. ^ Ginsburg, Marsha (1995-02-10). "Killer of Berkeley student "Bibi" Lee to be paroled". SF Gate. Retrieved 2021-01-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  68. ^ Rainey, Libby (2016-08-14). "A real haunted house: the spirits of Lothlorien". The Daily Californian. Archived from the original on 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  69. ^ Rufus, Ameli (October 27, 2010). "Walking the Dead With Karen Zimmerman". East Bay Express. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  70. ^ Zimmerman, Karen (2010). Ghost Stories And Legends Of Alameda Berkeley Oakland. Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 0764335766.
  71. ^ "Solar Photovoltaic - Sustainability". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
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Category:History of Berkeley, California Category:Student housing cooperatives in the United States Category:Cooperatives in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Buildings and structures in Berkeley, California Category:Berkeley Student Cooperative Category:1966 establishments in California Category:Residential buildings in Alameda County, California

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