Hidden in Plain Sight

In 1942, Reverend T. G. Pledger and eight congregants came together to establish the Greater Community Missionary Baptist Church in Pacoima—the first Black church founded in the San Fernando Valley.

As Pacoima’s Black population grew rapidly, so did the church’s role in the neighborhood. It became a powerful amplifier of the Black community’s voice and a central hub for civic engagement—hosting political forums, protests over issues like police brutality and affordable housing, youth programs, weekly food giveaways, and even fashion shows.

The church’s deep roots in the community are unmistakable. “Going through newspaper archives, Greater Community was mentioned so many times as the location for voting, NAACP meetings, and more,” says Tahlor Cleveland, a 2024–25 Getty Graduate Intern working with the African American Historic Places, Los Angeles (AAHPLA), project of the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI). “It was clear how important the physical space was—not just for church gatherings, but for the broader community.”

Twenty-six miles southwest of Pacoima sits New Bethel Baptist Church. Like Greater Community, New Bethel—founded in 1952 in Venice’s Oakwood neighborhood—has long been a source of stability for longtime residents and a gathering place for families returning to the area.

“One of the most powerful discoveries was seeing how deeply the church was tied to civil rights activism,” says Lauren O’Brien, a 2022–23 Getty Graduate Intern with the AAHPLA project. “Many members knew the church had been a site for student and community activism, but being able to share with them historical newspaper articles documenting this history helped enliven and expand the oral narratives they held dear. It was powerful to use my research skills to support the stories they were already telling.”

Cleveland and O’Brien’s preservation research was an integral component of their graduate internships with the AAHPLA project and led to nominations of both churches for citywide recognition of their cultural significance.

Strengthening the Preservation Pipeline

From the start, the AAHPLA project, which seeks to identify, protect, and celebrate the city’s Black heritage, has recognized the need to strengthen the preservation pipeline by offering a dedicated graduate internship opportunity.

“We kept asking ourselves, why doesn’t the field better reflect the communities whose heritage we’re working to preserve?” says Sara Lardinois, historic preservation architect at the GCI and project manager for AAHPLA. “That’s why we made a conscious decision to create a dedicated graduate internship for the project—to help address that gap.”

That commitment to fostering young professionals in the heritage conservation field is echoed by Rita Cofield, public historian and preservation professional at the GCI and project leader of AAHPLA. “As Justin Garrett Moore, my colleague from the Mellon Foundation, has expressed, ‘Early exposure is important.’ It’s not about teaching people what the work is—it’s about providing them with real opportunities to do the work,” says Cofield. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to do with AAHPLA. The talent is out there—they just need access and support to grow in this field.”

In addition to expanding access, the internship embraces a multidisciplinary approach to preservation, reflected in the diverse backgrounds of its interns. O’Brien joined the AAHPLA project team as a public historian focused on African American studies, while Cleveland brought her perspective as an architect.

“My work as a public historian is to tell the vernacular history of a building—the narrative of why it matters and why it was preserved,” says O’Brien. “During my internship, it was incredibly affirming to see that my expertise was valued and that I could contribute meaningfully to the field.”

Cleveland agrees, highlighting how the internship offered a valuable opportunity to apply her knowledge and gain hands-on experience with formal preservation tools and techniques. “As an architect, I tend to lean more toward the design side of things, but I’ve really appreciated the opportunity to advocate for preservation and help keep these stories alive,” she says. “It’s been fascinating to approach these issues from a different angle and be part of a team that’s actively thinking about how we can do better.”

Through the AAHPLA graduate internship, participants gain more than hands-on experience—they develop a deeper understanding of cultural heritage and its preservation.

“Our interns leave with a clear understanding of what it means to preserve underrepresented heritage,” says Cofield. “They gain a sensitivity to the cultural dimensions of preservation and conservation.”

Preservation Is Personal

Although O’Brien and Cleveland came to their graduate internships from different academic backgrounds, they share a deep personal connection to Black heritage in Los Angeles, having both grown up in the city and witnessed its changing landscape.

For O’Brien, the internship was a chance to give back to her community in a meaningful way. “While born and raised in Los Angeles, I hadn’t had the opportunity to professionally contribute to the work of preserving Black places and stories in the city that are often hidden in plain sight,” she says. “Through my research at Getty I started uncovering those stories and building a foundation to continue this work in public history.”

Cleveland’s experience was just as personal. After earning her undergraduate degree in urban planning from UC San Diego and returning to South LA, she became increasingly aware of the transformation happening in her childhood neighborhood.

“I was honestly shocked and a little heartbroken to see so many places I grew up with—places that shaped my community experience—just gone,” she says. “It really hit me how important conservation is and how vital it is to preserve cultural landmarks and stories.”

That realization inspired her to pursue a master’s in architecture at the Tulane School of Architecture, for its historic preservation program, and eventually apply for a graduate internship with the AAHPLA project.

“It’s been amazing to explore how to preserve the identity of a place,” Cleveland says. “This internship gave me the time and resources to see what others are doing in the field.”

Citywide Recognition

In 2023, New Bethel was officially designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM), a recognition that honors its deep cultural significance and helps safeguard its legacy for future generations.

The HCM designation offers more than symbolic value. It provides meaningful support, including access to the California Historical Building Code and the opportunity to display an official HCM plaque—affirming the site’s importance at the local level.

Now, Cleveland is hopeful that Greater Community will follow in New Bethel’s footsteps. In June, she completed the nomination paperwork, and the application is currently under consideration by the Cultural Heritage Commission.

“We’re hoping this designation draws people in,” Cleveland says. “Many Black churches face challenges as communities disperse. We want the church to remain a pillar—a stronghold—for the community.” She adds, “It’s not just about preserving something static—it’s about keeping these places active in the cultural conversation.”

For O’Brien, the impact of the project extends well beyond achieving HCM designations. While the tangible outcome is important, she sees even greater value in how the initiative is helping to build a more diverse network of professionals and community members engaged in cultural heritage work—and in expanding the understanding of what preservation can look like.

“I had the privilege of attending the AAHPLA project launch at St. Elmo Village,” says O’Brien. “Seeing how community gatherings contribute to cultural heritage preservation was inspiring. This project addresses multiple angles of heritage work. It’s not just about buildings—it’s about how people connect to these spaces.” She adds, “It’s helped me grow both as an intern and as a professional. And I think it also helps the public see how this work can manifest in different ways.”

In August, six heritage sites that received HCM status through the efforts of AAHPLA were recognized, including New Bethel and St. Elmo Village—with the nomination of the latter prepared by Kira Williams, a 2023–24 Getty Graduate Intern with the AAHPLA project.

On the Path to Leadership

Lardinois has high hopes for the future of the AAHPLA interns. “I feel so confident in our interns that we have worked with so far that they’re on the path to being leaders in this field.”

O’Brien remains connected to the work of her internship in her current role as assistant curator with the African American History and Engagement Project, a partnership between the California African American Museum (CAAM) and California State Parks. A key connection was Dr. Naomi Nightingale, a member of New Bethel and the AAHPLA project advisory committee.

During a site visit, Dr. Nightingale entrusted O’Brien with the church’s only archive—a binder of original documents with no digital copies. “I felt incredibly honored,” O’Brien says. “It wasn’t a formal archival project, but I scanned everything, organized the binder, and returned it with a thumb drive. It was my way of giving back and helping preserve their history.”

That gesture built lasting trust. In her current role, O’Brien continues to work with Dr. Nightingale, who later donated her personal papers to CAAM. “The nomination work helped open that door,” she says.

Cleveland, meanwhile, is focused on advancing her career in architecture and design, with a strong emphasis on preservation. For her, it’s not just about aesthetics or historic significance—it’s about creating a tangible connection to the past.

“Both are important,” she says. “Preserving a site or a building—even if it wasn’t designed by a famous architect—matters. People should be able to walk into a space and feel: ‘This is where something happened. This is where people gathered.’ Without that, history can feel so ephemeral. Preserving these places makes it real.”