MILEPOSTS #1043

By Bill Pumford, Image from Christopher Cook

TITLE: CAMP MOZUMDAR IN CEDARPINES PARK – PART II: In 1938 the Temple of Christ was built which had been designed by William Lodge, an admirer of Mozumdar, although it was never intended to resemble the Taj Mahal, as has been thought. The interior of the temple was intended to represent various stages of the life of Christ but was never finished due to a lack of funds. By 1940 the adult children of Minnie Splane had filed suit against their mother for spending their inheritance through supplying funds to Mozumdar. Minnie lost the suit and was prevented from using any more money to support Mozumdar and his projects. In 1950 A.K. Mozumdar sold the property to the Los Angeles YMCA who used it for next 25 years for girl campers aged mostly between 9 and 14. Campers fully used the grounds which now included two lodges, a swimming pool, and activities such as archery, horseback riding and nature walks. During the summers hundreds of girls and counselors enjoyed the facilities and the beautiful property. In 1952 the famous actress, Jane Russell, headed a group of stars that performed a benefit concert at the amphitheater to raise funds to build a children’s playground in Cedarpines Park. Mozumdar died in 1953 and is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. In 1975 the property was sold to the Unification Movement (also known as the Unification Church) partly, it was thought, because there appeared to be only one exit off the property which the YMCA considered to be a safety issue. Today the Unification Movement has a couple of permanent staff on the property and many workshops and seminars are held for visitors from across the country. This week’s image depicts an Historical Society group that toured Camp Mozumdar in 2018. This tour and many others occur every year, so watch for announcements at mtnmuseum.org.

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