In 1881, one of the founders of the City of San Fernando, George Porter, acquired land in the northern San Fernando Valley that would be primarily used for farming. From that humble beginning, a new neighborhood was founded in 1926 called Granada – although it would take another 16 years before it would be renamed to what Angelenos now know as Granada Hills.
The area has seen and experienced much over its history, including the opening of the Cascades in November 1913, that brought water from the Owens Valley, which more than 40,000 people attended, and hosting the first-ever visit from a Russian leader in 1959 when Nikita Khrushchev arrived in the United States.
Now, as the neighborhood approaches the 100th anniversary of its founding on April 18, 2026, community and political leaders are planning to have festivities all year in the lead-up to this special celebration. This was kicked off on April 26 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Outpost #2323 with the unveiling of a new mural.
“Old Granada Village Centennial Wall Mural,” which was painted on the exterior of the Frontier building on Encino Avenue, is divided into four panels to highlight pivotal moments in the neighborhood’s history: the opening of the Cascades in 1913, the founding in 1926, the renaming in 1942 and its upcoming 100th anniversary.
The mural was produced by Writing on the Walls, LLC, a mural and sign painting group, with six artists. Evelyn Eeling and Eva Galbert handled the first panel, Omar and Freeba Noorzay painted the second, Alon Karpovsky managed the third and Danny Ramirez finished the fourth.
Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee and John Ciccarelli, president of the Granada Hills Improvement Association Board of Directors, gave their remarks at the event. Lee spoke with the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol, saying he’s proud of the mural and the artists who worked on it.
“There’s a reason why I’ve lived in this community for 47 years, and it’s because of the people who live here,” Lee said. “They just care … about what we’re doing, about helping one another, and this is just another step in trying to show who we were 100 years ago, who we are now and what we’re gonna be doing in the future.”
The mural is located within the “Old Granada Village Business Improvement District” – otherwise known as the Granada Hills BID – which encompasses commercial properties along Chatsworth Street between Lindley and Encino avenues. It’s overseen and managed by the Granada Hills Improvement Association, which provides services including annual tree trimming, landscape maintenance and sidewalk sweeping.
Lee said that prices have been increasing for these businesses, most recently in part due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but he added that they’ve seen expenses rise for some time now. Lee said the importance of the association is not just in beautifying the street, but allowing the community to thrive despite rising costs.
“Not only do we say to our community to shop locally, we also reach out to the businesses to remind them to support the community back,” said Lee. “A lot of different people that I saw in the room [during the event for mural unveiling] were part of that – part of the [Granada Hills] Rotary Club, the Chamber [of Commerce] of BID. These are the people that understand that they need to support the community in hard times.”
It was also mentioned that BID is currently having discussions to create a large city seal for Granada Hills to celebrate the neighborhood at its centennial anniversary and beyond. However, what the seal would look like, and whether it’s something the business community wants, have not yet been decided.
When asked about Mayor Karen Bass’ proposed budget cuts that would lay off more than 1,600 workers, Lee explained it was too premature to talk about the impact when budget deliberations begin next month, but said, “Nobody wants to see layoffs. We want to make sure that we are providing the city services that people expect when they pay their taxes.”
To learn more about the history of Granada Hills and see upcoming events celebrating its 100th anniversary, visit https://www.granadahills100.com/.