Rodia’s Towers: Icons of Watts

Westways’ article “Rodia’s Towering Dream” offers insight into the mind of the Italian immigrant Simon Rodia along with perhaps one of the greatest contributions to the cultural landscape of L.A. – his fabled Watts Towers. Simon Rodia was born in Rivato, Italy on February 12, 1879, and laid to rest at the age of 86 on July 17, 1965. Known by Sam or Simon today, Rodia was actually born as Sabato Rodia; however, the name Simon is, in fact a misnomer that the public acquired from an LA Times article published in 1937 that failed to provide his correct name. Within the publication, the reporter even referred to Rodia as “Simon Rodilla”. While there was controversy with his name, Rodia still came to be known as the man with a thirty-year obsession, which would culminate in the completion of the Watts Towers (Burgess).

After living in Italy for some time, Rodia’s family immigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania sometime in the 1890’s; however, Rodia’s early years in the United States are shrouded in uncertainty. On one hand, an oft-repeated story tells of an uneducated Rodia’s immigration to, and early departure from, Pennsylvania – shortly following his brother’s apparent death. On the contrary, Sam Rodia and his two brothers lived and worked at a barbershop in Philadelphia, as enumerated by the 1900 census. (United States Census Bureau, 1900)

Rodia’s life as a barber soon came to a conclusion as he married and moved westward to Washington. Census records document the birth of his two sons Frank and Furi. After receiving his first son Frank in 1903, Rodia relocated, once again, to California where his second son Furi would arrive in 1905. The 1910 Census found Samuel Rodia in Alameda, divorced, living with his sons, and working as a watchman. By his own account, Rodia, at that time, had fallen into alcoholism and lived as a solitary nomad for a decade. Public speculation filled the headlines as many attempted to learn more about Simon Rodia. Mystery still surrounds Rodia as some wonder if he was the Samuel Rodia whose World War I draft card gave his address as 426 South Kansas in El Paso, his employment as janitor at the James Marr Company, and his wife’s name as "Mary Venita Rodia”.

The 1920 census enumerated Sam Rodia as a cement finisher living in Long Beach with a nineteen-year-old wife from Mexico named "Benita". In January of 1920, Rodia and Benita apparently separated, and shortly after he married his third wife Carmen. The newlyweds moved to a cottage on a dusty triangular lot at 1765 East 107th Street in the Los Angeles county of Watts. At the time the area contained fields, rural cottages, home-built shacks, and industrial sites, but the construction of Rodia’s Watts Towers, beginning in 1921, would help add some much needed culture to the run down shanty town.

With limited physical and monetary resources, Rodia’s project seemed nearly impossible. Additionally, Rodia received very little outside assistance apart from the infrequent help of neighborhood children who brought scraps of ceramic and metal. For the children’s small services he would reward them with pennies. The completion of the towers cost Rodia thirty years of tireless work and dedication.

Rodia used over 7,000 sacks of cement and 75,000 seashells, along with thousands of scraps of glass and mirror in the construction of the towers. With “only a window washers belt for support” (51), Rodia would climb up and down the towers all day, using the structures themselves as scaffolding as he continued building. Once the towers were completed, Rodia abandoned the lot, deeding it to a neighbor. Soon after the change of hands, Rodia moved away to Northern California. When asked about the towers, he avoided such questions, instead giving the analogous example of, “if your mother dies and you have loved her very much maybe you don’t speak of her” (80). Rodia gave away his life’s work to any and all who appreciate the Watt’s Towers as a monument of Los Angeles.

Today, Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers stand as a marvel of modern architectural design and a beacon of hope for many aspiring artists; however, the towers did not always have such an admirable reputation. Past generations condemned the towers as a safety hazard and even called for their demolition. The fate of the towers would lie in the hands of a five-minute procedure, testing the structural integrity of the seemingly weak edifices. Thrown atop the structure, a cable was drawn by a machine capable of pulling a force of a whopping ten thousand pounds. Crowds gathered to watch this spectacle, waiting nervously for the towers to finally give under the immense pressure; however, after ten thousand pounds of force had been applied, the cable snapped, leaving the towers left unscathed. Simon Rodia’s towers were no longer just a work of art but a stroke of engineering genius. Contrary to the results of the test, the Watts towers did not receive their much-deserved recognition until 1975, when the state of California purchased the deed to the property and began leasing the towers to the city of Los Angeles.

Restoration efforts followed shortly after the change of hands. The Ehrenkrantz Group, an architectural firm based out of San Fransisco, led the restoration plans, which, at the time of this article, were about twenty percent from completion. Renovations lasted nearly ten years with the majority of the work devoted to reinforcing steal beams and other supporting structures. In addition, new material replaced the tarnished, wind-worn bottles and other recycled glass that had previously existed within the building. Given the structurally sound towers, many are amazed at the duration of the restoration. This being said, the thorough restoration allowed for the towers to withstand the test of time, and, to stand as a physical landmark in the city of Los Angeles (Burgess).

The Watts Towers not only stand as a physical landmark but also a cultural icon of the great city of Los Angeles and are considered a diamond in the rough within the county of Watts. While Rodia originally named the towers “’Nuestro Pueblo’, Spanish for ‘Our Town’”, they have become known simply as the Watts Towers as they have come to define the neighborhood (Smith 51). Historically the home of low income and uneducated migrant workers, much like Simon Rodia, Watts is often ranked as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Los Angeles; however, these towers have served as a beacon of light for what is currently ranked as the 11th most violent neighborhood in Los Angeles (Mapping L.A.).

The Watts Towers have inspired community service projects such as the Watts House Project. With the towers and the history of Watts cited as its largest influences, the Watts House Project is “an artist-driven redevelopment organization” that focuses on revitalizing the neighborhood and community through art and increasing its quality of life (Watts). In addition to the Watts House Project, the Watts Towers Arts Center hosts art-based events, teaches art classes and raises money to preserve Rodia’s towers (Davis).

What Simon Rodia created nearly 100 years ago continues to be significant not just in size, but also in influence. He named his piece of art ‘Our Town’ to create a sense of community and it has become an icon of the neighborhood. While they may go by a different name, his towers continue to inspire community and art in Watts. What had started as a backyard art project transformed into a highly revered masterpiece leaving a lasting impression on the city of Los Angeles. To this day, the Watts towers stand resolute as a symbol of one man’s hopes and aspirations and a reminder of the human power of design and ingenuity.

Works cited

1. Watts House Project "About." Wattshouseproject.org 9 Mar. 2014.
2. Burgess, Michele. "Rodia’s Towering Dream." Westways Aug. 1984: 48pp.
3. Davis, Evelyn. "Watts Towers Arts Center." Wattstowers.org. Watts Towers Arts Center, 9 Mar. 2014.
4. "Mapping L.A.: Watts." Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2014.
5. Smith, Richard C. "Learning from Watts Towers: Assemblage and Community-Based Art in California." Oral History Society 37.2 (2009): 51-58.
6. United States Census Bureau, 1900. 1900 United States of America Census. 9 Mar 2014.
7. Sefton, P. "Rodia’s Watts Towers." Rodia’s Watts Towers. 10 Mar. 2014.

Cite this article

Anonymous. "Rodia’s Towers: Icons of Watts." Los Angeles: The City and the Library. Colleen Jauretche, Editor. Winter 2014. /article/2014-01-01-w14-05