10-Foot Historic Pillar in Fresno High Neighborhood to Be Rebuilt After Crash

Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea said the Department of Public Works has given the OK to rebuild a 10-foot-tall pillar that stood at the northeast corner of Palm and Simpson avenues and was crushed in a Dec. 18 crash that sent two people to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and led to the driver's arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Perea said the work is slated to begin in the coming weeks.

Neighbors in the Fresno High neighborhood described the toppled pillar as one of several century-old markers built of river rock, brick and mortar by early home builders, and said the pillars serve as unique local landmarks. The damaged pillar had stood in place for more than a century at the Palm and Simpson corner, residents told reporters as they urged a faithful reconstruction.

Perea said the Public Works department will use an in-house craftsman for the rebuild rather than hiring outside. She told reporters that the department has an employee who is part of the concrete crew and who “worked professionally as a mason before joining the city.” Perea added that “He expressed full confidence in his ability to reconstruct the damaged pillar,” and that the mason will lead work on site with two additional staff members.

City plans call for the city to purchase materials and for the mason to first construct a miniature test pillar at the Belmont Yard. That temporary structure will double as an address pillar for the Belmont Yard site, and once the test design and construction are approved the crew will proceed to rebuild the full 10-foot pillar at Palm and Simpson, Perea said. She estimated the reconstruction will take several weeks to complete to allow for proper drying and setting time.

Funding and cost remain in flux. Perea said she does not yet know the final price tag but insisted the rebuild “won’t be on the city’s dime” and that, “We got confirmation … that the person who hit it will be covering it through their insurance.” At the same time, Perea has said officials were still waiting for detailed cost figures: “We haven't heard back from the public works department yet on the cost to rebuild, but the plan is still to get it done,” she said.

A community Facebook post circulated alternative claims that remain unverified, including that “The city owns this, and are using grants for the project” and that “The building was stucco wrapped in 1940.” Those statements conflict with Perea’s insurance remark and have not been corroborated by city staff. With Public Works approval in hand and the Belmont Yard test pillar planned, neighborhood leaders expect the work will restore the damaged landmark within the coming months.