Luxury meets the United State Navy;
a brief history of the Norconian Resort Supreme and United States Naval Hospital in Corona

Norco, California is known as "Horse Town USA". Surrounded by urban sprawl, this rural oasis is fifteen square miles of large land parcels, open space and home to 20,000 horses. However, there is another side to this small and genuinely unique city, an astonishing history that is almost forgotten. The Californian Rehabilitation Center, a medium security prison, and the Naval Surface Warfare Assessment Center also exist side by side within Norco. Behind barbed wire and Navy security, rests some of the finest examples of Mediterranean-Mission Style architecture ever constructed mixed together with historic, institutional Navy: the stuff of legend and a one-time destination point for the greatest Hollywood stars, Olympic Champions and Pearl Harbor survivors.

In 1920, Norco was an unsuccessful agricultural community. Along came Rex Clark, a former stationary salesman turned land developer, with the good fortune to be married to Grace Scripps; daughter of James Scripps, the powerful newspaper publisher. Backed by her money, Clark bought Norco with the idea to develop and sell chicken ranches from which a man could feed his family. The fledgling township flourished as Clark laid roads, created a manufacturing center and dug wells to supply cheap water. It was in the course of digging just such a well that a plentiful supply of hot mineral water was found and the Norconian Resort was born.

In 1927, Rex Clark, began to "build the finest resort and mineral hot springs spa in America". Over two years, Clark installed a sixty acre lake, a marvelous pavilion/casino and boathouse, chauffeurs quarters, 100 car garage, full service laundry, state of the art power house, airfield, one of the finest golf courses on the west coast, AAU qualifying diving and swimming pools, indoor swimming pools, riding trails, tennis courts, fabulous "Tea Room" and a magnificent 250 room hotel complete with stunning dining room, lounge and ballroom. The Norconian grand opening was on February 2, 1929 and appeared to be a true success. Movie stars flocked to the resort: it was not unusual to see Charlie Chaplin playing tennis, Clark Gable driving to the local gun club, Buster Keaton on the golf links, Norma Shearer riding horseback, or Will Rogers and Wiley Post giving plane rides to local kids. MGM, Fox and Disney Studios all held annual picnics on the site. On the lake could be seen some of the best speedboat racers in the world and Duke Kahanamoku giving "surfing lessons". The outdoor pools, the only AAU qualifiers in Southern California until the 1932 Olympics, attracted the finest Olympic divers and swimmers and witnessed several National and world records.

Unfortunately, the Norconian Resort Supreme never made a nickel. The Great Depression was devastating to both the resort and the town of Norco. The club struggled into the early 1930's, moving from a year round club to a seasonal resort, to sporadic openings and closings and Clark's $4,500,000 dream became known as "Rex's Folly". By 1940, the club was suffering labor problems, hounded by creditors and secretly for sale with an asking price of $2,000,000.

By early 1941, the United States knew they were going to war, the draft was in effect and military bases were slowly being manned with sadly ill-equipped troops. The United States Army was the first to approach Clark with the idea that his resort would make an outstanding hospital; the offer reportedly was $1,800.000. Then, in mid December, it was announced and well documented that the Navy had agreed to the asking price of $2,000,000 on November 8 and, conversion to a hospital had already begun. Unfortunately, some in congress felt the price tag too high and instead of payment, the government instituted a condemnation suit to determine worth; the new offer was $850,000. Clark, fought the US Navy in Federal Court and was ultimately victorious; though his second wife claimed years later that in fact only $400,000 was received.

On January 2, 1942, Captain H.L. Jensen, MC, USN took command of the United States Naval Hospital in Corona. Likely, the facilities actual location of Norco was ignored due to the township's unincorporated status. Initially, patients were housed and treated within the former hotel building. The mineral spas were used as hydrotherapy units, hotel rooms became operating and patient rooms, the ballroom a full ward and the former chauffeurs quarters home to Navy personnel. By May 1, 1942, it was reported that most of the patients, totally around 100, were wounded from the attack on Pearl Harbor

In the midst of World War II, massive changes were in progress at the former resort. A three-wing, five story ward building was opened in April and prompted a visit by none other than First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The hospital was "designated a respiratory disease center" and "a complex of 15 one-story interconnecting isolation ward buildings" were built on the eastern edge of the golf course. The wards open porches provided the "fresh air and sunshine" needed to treat rheumatic fever, malaria, polio and tuberculosis

Eventually the hospital complex included officers, nurses, waves and corpsman quarters, two theatres, an additional weaving complex of wards (known as "Splinterville"), gymnasium, chapel and dozens of maintenance and service buildings. Still in use from the old resort were the hotel, power station, garage, laundry and lake pavilion. By 1945, close to 5000 patients were being treated at the site.

According to news articles, the Naval Hospital may well have been the first to successfully use Penicillin to treat tuberculosis complications, made groundbreaking advances in the treatment of polio and rheumatic fever, pioneered prosthetic devices, occupational and physical therapy and premiered the first "Atomic powered, hand held X-ray device". Wheelchair basketball may or may not have begun at the hospital but most certainly it was given a boost on the wheels of the fabulous "Rolling Devils". With an eye toward rehabilitation, Dr. Gerald Gray, known as the "Father of Wheelchair Basketball", put together teams that took on all comers and were described by one fan as "unbeatable" and "Globetrotters on wheels".

Patriotism and genuine support for the nations troops ran high in the surrounding areas. Observation posts were quickly erected and manned as Corona with its famous circular main street and the Prado Damn were considered easy targets. Gray Lady units and Navy Mothers spent countless hours visiting patients, supplying baked goods and providing transportation.

Hollywood and the Naval Aid Auxiliary quickly came forward and forgotten star Kay Francis, was put in charge of organizing visitations to patients at the Corona Hospital. For the duration, every Thursday, Kay Francis and/or a few of "her friends" would pay a visit to Corona; her friends included Cary Grant, James Cagney, Bing Crosby, Marlene Dietrich, Bob Hope, Clark Gable and The Three Stooges to name a few. Harry James and Jack Benny both broadcast radio programs from the hospital theatre.

After the war, the patient load naturally diminished and, in 1949 only weeks after announcing the completion of $15,000,000 in renovations and improvements and ignoring protests and findings that the site should convert to a Veterans facility, the Naval Hospital was closed and stripped. But, not for long, in 1951, with the coming of the Korean War, the hospital was re-opened and infused with $2,000,000 to replace what had been carted off for pennies only months before. Finally, in 1957, again ignoring widespread pleas that the facility was needed and necessary, the United States Naval Hospital in Corona closed for good.

In 1963, 94 acres was cut away from the Naval Assessment facility and the former hotel, hospital wing, "Splinterville", chapel, theatre and gymnasium became the California Rehabilitation Center: a place to "cure those addicted to drugs". In 2000, nineteen buildings were placed on the National Registry of Historic Places, but unfortunately that means little with regards to preservation. The main hotel was deemed "too costly" and abandoned in 2002. This "national treasure" has been officially declared a "Black Building"; meaning the structure is sealed up and permitted to die from the inside out

Remarkably, the old hotel, despite 80 years of service and renovations as a hospital and prison, looks much like it did in 1929. This is primarily due to the care of the Department Of Corrections and the hundreds of correctional officers who have maintained the site for over 40 years. Fabulous paintings and murals cover the ceilings, exquisite and colorful tile is everywhere and dozens of priceless chandeliers collect dust; even the bathroom mirrors still bear the initials LNC - Lake Norconian Club. Unfortunately, rainwater is now working into the interior, inhabited now by only feral cats, possums and raccoons, and already much has been destroyed.

A group of citizens has banded together with the idea that the state has a legal obligation to maintain this building, but their numbers are small. The Navy, after years of preservation efforts, is also now abandoning historic buildings and demolitions are being scheduled

Sadly, it is quite likely that one of the finest examples of 1920's Mediterranean, California Mission Revival Style Architecture; a site with an unequaled state and military history will in the near future be no more; a ghost found only in the pages of a dusty book.