The Chinese Service Center (CSC) board, Congresswoman Judy Chu, and other dignitaries unveiled the new mural (Photo – Ari G. Arambula)
On August 8, 2026, a colorful new mural at 726 E. Main St. is giving Alhambra residents and visitors a window into the city’s past, depicting landmarks, transportation, businesses, and landscapes that helped shape the community.
By Ari Gutierrez Arambula
The mural, located at the Chinatown Service Center’s Alhambra campus, was unveiled Saturday following a community-driven effort to bring a piece of Alhambra history to the East Main Street corridor.
Created by local artist Kern Erickson, the mural includes historic references to the Pacific Electric Red Cars, Midwick Country Club, Pyrenees Castle, the former Alhambra Airport and Fosselman’s Ice Cream truck, among other images representing the city’s earlier years.
The project began after community members suggested that renovations to the Chinatown Service Center property should include artwork reflecting Alhambra’s history and character.
Chinatown Service Center (CSC) embraced the idea and funded the mural. The organization worked with the Alhambra Arts Commission to identify Erickson, who spent months researching Alhambra before developing the final artwork.
At Saturday’s unveiling, U. S. Representative Judy Chu said, “Today is much more than about unveiling a piece of art. It’s about honoring the history of Alhambra and celebrating the community that’s shaping its future.”
A portrait of Alhambra’s past
The mural provides a visual tour of an Alhambra that predates today’s streetscape. Historic transportation, architecture, recreation, and commerce are woven together in the artwork, creating a snapshot of the city during earlier periods of its development.
Among the most striking elements is an image of the Alhambra Airport, a largely forgotten chapter of local history. Chinatown Service Center President and CEO Peter Ng said even he was surprised to learn that Alhambra once had an airport. “I can imagine schools coming,” Ng said during the ceremony. “It’s an instant historic lesson for the kids.”
The mural also depicts the Pacific Electric Red Cars, which connected Alhambra and other San Gabriel Valley communities to the broader Los Angeles region during an era when streetcars were central to Southern California transportation. Historic orange groves and railroad tracks are also represented, while the San Gabriel Mountains provide a familiar backdrop.
Assemblymember Mike Fong said the mural illustrates how much Alhambra has changed while also highlighting elements of the city that remain, such as the San Gabriel Mountains.
Fosselman’s and other familiar landmarks
For many current residents, some of the mural’s images connect Alhambra’s history directly to places that remain part of the community. A Fosselman’s Ice Cream truck is represented prominently, linking one of Alhambra’s best-known longtime businesses with the city’s broader historical landscape. The mural also references Midwick Country Club and Pyrenees Castle, landmarks associated with earlier eras of Alhambra’s development.
Together, the images create a visual chronology of a city that evolved from agricultural land and early transportation corridors into a diverse urban community. Rather than presenting history as a series of dates and names, Erickson’s mural puts those pieces into a single streetside composition.
A community idea becomes public art
The mural’s origin is part of the story.
As the Chinatown Service Center planned improvements to its property, resident advocates for an “Old Town Alhambra” commercial district expressed an interest in seeing something that reflected the history of the neighborhood. Instead of choosing a generic decorative treatment, CSC incorporated that request into the project. The Alhambra Arts Commission helped facilitate the connection with Erickson, whose research became the foundation for the final design.
Alhambra City Councilmember Katherine Lee, who represents the First District and lives nearby, said the involvement of neighborhood residents was particularly important. “As an elected official, the first thing I look at is not just the honorary politicians,” Lee said. “I look at the community service, the community support.”
A new landmark on East Main Street
The mural is located at 726 E. Main Street. The property previously housed Alhambra Nissan, which operated at the site for decades before closing. Ng said CSC first identified the property in 2020, when the site had become largely unused. The transformation has given the property a new role in the neighborhood, but the mural gives it an additional connection to the city itself. For community advocates interested in revitalizing East Main Street as an “Old Town Alhambra” destination, the mural adds another visible expression of the area’s historic identity.
Preserving history through art
Ng said the mural reflects CSC’s belief that progress should include an understanding of the past. The Red Cars recall an interconnected San Gabriel Valley before the dominance of the automobile. Orange groves recall Alhambra’s agricultural beginnings. Historic buildings and recreational landmarks represent earlier generations of residents and visitors. Fosselman’s connects that history to a business still familiar to today’s Alhambra community. And the San Gabriel Mountains remain in the background — a constant feature through generations of change.
For Chu, “This mural is such a beautiful reminder that a stronger community means not only meeting people’s needs but also preserving the stories and history that connect us.,”
The result is a permanent piece of public art that does more than decorate the building. It tells Alhambra’s story — one landmark at a time.
Leave a Reply