Demolished century-old pillar that marks Fresno High boundary to be restored by city
Restoration of a historic landmark that stood in the Fresno High neighborhood for over 100 years before it was demolished by a drunken driver has begun.
City crews will use as much of the original salvaged material as possible to rebuild the 12-foot tall stone and brick pillar at Palm and Simpson avenues, Mayor Jerry Dyer announced at a media gathering Tuesday.
It was one of five of its kind marking the Fresno High area that surrounds the historic Boulevard Gardens neighborhood, which traces its roots back to the Poppy Colony Subdivision established in 1902.
“For generations, these 12 foot pillars have welcomed residents and visitors into the neighborhood and become an important part of this community’s identity and character,” Dyer said. “Instead of removing the destroyed pillar, the city has made a commitment to preserve and rebuild it.”
The pillar was heavily damaged on Dec. 18 when a 41-year-old male driver traveling south on Palm Avenue from Shields Avenue struck a car traveling north. The driver suffered minor injuries, and the driver of the other vehicle suffered a broken clavicle.
The driver who caused the accident was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested for felony driving under the influence, causing injury and booked into Fresno County Jail after being seen at the hospital.
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Many residents in the area were quick to inform their councilmember, Annalisa Perea, after the accident to let her know they wanted the pillar rebuilt.
“Calls flooded my cell phone, my office, or emails, which shows the importance of what this monument means to this neighborhood,” she said.
A mason on the city’s public works team created a half-scale replica to ensure the pillar could be successfully restored. Once completed, the rebuilt neighborhood marker will receive a custom patina treatment, which is designed to match the appearance and character of the original structure, Dyer said.
Restoration efforts began Monday and are expected to be completed in the next two or three weeks, at a cost of about $25,000, Dyer said. City crews will also repair two other neighborhood markers that stand at the entrances of the Boulevard Gardens.
The Fresno High area wasn’t the only neighborhood with boundary markers of this nature. Other areas include the Hazelwood Division at Ventura and Hazelwood boulevards and the Boyd Division that had two pillars flanking Boyd Avenue on the south side of Kings Canyon Road near the fairgrounds.
Former Fresno Bee artist Doug Hansen illustrated them in his “Fresno Sketchbook,” which is filled with 65 drawings of “favorite places and the beauty of the unexpected.” In it, Hansen described the Boulevard Gardens boundary markers as “craftsman-style, rubble construction.”
The markers were built in the 1920s to designate the boundaries of some of Fresno’s earliest housing developments.
“It stands as a pillar marking that you have now entered this special neighborhood,” Parra said.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 5:07 PM.