The Street Seen: Joslyn Park
633 Kensington Road @ 7th
Joslyn Park is a 2 1/2 acre city recreation park between Kensington and Strand at 7th Street. It occupies the former Walter T. McGinley1 estate, which was purchased by the City of Santa Monica in 1958 with funds donated by Marcellus L. Joslyn.2 Both men were very successful in business and yet rather shy of the limelight.
The park is located at the top of a ridge with eastern vistas over Los Angeles (the original name for 7th Street was Mountain View Ave). There is a basket ball court, a children’s play area and a community center at the top of the hill. An off-leash dog park runs down the slope at the eastern end of the park. While the dog park honors former Mayor Herb Katz, McGinley at one time owned one of the best kennels in America. The 1960’s swimming pool facility in the north east corner is gone.
The existing walls, wrought-iron fence, and major trees are part of the 1927 McGinley estate designed by Emmett G. Martin (1889-1937).
Walter T. McGinley (1870 - 1932)’s life resembles a young boy’s dream. McGinley managed a circus, operated a chain of movie theatres, owned champion dogs, and horses that won races. Behind his gift for showmanship, there lay a keen business instinct that made his every enterprise miraculously profitable.
McGinley was born in PA. He was an executive and manager with Ringling Brothers Circus, Wallace Brothers Circus and Sells-Floto Circus. In 1908 when he took an American circus on tour throughout Europe. He became one of the best known legal adjusters in the circus world. McGinley was among the very earliest figures in America to recognize the possibilities in motion pictures, and established a chain of movie theatres. McGinley was a successful race horse and dog racing owner in the early 1900’s.
He became friends with Lucky Baldwin (1828- 1909) and moved to California in 1915 to become the business manager for Baldwin’s daughter Clara Baldwin Stocker (1847 - 1929). He bought land from Baldwin and struck oil - becoming sole owner of the McGinley Oil Company.
In 1893, as a student at Harvard Law School, Marcellus L. Joslyn built his own telephone line to his parents' Illinois home. In 1910, he opened Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply Co., a very successful Chicago electrical supply firm (telephone pole line hardware, aircraft lightning arresters, and electrical surge protection). From 1955, when the list was created, to 1962, the Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. was a Fortune 500 company.
In 1947, Joslyn retired to Santa Monica, where he became involved in philanthropic interests. To the City of Santa Monica he gave the Senior Recreation Center at Palisades Park, the Santa Monica Lawn Bowling Club, Joslyn Hall at Reed Park, and many other monetary and land awards.
