perceived intensity of VII (Very strong) on the Mercalli Intensity scale. The shock occurred at a depth of and was most intense to the southwest of the city, where a school and two homes were heavily damaged and other homes sustained chimney collapses. In Santa Fe Springs, oil towers were damaged and some short cracks appeared in the ground. This earthquake was felt from Mount Wilson to Santa Ana, and from Hermosa Beach to Riverside. Numerous aftershocks occurred in the first several hours and persisted through early 1931. Aftermath In order to gather funds to help the rebuilding effort, the city of Whittier approved the establishment of a 521-acre earthquake recovery redevelopment area. Through this initiative, property tax revenue is directed to the city rather than to the county and schools, the originally designated recipients. The arrangement will remain in effect until the year 2037. A nonprofit organization called the Whittier Conservancy was formed shortly after the Whittier Narrows earthquake. The group aids in the preservation of the city's historical style of construction. During the earthquake, several notable buildings were destroyed, including the Harvey Apartments. They were built with bricks that appeared to have been made by hand during the 19th century; the mud used to make them came from the San Gabriel River. The Conservancy felt that these bricks were worth saving, not only for their historical value but also for their aesthetics. Some effort was made to save and use the bricks for rebuilding the historic apartment on the corner of Greenleaf Avenue and Hadley Street. They spent $15,000 to prevent the usable bricks from being taken during the final demolition of the building. The bricks were then cleaned, then stored until they could be used in the rebuilding of the apartment. The Whittier Conservancy also collaborated in the rezoning of the Hadley neighborhood and was able to help control the rate of new multiple-family dwelling construction. In popular culture Spalding Gray related his experience of the earthquake in his film Monster in a Box. See also List of earthquakes in California References Bibliography . External links Whittier Narrows earthquake – Southern California Earthquake Center M 5.9 - 2km SSW of Rosemead, CA – USGS M 5.3 - 2km WSW of Rosemead, CA – USGS 1987 Earthquake Whittier Narrows earthquake Whittier Narrows earthquake Whittier Narrows earthquake Disasters in Los Angeles Geology of Los Angeles County, California Puente Hills