Sam Rodia, the Italian immigrant who built the world-famous Watts Towers on a residential lot in South Central Los Angeles could never have envisioned that his work of art would become a symbol of freedom for the community in which they stand enduring the test of time and human struggle. Rodia's Watts Towers, designated as a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior in 1990, are now a component site of the California State Parks, managed by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. The towers are a symbolism of human endurance. Sam and his towers triumphed over bureaucracy and achieved lasting recognition in the history of modern art and architecture. Their stature was further enhanced as a symbol of freedom for the community in which they stand when the 1965 Watts Uprising/Riots left the towers untouched. Consisting of seventeen major sculptures constructed of structural steel and covered with mortar, the Watts Towers are the work of one man - Simon Rodia. To learn more, check out a feature-length documentary film about Simon Rodia and the Watts Towers of South Central Los Angeles
http://www.ibuildthetower.com/html/film.html http://www.wattstowers.us/history.htm1727 E 107th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002