World Travel Guide:No historical plaque for Scientology founder
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English Heritage has rejected an application to put up a plaque at the former home of L. Ron Hubbard.
The American science fiction writer, who became a controversial figure when he founded Scientology, was based at 37 Fitzroy Street in London’s West End from 1957 to 1959. The Hubbard Foundation had applied to English Heritage for a blue plaque to mark the building. Blue plaques are recognizable to anyone who’s been to London as marking the spot of a famous event or building, or where a famous person has lived, worked, or died.
English Heritage states they rejected the application because, “It was felt that since Mr Hubbard had died only relatively recently, in 1986, that more time was required to make an objective assessment of the importance and longevity of his achievements. The panel also noted that Mr Hubbard had no address in London which could be considered as comparatively settled, and moved around a great deal.”
The Hubbard Foundation owns the building and runs it as a museum. They are appealing the ruling.
Tags: blue plaque, blue plaques, BluePlaque, BluePlaques, england, English Heritage, EnglishHeritage, l. ron hubbard, L.RonHubbard, london, religion, science fiction, ScienceFiction, Scientology