The Pearl Chase Society is hosting a 90th birthday party dinner for Kellam de Forest at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at Arnoldi’s Cafe, 600 Olive St, Santa Barbara.

Over the years, Kellam de Forest has been instrumental in preserving hundreds of Santa Barbara historical sites and was given this year’s Outstanding Community Service Award by Santa Barbara Beautiful.

The celebration will also be a fundraiser to help preserve and archive the historic materials of Kellam de Forest’s father, Lockwood de Forest.

The event is open to the public, but only a limited number of $70 tickets remain. Visit www.pearlchasesociety.org for tickets and information.

Kellam de Forest, the son of the landscape architects Lockwood de Forest and Elizabeth Kellam de Forest, was born and raised in Santa Barbara. He graduated from Yale University in 1949 with a degree in American history.

In 1952, he established a research service in Hollywood for television production providing art directors and writers with information and checking scripts for authenticity and anachronisms. The service expanded into sitcoms and drama series and later to feature motion pictures.

Research reports were issued on more than 255 TV series and 500 films.

In 1992, he retired and returned to Santa Barbara. He soon became active in preservation having been enlisted by the late Dr. Warren Austin to help him open to the public the Val Verde estate with its garden designed by Lockwood de Forest, Jr.

Kellam de Forest was one of the founding members of the Pearl Chase Society and is chairman of its preservation committee. He writes the monthly column Preservation Watch in the society’s newsletter.

To further the cause of historic preservation, he regularly attends the meetings of the city and county Historic Landmarks commissions, along with Architectural Board of Review hearings, Planning Commission hearings and pertinent City Council and the Board of Supervisors meetings.

— The Pearl Chase Society.