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The main turning point in the development of the city was the coming of Edward Drummond Libbey. He saw the valley and fell in love, thinking up many plans for expansion and beautification of the existing rustic town. After fire destroyed much of the original western-style Ojai/Nordhoff in 1917, Libby helped design, finance, and build a new downtown more in line with the contemporary taste for Colonial-Revival architecture, including a Spanish-style arcade, a bell-tower reminiscent of the famous campanile in Havana, and a pergola opposite the arcade. These buildings still stand, and have come to serve as symbols of the city and the surrounding valley. To thank Libbey for his gifts to the town, the citizens proposed a celebration to take place on March 2nd of each year. Libbey declined their offer to call it "Libbey Day," and instead suggested "Ojai Day." The celebration still takes place, each year in October.
Today, Ojai is an active, though small, community. Libbey's pergola was destroyed in 1971 after being damaged in an explosion, and was recently rebuilt to complete the architectural continuity of the downtown area. The town completed a new park, Cluff Vista Park, in 2002, which contains several small, themed regions of native California vegetation.
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