Ford Place Walking Tour by Pasadena Heritage

FORD PLACE WALKING

TOUR

FORD PLACE

have outlived their original function and are repurposed while still retaining their historic appearance. Fuller Seminary acquired a large portion of the Ford Place District starting in 1953, converting the numerous home interiors into office and meeting spaces.

History of one of Pasadena’s most historic neighborhoods

Welcome to Pasadena Heritage’s Self Guided walking tour of the Ford Place Historic District. Ford Place was developed between 1902 and 1916 as an exclusive upscale neighborhood, which incorporated both single family and a few multifamily residences. This T-shaped development originally featured 19 home sites with various different lot sizes.

Many original features of Ford Place can be seen today with wellmaintained building facades and even remnants of historic landscaping. Today only 11 of the original 19 structures survive, with the majority of these buildings being repurposed. This historic district is an excellent example of adaptive reuse; older structures which

The Blinn House within Ford Place is the home of Pasadena Heritage, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings within the city. Pasadena Heritage plays an active role in ensuring that future development aligns with the city’s historic character. Historic preservation makes it possible for voiceless communities to have their stories told.

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Map of Ford Place tour locations

Judson F. Carpenter House

The Carpenter House was designed by C.W. Buchanan (1854-1921) a prominent architect in Pasadena. A native of Illinois, he settled here in 1885. Buchanan was commissioned to design both private and public structures, throughout the city. Notable structures of his design can be found throughout Pasadena, as well as on Ford Place. The exterior of this Craftsman style home features five asymmetrical gabled dormers, with half timbering in gable ends. Horizontal lapped siding can be seen on the façade of the home, along with a wide variety of window types. The windows featured throughout the home’s exterior range from double hung, casement, transom, and fixed. The front door features a glass center panel and is flanked by leaded glass windows. Doric columns are a significant feature on the homes L shaped front porch. The cost of constructing this residence was $19,235, which was more than double the price of other Ford Place single-family homes.

Judson F. Carpenter House (Slessor Hall) 145 N. Oakland Ave. Architect: C.W. Buchanan Style: Craftsman Built: 1906

Hubbard & McAlister Libraries In 2009 the Hubbard library was built as an addition to the already existing McAlister Library. Within the libraries one can find Fuller Seminary’s archive, a computer lab, as well as countless texts relating to the school’s mission. The Hubbard library was designed by William McDonough and Partners, an architecture firm well-known for its emphasis on green construction. The building contains many recycled materials and is intended to be energy- and water-efficient. That reflects Fuller’s theological emphasis on good stewardship of the world’s resources.

PRAYER GARDEN

Fuller Seminary’s Prayer Garden is featured on the south side of the current campus. It is used as a place of quiet worship and prayer for those who attend the school. Architect Clifton Allen & Associates had prepared a master plan for Fuller Seminary and this was an additional component that was built. The vacant property south of the Prayer Garden to Union Street was intended as the site for a future chapel. The property to the east was the location of the Herkimer Arms (1912), the only apartment building designed by Charles and Henry Greene. It was saved from demolition by being moved to a site north of the 210 Freeway. 5

Charles J. Behlow House (Glasser Hall) 110 N. Oakland Ave. Architect: C.F. Driscoll Style: Craftsman Built: 1905 The Behlow House was originally built for Charles and Blanche Behlow. Although this stately home features 11 spacious rooms, the Behlows permanent residence was in San Francisco. Thus making this a vacation home for their family. A well-established New York City architect by the name of Charles F. Driscoll (1841-1929) designed this Craftsman style home. Symmetry, strong horizontal lines, bay windows, and a lack of exposed beams define Driscoll’s signature architectural style. Although this home was built in 1905, Colonial Revival elements were a later addition to the exterior in 1925. A prominent feature of the home’s exterior is its side-facing gable, which is broken by two hipped dormers.

Charles J. Behlow House

John Grosse House

John Grosse House (Grosse Hall) 120 N. Oakland Ave. Built: 1905

The Grosse House was originally owned by John Grosse, an Immigrant from Germany who arrived in the United States in early 1865 near the end of the Civil War. Grosse occupied this home from the time it was built in 1905 until his death in 1932. John’s wife Annie remained in the home until 1938 when its purpose shifted from

being a single family home to being the headquarters for various different charitable organizations. The home’s exterior features a cross-axial gambrel roof, a large dormer, wood shingles, and lapped siding. All of the homes exterior features are original except for the addition of a rear entry pergola.

W.A. McHenry House The McHenry House is the very first home to be built in Ford Place. Originally built as a winter home for the McHenry family, this beautiful Craftsman/Tudor hybrid maintains many of its original features. The front door and its sidelights are completely original to the home, as is the large date palm that landscapes the front yard. The homes façade is visibly decorated with three very different materials. Cast stone is featured along the home’s porch, while plaster and lapped siding are incorporated on its various levels.

W. A. McHenry House (Kreyssler Hall) 130 N. Oakland Ave. Style: Craftsman/Tudor Built: 1903

Orelia K. Hines House

The Hines House was designed by the prolific architect Sylvanus B. Marston (1883-1946). Marston moved to Pasadena with his parents at the age of 4 months old and continued his life and career in the area. Marston began his architectural practice in 1908 and the Hines House was built in 1912, making it an early example of his long spanning career. Having designed over 1000 homes and other buildings in his career, his work in Ford Place matches his signature style of attention to detail and use of high quality materials. This home was moved to its present location in 1986 from the South East corner of Walnut and Oakland Avenue.

Orelia K. Hines House (Carnell Hall) 140 N. Oakland Ave. Architect: Sylvanus Marston Built: 1912

Warren K. and Belle Dunn House (Taylor Hall) 150 N. Oakland Ave. Architect: C.W. Buchanan Style: Craftsman Built: 1904 One of the earliest on Ford Place, the home of Warren K. and Belle Dunn designed in 1904 by C.W. Buchanan. An exceptionally steeped hipped roof tops this Craftsman style home. Chalet and Gothic design elements can be seen decorating the buildings façade. The gothic design shines through when viewing the mahogany front door and its sidelights. The Chalet style is visible when viewing the home’s bargeboard cut outs and shingles on the second floor. The porch has walls of solid ashlar stone, which speaks to the quality of the materials that went into the building of this home

Warren K. & Belle Dunn House

BLINN HOUSE

The Blinn House 160 N. Oakland Ave Architect: G.W. Maher Style: Prairie Built: 1906

The Blinn House was built for Edmund and Kate Blinn, two Midwesterners who were early residents of Pasadena. The Blinn’s created their fortune in the lumber business before relocating to Pasadena. While Mr. Blinn passed away in 1926, Mrs. Blinn continued to occupy house until 1941 when it was sold to Gloria Gartz. She held it until 1945 and passed ownership to the Women’s City Club when it was founded. Pasadena Heritage acquired possession of the Blinn house in 2020, and after numerous updates transferred its offices into the residence in 2022. This Prairie Style home designed by the renowned Chicago architect George Washington

Maher (1864-1926) is recognized on the National Register for Historic Places. The Blinn House is one of only two known commissions by Maher in California. Maher was a significant contributor to what is now known as the “Prairie School of Architecture”. His work on the Blinn House is a fantastic representation of symmetry and the repetition of unifying motifs. Situated on a double lot, this three-story abode possesses a hipped roof and a broken arch motif throughout it’s interior and exterior. In 1964 the home’s main entrance was relocated to the carriage entry on the buildings North side when the front porch was enclosed.

Benjamin L. Richards House The Richards House was built in 1909 and originally designed by renowned architect Fredrick L. Roehrig (1857-1948) This home doesn’t resemble its original design due to substantial additions and alterations over time. Roehrig studied architecture in both England and France and brought his skills to Pasadena to design numerous upscale homes. The home was acquired by the University Club in 1925.

Clark K. & Mary H. Cook House

Benjamin L. Richards House (University Club of Pasadena) 175 N. Oakland Ave. Architect: Frederick L. Roehrig Style: Craftsman (before front addition) Built: 1909

The Cook House retains its Italian Renaissance Revival characteristics from the time of its creation in 1916, in the form of stucco exterior, a flat roof, and a porte cochere supported by classical columns that are present to this day. Although the home’s architect is unknown, its classic structure remains a visible representation of its style within Ford Place.

Clark K. & Mary H. Cook House 465 Ford Pl. Style: Italian Renaissance Revival Built: 1916

Clara L. Hatch House Although this home’s architect is unknown and it’s original features have been substantially obscured overtime, its original Mission Revival style still peaks through when viewing the homes curved parapet. It is a rare surviving example of this style in Pasadena.

Clara L. Hatch House 460 Ford Pl. Style: Mission Revival (heavily modified) Built: 1904

J. Herbert Hall Apartments 451-455 Ford Place Architect: C.W. Buchanan Style: Tudor Revival Built: 1913

The Hall Apartments were commissioned to be built by J. Herbert Hall, the founder of a popular Pasadena Jewelry store chain, Hall Jewelers. C. W. Buchanan was the architect. The original façade of the building remains intact other than the addition of a wooden fire escape. Although built

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for multi-family usage this building closely resembles the single-family homes that inhabit Ford Place. The home’s steep side gabled roof with gabled dormers, conical tower, and bay windows are all representative of its Tudor Revival style.

ERICKSON Apartments

The Erickson Apartments consists of 3 buildings used for multi-family purposes. Designed by Sylvanus Marston, they were both commissioned and built by the owner John Erickson. The primary façade on Los Robles is of Classical Revival style, while the structures closest to Ford Place resemble Mediterranean Revival with Arts and Crafts decorative accents. These residences are hybridized through the use of stucco, exposed rafters, and gabled wooden porches.

Erickson Apartments 450-456 Ford Place Architect: Sylvanus Marston Style: Mixed Revival/Craftsman Built: 1913

160 NORTH OAKLAND AVENUE PASADENA, CA 91101

Front cover photo: The Ford Place Histroric District, looking north. All photos courtesy of Nick Giovanazzi

The mission of Pasadena Heritage is to identify, preserve, and protect the historic, architectural, and cultural resources of the City of Pasadena through advocacy and education.

PASADENA HERITAGE

STAFF

Sue Mossman, Executive Director Kristen Norton, Education Director Andrew Salimian, Preservation Director Kyle Grimes, Operations & Membership Director Michael Lichtman, Development Director Nick Giovanazzi, Blinn House Coordinator

180 North Oakland Avenue Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 441-6333 www.pasadenaheritage.org preservation@pasadenaheritage.org