A rosy, cozy showplace
Visitors to the Rose Bowl who take the scenic route into the stadium’s adjacent neighborhoods may come upon a leafy enclave of timeless, grand homes. Anchored by Prospect Boulevard, Pasadena’s Prospect Historic District counts among its famous addresses Frank Lloyd Wright’s La Miniatura, Charles and Henry Greene’s Gamble House and, though lesser known, a 1911 two-story home by architect Sylvanus B. Marston.
Marston is considered a master architect who expanded the humble aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement into mansions for wealthy Pasadena residents. Yet this five-bedroom, four-bathroom house is at once a showplace for entertaining and a cozy family home.
Many imposing early 20th century homes and the private K-8 Chandler School are in the neighborhood, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Rose Bowl and its attractions are within walking distance of the district, which is quiet even though it sits near the 210 and 134 freeways and Old Pasadena. The grand scale of the homes and the broad, shady streets prove irresistible to film crews, which show up with some frequency.
Set on a broad lawn alongside a canopy of massive trees, the 4,536-square-foot house retains such period details as built-in oak cabinetry, a tiger oak stairway, multiple pocket doors, fireplaces, leaded-glass windows, inglenooks, window seats and wood-beam ceilings.
Large windows provide garden views and allow light into every room. A butler’s pantry, built-in shelves, dressing rooms, maid’s quarters and generous basement provide ample storage. The current owners’ active children play in the finished attic, along the paved and gated driveway and in a carpeted, second-floor playroom.
Various owners have added improvements throughout the years, including an enclosed sun porch, an outdoor kitchen with fireplace, and a formal English garden. Rose vines drape around a hot tub, dog run and archway, while neatly clipped hedges zigzag up sloping hillsides and delicate ornamental trees shelter outdoor seating areas.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Real Estate, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.