Group Honors Renovation of Historic Home : Landmarks: Built more than a century ago, the house was quietly dying of neglect and earthquake damage. The new owner used old photos--and TLC--to restore it.
Hidden from view by massive orange trees planted more than a century ago, Whittier’s second-oldest home was quietly crumbling.
The Eastlake Victorian-style house that William Strawbridge built for his bride in 1887, once painted in shades of blue and pumpkin, was weather-beaten. It tilted several inches to the right following the 1987 Whittier earthquake, and makeshift beams were used to prop it up.
For years, owner Dorothy McGee, who inherited the house in 1944, had lived alone and without the means to fix the house, so in 1990 she sold it to contractor Mike Arcadi and his wife, Alison. Starting from the foundation, they worked for two years to restore the five-bedroom house. For their efforts, the Arcadis recently received the Outstanding Residential Restoration Award from the Whittier Conservancy.
Each year, the conservancy gives an award for commercial and residential restoration and for new construction that reflects the historic character of the neighborhood.
Arcadi said he drove by the aging landmark at 13648 La Cuarta St. many times and imagined how it might look if he had a chance to restore it.
After he bought the house for $160,000, he relied on historic pictures to guide his renovation. Because the roof leaked, the walls were cracked and floors were worn, Arcadi gutted the interior. Only the doors, window moldings and picture rails were saved. A shining parquet floor was installed, and the attic was converted into a bedroom with a fireplace.
Outside, the foliage was trimmed, fish-scale shingles were replaced, and the house was painted five shades of blue, with white trim and pumpkin accents. It cost Arcadi $60,000 to repair whatever could be salvaged and replace the rest.
The house looks very much the way it did when it was built, according to the Whittier Conservancy.
“It’s outstanding what he did with that house,” President Joe Holliday said. “Even though it had historical significance, it was becoming an eyesore.”
Only a handful of Victorian-style houses remain in Whittier, Holliday said. Most residences are simple, box-like Craftsman style or the smaller California bungalow, with horizontal siding.
The conservancy also gave an award to Judith Stockman for outstanding commercial restoration. Stockman is a business consultant who bought and restored the Mission Court, which was built in 1912 as the regional headquarters of Standard Oil. The Mission-style property at 13033 Penn St. had been restored once but was damaged during the Whittier quake, Stockman said. Stockman was honored for again restoring the building.
The conservancy also gives awards for new construction. One went to David and Deborah Tweedy, who built a Queen Anne Victorian house, and another to Ed and Beverly Patrick, who built a Midwestern farmhouse.
The homes replaced ones destroyed in the earthquake. The Tweedys’ house at 5701 Pickering Ave. was designed by La Mirada architect Dennis Dickerson and built by Arcadi. Dickerson also served as architect of the Patrick house across the street.
All winners receive a plaque and a sign they can post on their property.
The Whittier Conservancy was formed after the earthquake to safeguard the city’s historic buildings and natural resources. The group advises the City Council and Board of Supervisors on demolition or restoration in the city, said John Smith, conservancy secretary.
