San Fernando Valley : Goode House Opens as Part of Complex for Disabled

Two years ago, the E.D. Goode House was infested with termites, dilapidated by years of vandalism and neglect, and surrounded by a chain-link fence, unfit for human habitation.

But today, the historic home will be rechristened, fully restored and given a new lease on life. In a $4.3 million project of Glendale’s housing authority and the Crippled Children’s Society, the 1887 vintage house, built by early Glendale civic activist Edgar D. Goode, will become the centerpiece of a 25-unit housing complex for the disabled.

Preservationists struggled for years to restore the Victorian landmark. City officials called the end result a “perfect marriage” of historic restoration and a charitable cause.

“This is the last example of Eastlake/Queen Anne architecture in the city,” said Dave Ahern, a project manager for the city’s housing department. “It’s a significant piece of history, because Mr. Goode did everything from bringing electric rail transportation to Glendale, to helping found the Glendale schools. Now it’s back looking the way it should, and it’s going to serve a very good cause.”

The Crippled Children’s Society will operate the apartment complex, which will house low-income disabled adults and their families, while the Goode House will contain offices used by the charity and a recreation room for residents. Under a 40-year contract, it will also be open for tours and used for community meetings of the Glendale Historical Society and other groups, Ahern said.

The project got rolling in 1992 when the society approached the city with a $2 million federal grant. The housing authority then bought the house, which had been unoccupied for more than 10 years, from Joe Ayvazi, a local developer, for about $725,000. The city spent about $2.3 million in funds designated for low-income housing toward the project.

City officials worked with architects to make sure the new apartments matched the old Victorian home, and preserve the Goode House’s eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places while making it comply with federal disabled-access laws.