Altadena House Is Part of a Radio Pioneer’s Legacy
In 1922, Paul F. Johnson, a mechanical engineer who installed the pneumatically operated tower clock in the Philadelphia City Hall, set up KGO as one of the first radio stations on the West Coast, operating in Altadena from his 12-room, Chinese/ Mediterranean-style home on 14 acres. Three years later, he had this home built on his property for his son, Seymour. Johnson also had a house built on his estate in 1930 for his daughter, Eleanor.
About this house: Described as Spanish Colonial Revival, the house was completed in 1925 but was extensively remodeled by architect Theodore Pletsch in 1932. Seymour Johnson, a radio technician and engineer, lived there with his wife, Marian. He took title to 6.5 acres, including his home, in 1934. The property was later subdivided.
Asking price: $949,000
Size: Five bedrooms and four bathrooms in 5,090 square feet on a 12,000-square-foot lot.
Features: The formal dining room overlooks gardens and mountains. The living room has arched windows, a fireplace and French doors. The master suite has a sleeping porch. The kitchen has a breakfast nook with French doors leading to a patio and gardens. The chimney and fireplace have been upgraded, and air-conditioning and heating were installed. The home also has a large laundry room, a basement with a bonus room, a covered porch and a two-car garage with an attached tool shed.
Where: Altadena
Contact: Kathy Soulek, Coldwell Banker, Pasadena, (626) 844-2244
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, please send color interior and exterior photos (copies only, please; we cannot return the pictures) and a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
