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.
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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.
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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX
Ultimate Arts and Crafts
Location: 630 Prospect Blvd., Pasadena 91103
Listing price: $2,295,000
Previously sold for: $2.3 million in November 2006
Original cost to build in 1911: $8,700, according to Pasadena building biographer Tim Gregory.
Size: Five bedrooms and four bathrooms in 4,536 square feet on a 15,790-square-foot lot.
Additional features: Tiger oak built-in cabinets and stairway; maid’s quarters; butler’s pantry; pocket doors; fireplaces; window seats and inglenooks; parlor; family room; sun porch/playroom; library/office; finished full-size attic with built-in cabinets; basement with outside access; outdoor kitchen with grill, stove top and fireplace; and detached two-car garage.
Around the neighborhood: 116 pre-owned homes were sold in the 91103 ZIP Code from January through November last year, according to MDA DataQuick. The median sales price was $438,500. In 2007, 151 pre-owned homes sold at a median price of $675,000. Last week, 91103 had 120 single-family listings ranging in price from $160,740 to $7,733,000, according to Realtor.com.
Listing agent: John Fairbanks, (626) 398-9000, and Carla Buiges-Washington, (626) 664-4444, both with Coldwell Banker