Pasadena Heritage

We are thrilled once again to be one of more than 80 historic sites featured during the California Preservation Foundation’s Doors Open program this month!

🏠 Join us on Sunday, September 22nd from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM for a guided tour of the Blinn House led by our experienced docents. Pair your docent-led tour with a self-guided tour of the Ford Place Historic District, of which the Blinn House is a part. Brochures will be made available for those who wish to explore the historic district on their own.

Visit the California Preservation Foundation’s site at the link below to register for the tour!

https://californiapreservation.org/doca/

📷: Courtesy of Tavo Olmos and Dennis Hill

🎭 Did you know that the Pasadena Playhouse’s story began back in 1917 when an acting troupe called the Gilmor Brown Players settled in the city? The Players were popular amongst Pasadena residents, and locals donated funds to move the Players from an old burlesque house into the new Pasadena Community Playhouse in 1924, which opened the following year.

The Tony award-winning Pasadena Playhouse is the official State Theatre of California, and it is set to celebrate 100 years in 2025. The Playhouse is kicking off its 2024 - 2025 season this fall.

Pasadena Heritage has a long history working with the Playhouse and holds a preservation easement on the building. We are happy to support its preservation and success!

📷: Los Angeles Public Library, Security Pacific National Bank Collection Forecourt, Pasadena Playhouse ca. 1924

👟 Thank you to everyone who joined us for last weekend’s Old Pasadena Walking Tour! Pasadena Heritage Board member and docent John Dean took attendees through the southern portion of Old Pasadena, exploring its rich and diverse history. Attendees were delighted with an interior stop at the historic Castle Green and local businesses, too!

Old Pasadena Walking Tours are graciously sponsored by the Old Pasadena Management District.

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🚘 Thank you to everyone who attended our “Automobiles & the Art Deco Era in Pasadena” lecture last Thursday evening!

Attendees enjoyed a dinner buffet from hosted by Pasadena Heritage Board member John Dean, followed by a fascinating lecture.

Pasadena Heritage Board member Dave Nufer gave a brief overview of the differences between Art Deco and Streamline Moderne architecture and the ways in which those architectural styles influenced interior design and household appliances.

Then presenter John Roth, an expert on Art Deco automotive from the 1920s to 1940s, walked us through the fast-paced evolution of automobile design and its history in Pasadena during those decades.

Thank you to John Dean, Dave Nufer, and John Roth for an informative lecture and interesting discussion!

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You’ve been to Old Pasadena, but how much do you know about the history you walk by every day?

👟 Join us on Saturday, August 3rd at 10am for a walking tour through the southern portion of Old Pasadena - tickets at the link below!

This walking tour explores the rich and diverse history of Dayton Street and some of Pasadena’s earliest Black-owned businesses, the first Fire Station, and the Friendship Pasadena Church (previously the Friendship Baptist Church). This narrated and guided tour will also include the story of Mills Place Alley, the site of an 1885 fire at a Chinese laundry, which resulted in the expulsion of Pasadena’s Chinese population from the city’s original commercial district.

The tour is about 1.5 hours and covers approximately 1.5 miles.

Old Pasadena tours are graciously sponsored by the Old Pasadena Management District.

📷: The Dayton Street Fire Station in 1937, photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/old-pasadena-walking-tour-south-tickets-951777069837?aff=efbevent&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3vm1oTB5XcHyZjZkw--feDK7SBhJsjngj0KYmOYqfl0uEifsTOObtXxQY_aem_6vOCOgnknSwRLjzu92Su7w

☀️ It’s been one year since the Colorado Street Bridge Party last July! With summer and the heat in full swing, here’s a look back at the former Vista del Arroyo Hotel pool and bungalows in front of the Colorado Street Bridge circa 1937.

Marston and Van Pelt designed the Vista del Arroyo Hotel in 1920, and in 1930, George Wiemeyer added the tower. Myron Hunt was also employed to design some of the bungalows. In 1981, the hotel and courtyards were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While the pool and several bungalows did not survive, the hotel was adaptively reused and became a District Court building in 2001.

The Colorado Street Bridge was designed and built in 1913 by the Kansas City (MO)-based firm of J.A.L. Waddell. With a span of 1,486 feet and known for its distinctive Beaux Arts arches, lights, and railings, the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

📷: Schultheis, Herman, circa 1937, made accessible through a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation. Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection.

🚘 An expert on Art Deco automotive from the 1920s to 1940s, John Roth will join us on July 25th to speak about the automobile history in Pasadena and the unique attributes of the West Coast that shaped our transportation history and spurred the growth of the automobile industry in Pasadena. John Roth is a former docent and presenter from the recently-closed Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, and he will be joined by fellow presenter and Pasadena Heritage Board member John Dean for this special talk.

Don’t miss “Automobiles & the Art Deco Era in Pasadena” on July 25th at 6 PM. Be sure to grab your tickets at the link below before this event sells out!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaker-series-automobiles-the-art-deco-era-in-pasadena-tickets-924033056747?aff=website

Board member and docent John Dean and Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern Frances Leiter welcomed guests to our sold-out Art Deco Architecture of the Playhouse District Walking Tour last weekend. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Miss the tour and still looking for more Art Deco events? Attend a special presentation of “Automobiles & the Art Deco Era in Pasadena” on July 25th at 6 PM. Grab tickets below before they’re gone!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaker-series-automobiles-the-art-deco-era-in-pasadena-tickets-924033056747?aff=website

🚘 Don’t miss “Automobiles & the Art Deco Era in Pasadena,” a special presentation on July 25th at 6 PM. Be sure to grab your tickets at our link below before this event sells out!

Pasadena has a rich automobile history, and several notable landmarks related to Pasadena’s car culture are still present today along Green Street and Colorado Boulevard. Join us for a presentation on the elements of Art Deco and Streamline Modern design in architecture and beyond, and learn how these design elements carried into everything from household appliances to automobiles!

🎤 An expert on Art Deco automotive from the 1920s to 1940s, presenter John Roth will share about the automobile history in Pasadena and the unique attributes of the West Coast that shaped our transportation history and spurred the growth of the automobile industry in Pasadena. John Roth is a former docent and presenter from the recently-closed Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, and he will be joined by fellow presenter and Pasadena Heritage Board member John Dean.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaker-series-automobiles-the-art-deco-era-in-pasadena-tickets-924033056747?aff=website

📷: Don Lee Cadillac, 1927, Huntington Library, Harold A Parker Collection

Art Deco Architecture of the Playhouse District Walking Tour is sold out for July 6th! Check our website for tickets to future events before they’re gone 🎟️

The Pasadena Playhouse Historic District contains approximately 34 buildings, which represent the eastward growth of the city’s urban core during the 1920s and 1930s. During this period of development, Art Deco architecture was gaining popularity and was the chosen style for several commercial buildings in the District. On this tour, we will explore the Art Deco architecture in this historic district (both old and new!), learn about the prominent architects behind their designs, and hear about Pasadena Heritage’s involvement in the preservation and development of these buildings.

Playhouse District Walking Tours are graciously sponsored by the Playhouse Village Association.

📷: United Artists Theater, 1930s, Southern California Library, Mott-Merge Collection

Thank you for joining Preservation Pasadena Part II - Shaping Suburbia: The Modern Era & Early Suburban Design last weekend!

We were delighted to welcome multiple sold-out crowds to two brand new walking tours and special lectures by Alan Hess and Dr. Becky Nicolaides. Thank you to all who joined us or volunteered their time, and special thanks to our lead sponsor Chattel, Inc. and co-sponsor A Noise Within!

🎵 Last Thursday was Pasadena Heritage member night at the historic Pasadena Playhouse. Members were able to purchase discounted tickets to “Jelly’s Last Jam” and enjoyed libations in the wine library before the show and during intermission. Thank you, Pasadena Playhouse, for a wonderful evening in your historic theatre!

Shaping Suburbia: The Modern Era & Early Suburban Design is almost here! 🎟️ Head to our link below for tickets for a weekend series of events on June 22nd - 23rd.

Sunday, June 23rd events include:

👟 Lower Hastings Ranch Waking Tour (1940s - 1960s) exploring Minimal Ranch-Style homes and several Character Ranch-Style multifamily buildings with Polynesian flare.

🎤 Presentation & Book Signing - “The New Suburbia: How Diversity Remade Suburban Life in Los Angeles after 1945” by Dr. Becky Nicolaides at the Blinn House and via Zoom.

🎟️ Get Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shaping-suburbia-the-modern-era-early-suburban-design-tickets-910080704887

Shaping Suburbia, the second installment of Preservation Pasadena, is graciously sponsored in part by Chattel, Inc., our Lead Sponsor, and A Noise Within Theatre.

📷: (1) 1950s Hastings Ranch. Photo courtesy of the Pasadena Public Library. (2) Speaker, author, and historian Dr. Becky Nicolaides

Preservation Pasadena Part II - Shaping Suburbia: The Modern Era & Early Suburban Design is just over one week away! 🎟️ Head to our link below to grab tickets for this weekend series of events on June 22nd - 23rd.

Saturday, June 22nd events include:

👟 Annandale Road Walking Tour (1920s & 1930s) exploring the Weston-Bungalowcraft Landmark District with an interior stop

🎤 Presentation & Reception - “Living the Suburban Dream in Hastings Ranch” with Alan Hess at A Noise Within’s theatre and the historic Stuart Pharmaceutical Building

🎟️ Get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shaping-suburbia-the-modern-era-early-suburban-design-tickets-910080704887

Preservation Pasadena Part II is graciously sponsored in part by Chattel, Inc., our Lead Sponsor, and A Noise Within Theatre.

📷: (1) A home in the Weston-Bungalowcraft Landmark District (2) Speaker Alan Hess, author of 21 books on Modern architecture and urbanism in the mid-20th century (3) The Stuart Pharmaceutical Building, photo credit: Jim Staub

Preservation Pasadena Part II is almost here! During June 22nd - 23rd, join us for a weekend series of events for Shaping Suburbia: The Modern Era & Early Suburban Design.

🏠 Explore the evolution of Pasadena’s “suburbs” through the decades, learn from experts, and tour unique historic neighborhoods that are actually housing tracts from the 1920s to the 1960s. This weekend includes TWO BRAND NEW walking tours in Lower Hastings Ranch and the Weston-Bungalowcraft Landmark District, two very different examples of early tract housing in Pasadena.

🎟️ For full event details and tickets, please visit our link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shaping-suburbia-the-modern-era-early-suburban-design-tickets-910080704887

Preservation Pasadena Part II is graciously sponsored in part by Chattel, Inc., our Lead Sponsor, and A Noise Within Theatre.

📷: (1) The Stuart Pharmaceutical Building, photo credit: Jim Staub (2) A home in the Weston-Bungalowcraft Landmark District (3) 1950s Hastings Ranch, photo credit: Pasadena Public Library

🎶 This Saturday, June 8th, the historic 1906 Blinn House will transform into a jazz club with live music performed by EPC Jazz Group! Join us for Preservation Libations from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM for a fun and festive evening with excellent music, delicious New Orleans-themed hors d’oeuvres and festive libations. You simply will not want to miss this soiree!

🎟️ Grab your tickets before they’re gone: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/preservation-libations-jazz-club-classics-at-the-blinn-house-tickets-901911610907

Last Friday, the City of Pasadena’s Historic Preservation Commission presented its annual awards for projects that represent the best of restoration, rehabilitation, and preservation. Pasadena Heritage was honored and very proud to be an award recipient this year for the restoration of the Blinn House Pergola!

Accepting the award for Pasadena Heritage were Historic Architect William Washington Ellinger III who designed and oversaw the restoration of the complex wood structure, Master Carpenter Robert Kaiser who built and installed the replicated wood pieces needed and stabilized the remaining original elements, and outgoing Executive Director Sue Mossman. We were proud, indeed, to win this award for the restoration of the intricate and character-defining pergola that graces the front of the 1906 Blinn House.

With the retirement of Executive Director Sue Mossman, the Pasadena Heritage Board of Directors has chosen our new Executive Director, Erin Simon. An extraordinary candidate, selected through an extensive search process, Erin brings a love of history, dedication to community building, marketing background, and excellent fundraising credentials to the organization. As past President and CEO of the National Blues Museum in St. Louis, MO, Erin has in-depth non-profit management experience, and she has also rehabilitated a number of historic homes.

Erin’s official start date is June 3rd. We look forward to introducing Erin to you and to the greater Pasadena community in the weeks ahead. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Erin as our next Executive Director!

Learn more here: https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/pasadena-heritage-welcomes-new-executive-director

Join us on Saturday, June 1st for “The Off Ramp” Neighborhood Walking Tour!

Development of major transportation routes forever changed the residential landscape of Pasadena, but if one looks closely, remnants of our bungalow past are still present and are explored on this tour. Join us as we walk one of Pasadena’s neighborhoods, shaped in part by the construction of the railroad and freeway, and trace roughly fourteen decades of evolution. It is estimated that the 210 Freeway caused the displacement of over 4,000 residents in Pasadena as it cut a wide path through the middle and northwest portions of the city. The freeway became operational in 1974, three years before the formation of Pasadena Heritage. Despite the demolition of homes and the intrusion of incongruent construction, some of the historic fabric remains.

Tickets are going fast and available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-off-ramp-neighborhood-walking-tour-tickets-883749658017?aff=oddtdtcreator

We were delighted to partner with the USC Pacific Asia Museum this past Sunday to provide docents of each organization with a very special continuing education opportunity. The USC PAM shared information about traditional Japanese- and Chinese-designed gardens, the “Treasure House,” and Grace Nicholson. Dave Nufer, Pasadena Heritage Board Member, presented on the many Asian influences seen in Pasadena’s typical architectural styles, ranging from Craftsman architecture to Mid-Century Modern and Ranch-Style homes at the Blinn House.

📷: (1) Grace Nicholson Gallery, Los Angeles Public Library, 1939 (2) and (3) Last Sunday’s event at USC PAM and Pasadena Heritage’s Blinn House

Preservation Director applications are open!

Pasadena Heritage is seeking a person with a passion for preservation and knowledge of historic buildings who wants to help save historic places. We would like to hear from you if you enjoy the role of advocate, are an excellent communicator, and want to work with a great team of professionals and volunteers. To learn more about this opportunity and how to apply, please visit our website at the link below.

https://pasadenaheritage.org/careers/

Pasadena Heritage is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, and any other characteristic as required by the law.

THANK YOU for supporting the Sue Mossman Retirement Dinner on May 4th! It was a wonderful celebration at the Athenaeum honoring Sue and her nearly five-decade career with Pasadena Heritage. More than 200 guests enjoyed cocktails, music, dinner and remarks in one of Pasadena’s most beautiful historic buildings. Thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored, spoke, volunteered or donated. All proceeds from this event support the continued success of our preservation, education and advocacy efforts.

Pasadena Heritage is also proud to announce that a new endowment fund has been established in Sue’s honor, the Sue Mossman Historic Preservation Fund! Donations to the new endowment will be set aside and invested, generating annual income for the organization and its mission in the future. The first $50,000 has been raised to launch the fund from a group of generous Founders of the Fund. For more information about the fund and how to contribute, please visit our link below.

https://pasadenaheritage.org/sue-mossman-historic-preservation-fund/

📷: By Richard Anthony Photography

Two of the projects Pasadena Heritage has been advocating for, the North Lake Specific Plan, and the Swanson & Peterson Furniture Factory, were the subjects of heated debate at the Planning Commission Wednesday. More details courtesy of Pasadena Now.

Planning Commission Calls for North Lake “Transformation”; Votes Down Porsche Dealership Design – Pasadena Now Daily Newsmagazine and City Guide to Pasadena, California featuring local news, breaking news, events, weather, sports news, schools news, shopping, restaurants and more from Pasadena Now

May is National Preservation Month, and what better way to kick off the celebration than an historic walking tour through Old Pasadena this Saturday, May 4th at 10 AM. Only a few tickets remain, so grab them soon at the link below!

This tour includes the northern section of Old Pasadena beginning at Memorial Park and walking south through several historic alleyways. It features the ruins of Pasadena’s second library, a historic theatre that is now readapted as condominiums, and perhaps one of the most controversial preservation stories regarding an entire block that was saved.

Old Pasadena is a shopping and dining destination, but without Pasadena Heritage, this National Register Historic District would have been destroyed! Now it is one of the finest examples of downtown revitalizations in the country. Tour the District with the group who saved it from the wrecking ball. One of our trained docents will guide you and reveal its many hidden and unusual architectural details, old alleyways, and historic signs.

The tour is approximately 1.5 hours and covers approximately 1.5 miles. Old Pasadena Walking Tours are graciously sponsored by the Old Pasadena Management District.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/old-pasadena-walking-tour-north-tickets-791396758007?aff=erelexpmlt

📷: Courtesy of

JOIN THE PARTY: Sue Mossman Retirement Dinner on May 4th!

After an illustrious career spanning nearly five decades, our Executive Director of 30 years and Pasadena Heritage employee of 45 will be retiring. Please join us as we honor Sue and her career at the Sue Mossman Retirement Dinner, Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Athenaeum at Caltech. The evening’s festivities will include a cocktail reception, dinner, live entertainment, and heartfelt farewells.

Individual reservations are being accepted through April 29th, and we hope you will join us. Sponsorships are still available at the Corporate or Individual levels. Sponsors will receive recognition at the event, on our website and in event publications. All proceeds from this event will support the continued success of our preservation, education and advocacy efforts.

For more details and reservations, please visit https://pasadenaheritage.org/suemossmanretirementdinner/

📷: Sue Mossman throughout her career with Pasadena Heritage