The City of South Pasadena’s historic preservation plan demonstrates a commitment to protect endangered resources, the special character of the City, and the quality of its neighborhoods. The City's comprehensive historic preservation program recognizes the value that a sense of history can contribute to the community by providing stability and continuity without sacrificing goals for new growth and development. To these ends, the City Council has designated properties, districts, and sites as local City landmarks.
The built environment of South Pasadena reflects its rich heritage. Entire neighborhoods of homes built in the Craftsman, revival or Art Deco styles of 1900-1939 have survived largely intact and are enriched with mature landscaping. A handful of homes from the Victorian era are scattered throughout the community.
The historic city center and business district around Mission Street and Meridian Avenue has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the City’s historic instiutional buildings, ranging fro religious to civic, continue to play a vital role in town life. These buildings create the historic context within which the numerous historic resources of South Pasadena can be understood and evaluated.
The preservation movement in South Pasadena began in 1970 when South Pasadena Beautiful created a sub-committee to study ways and means to promote historic preservation in the community. Eventually, the subcommittee became the Jean Driskel Foundation, later renamed the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation, a private non-profit organization. The City restored the 1888 Meridian Iron Works building, which now serves as a historical museum and base for the Preservation Foundation.
South Pasadena adopted Cultural Heritage Ordinance No. 1591 in 1971 that established the Cultural Heritage Commission to advise the City Council on all preservation issues. That ordinance wsa amended by Ordinance #2004, adopted February 19, 1992, which helped clarify the role and functions of the Commissions.
The City Council contracted for a comprehensive historic resources survey in 1991 (available at the Library). The purpose of this survey was to develop an inventory of historic resources and to provide a foundation for their recognition in all future planning processes. This professional survey was conducted by an architectural historian, using National Register criteria. The criteria include age, architectural character, integrity, historical associations, and ixisting neighborhood context.
The Historic Resources Survey: Inventory of Addresses (available at the Library) was adopted by City Council on November 30, 1994. The City will use this inventory of significant historical and cultural resources when determining the appopriateness of building permit applications for exterior changes that would impact neighborhood character and historic continuity, develop appropriate preservation and conservation programs, guide the location of new developments away from areas of significance, determine which properties should be nominated for national, state or local designation, and generally raise the awareness of the community to its heritage.
| The City Council has also designated four historic districts; the Mission West Historic Business District (1982), THE El Centro/Indiana/Palm residential district (1993), THE Oak/Laurel residential district (1994) and Ramona Street Residential District (1997). Each district retains a distinct character representative of South Pasadena’s past. |
| To date, the City Council has designated 41 properties and sites as local City landmarks: |
| Conditions: South Pasadena has buildings, sites or neighborhoods of particular interest or significance, which may be associated woth historic events of local importance or a residence of a founding pioneer of the community. Other resources may be distinctive in architectural design, site or landscape treatment, and artistic features or may be distinctive because they possess unique chrcteristics or may be cultural heritage, which if lost, cnnot be lost. |
| 1. Adobe Flores & Cactus Garden, 1804 Foothill Street, 1840s |
| 2. Oaklawn Bridge & Waiting Station, Oaklawn and Fair Oaks Avenue, 1906 |
| 3. South Pasadena War Memorial Building, 435 Fair Oaks Avenue, 1906 |
| 4. Garfield Residence, 1001 Buena Vista Street, 1904 |
| 5. Meridian Iron Works, 913 Meridian Avenue, 1890s |
| 6. Wynyate, 851 Lyndon Street, 1887 |
| 7. Watering Trough-Wayside Station, across the street from Meridian Iron Works, 1907 |
| 8. South Pasadena Bank Building, 1019 El Centro Street, 1904 |
| 9. Oaklawn Portals, Oaklawn & Columbia Streets, 1905 |
| 10. South Pasadena Public Library, 1115 El Centro Street, 1907 |
| 11. Miltimore House, 1301 Chelton Way, 1911 |
| 12. Chelten Way & Ashbourne Drive, Private streets retaining rural atmosphere, 1907 |
| 13. The Clokey Oak Tree, 1635 Laurel Street (rear) |
| 14. Ashbourne-Chelten Hybrid Oak Tree, 2007 Ashbourne (removed in 1988) |
| 15. Andrew O. Porter Residene, 215 Orang Grove Avenue, 1875 |
| 16. Raymond Hill Waiting Station, Fair Oaks at Raymond Hill Road, 1903 |
| 17. Howard Longley Residence, 1005 Buena Vista Street, 1897 |
| 18. Cawston Ostrich Farm site, 100 block of Pasadena Avenue, 1896 |
| 19. Cathedral Oak Monument, 430 Arroyo Drive, |
| 20. Manuel Garfias Adobe Site, 424-430 Arroyo Drive, 1853 |
| 21. Leo Longley Residence, 1103 Monterey Road, 1888 |
| 22. Fremont Aveneue Brethren Church, 920 Fremont Avenue, 1887 |
| 23. Dr. John S. Tanner Residence, 225 Grand Avenue, 1917 |
| 24. Lloyd E. Morrison Residence, 1414 Alhambra Road, 1923 |
| 25. Rialto Theater, 1019 Fair Oaks Avenue, 1925 |
| 26. Mission Arroyo Hotel, 950-966 Mission Street, 1923 |
| 27. Barabger Studios, 729 Mission Street, 1925 |
| 28. Grokowski House, 816 Bonita Drive, 1928-1929 |
| 29. Vivekananda House, 309 Monterey Road, pre-1877 |
| 30. School Administration Building, 1327 Diamond Avenue, demolished 1985 |
| 31. Markey Building, 634-636 Mission Street, 1928 |
| 32. Eddie House & Memorial Park, 2017 Edgewood Drive, 1910 |
| 33. St. James Episcopol Church, 1325 Monterey Road, 1907 |
| 34. Century House, 1000 Mission Street (formerly at 709 Meridian Avenue), 1888 |
| 35. Adobe Eulalia Perez, 517 Garfield Avenue, 1924 |
| 36. Bissell House, 201 Orange grove Avenue, 1887 |
| 37. The Pettee Building, 1501 Mission Street, 1923 |
| 38. Garfias Spring, 400 Block of Arroyo Drive, pre-1840 |
| 39. Mabel Packard House, 2031 Berkshire Avenue, 1914 |
| 40. Washburn House, 844 Monterey Road, 1910 |
| 41. Torrance-Childs House, 929 Buena Vista Street, 1902 |
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The preservation of noteworthy structures from all stages of a city’s growth provide a three dinmensional record of the tastes and the values affecting dily lives in the past and the City, preferably as part of its comprehensive planning program, should take the necessary steps to conserve the identified buildings, sites and areas that are found to contribute significantly to its historical and cultural heritage. The city has developed broad goals to guide the actions of city departments, commissions and volunteer agencies. These policies and programs are dedicated to: |
