Altadena Postcard shows Eaton Canyon in 1915

Postcard - Altadena Drive north of New York

Today the road is paved but the mountains remain the same. The red arrow points to the Mt. Wilson toll road in Eaton Canyon.  

The two vehicles in the far background
date the photo to about 1915.

1915

Same view today

Thurston City Directories

Thurston City Directories

By Kathy Hoskins    

Have you ever wondered who lived in your house before you?  At archives we have an easy way of finding out.  We can also tell you what the homeowner did for a living.  Or maybe you want to know more about someone who lived in the area but your information is sketchy. ­ We can help with that too. A lot of information awaits you in our collection of city directories  (printed by the Thurston company) dating from 1911 to 1976. The reverse address listing is one of the most helpful features. If you know a particular address you can find out who lived there on any given year between 1911 and 1976 (with a few years missing).  You can then look up the name in the regular listing and find out the individual’s profession and place of employment. (Read more after the break.)

Altadena Landmarks - Then and Now

We dug around in our archives and came up with some photos of two Altadena landmarks showing what they looked like when they were built, and what they look like now.

2501 Maiden Ln., Altadena, CA 91001
House Col. G. G. Green built as a
wedding gift for daughter Altadena Green.
1912 photo shows house under construction.

Today the house serves as
Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School.

The Arroyo Seco's Devil's Gate Dam,
built in 1920 and the first flood control dam
 in L. A. County, was a reservoir.
Note the devil's face in center of photo.

Today the dam is a pedestrian bridge
 and debris flow basin, capturing run-off from the
San Gabriel Mountain watershed.  Note
 the face is now covered with concrete.

New Photos of Altadena's Cobb Estate

Charles Cobb made his fortune in lumber, starting off as a humble lumberjack in his home state of Maine and later Washington.  Prior to his retirement he served as president of International Lumber Company. In 1916, he and his wife Carrie purchased a substantial part of Las Flores ranch and built their dream home in the shadow of Echo Mountain.  

Artist's rendering

Carrie passed away in 1935 and Charles in 1939. He willed the property to Pasadena's Scottish Rite Temple on the southeast corner of El Molino and Walnut where he was a member for many years.  

Two years later the property was sold and then passed hands several time. Finally in the late 1950s the house was torn down due to neglect and vandalism.  The photo below of the north facade of the house is one of very few pictures that exist.

However, AHS recently discovered this very rare photo (below) of the south facade of the house which was published in the Pasadena Star News preceding demolition.

When Cobb built the house, he installed central air conditioning. Southern California Edison noted some of the home's interior in a brochure promoting the novel invention.   To see those photos, go to the Huntington Library photo collection.   

Huntington Library Photo Collection

Cobb's estate, at the top of Lake Avenue, is now a park managed by the U. S. Forest Service.  And as far as AHS knows, contrary to popular belief, there are no ghosts haunting the property.

Altadena's 1926 Avon Apartments

The Avon Apartments building on the northwest corner of Woodbury and El Sereno was featured in the 1926 Chamber publication, Altadena the Beautiful, as the latest in apartment living.  Even after nine decades of repair and well-meant improvements, the building still shows off some of its craftsman detail. The lovely rooftop pergola is gone but the integrity of the tower and roof line remain.

The New Avon Apartments in 1926

Greene and Greene 1902 Remodel of Historic Altadena Home

By Kathy Hoskins
In 1902 Charles and Henry Greene's architectural firm prepared plans for alterations to the home of George G. Guyer in Altadena.  This home was the former residence of Col. George G. Green, who made millions in unregulated patent medicines.

The 23- room home located on the southwest corner of Santa Rosa and Mariposa was built in 1887 as a winter residence for Col. Green and his family.  Called “The Ranch” by the family, the home was designed by Fredrick Roehrig who also designed the neighboring McNally home as well as Col. Green’s Islamic Revival Green Hotel.   The Green family spent their winters in Altadena until 1900 when the house was sold to George Guyer and his wife Maria. 

The house about 1890
Source: Huntington Library Digital Collection

The Greene brothers'  original plans, which are on file at the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University in New York, show alterations to the living and dining rooms of the home.  The dining room alterations include the addition of rosettes to be carved into the sideboard.  The living room details include the addition of bookcases, new details for ceiling beams, and a new mantel with carvings of the initial “G” in the woodwork.

A new dining room mantel was inscribed with a line from Robert Browning’s poem “Pippa Passes.”   This inscription of phrases of poems was in the spirit of the American Arts and Crafts Movement popular at the time.

New fireplace mantel with inscription
designed by Charles and Henry Greene

The picture below shows the interior of Guyer's home before the remodel.  Originally the estate encompassed the entire block between Santa Rosa and Santa Anita, and Mariposa and Mendocino.  The home, like many on Mariposa, had its main entrance facing south to take advantage of the ocean view.  

The fussy Victorian style interior so popular
in the 1880s was in need of modernization in 1902.

The house was raised in the 1950s and today is the site of Altadena Public Library.