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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: 900 Eilinita Avenue: Consideration of Glendale Register Nomination and Request for a Mills Act Historic Property Contract.
1. Resolution to designate the residential property at 900 Eilinita Avenue as a historic resource in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources and authorize the City Manager to enter into a Mills Act Historical Property Contract with the property owner.
2. Motion to deny the request of the property owner to designate the residential property at 900 Eilinita as a historic resource in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Public Hearing
Approved for October 28, 2025 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The owners of 900 Eilinita Avenue request that City Council list the property in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources and authorize a Mills Act historic property contract. The one-story, single-family residence was built in 1913 and is one of the oldest houses remaining in North Glendale.
On July 17, 2025, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) reviewed the nomination and voted unanimously (3-0) to recommend to the City Council that the property at 900 Eilinita Avenue be listed in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources. In accordance with the City’s naming protocol, HPC recommends the house be identified by its historic name, “Onondarka.” The property was given this name by its first owner and builder, Homer Baldridge and has been referred to as such by the community since then. HPC also recommended that the City Manager be authorized to enter into a Mills Act historic property contract with the property owner, including the work conditions approved by the commission, under Section 15.20.070A of the Glendale Municipal Code. 210b
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RECOMMENDATION
That City Council list the property in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources under designation Criterion 1 and authorize the City Manager to enter into a Mills Act historic property contract, with the conditions approved by HPC, between the City and the property owner under Section 15.20.070A of the Glendale Municipal Code.
BACKGROUND
Historical Background
900 Eilinita Avenue, historically named “Onondarka,” is a one-story single-family house with a detached garage and maid’s quarters built in 1913 and located in Engelhard Canyon in North Glendale. To get to the house, one passes through the 1950s subdivision of Oakmont Woods before arriving at the home’s long, winding driveway. In some ways, this short journey synopsizes the 20th century history of the Crescenta Valley. Onondarka is one of the oldest remaining houses in North Glendale, bearing witness to the area’s dramatic growth while remaining a rustic retreat surrounded by nature.
Onondarka’s primary significance lies in its association and continued reflection of the earliest days of the Crescenta Valley’s Anglo settlement. It appears to be the last large property in the Glendale portion of the Crescenta Valley that still captures the spirit and feel of the area’s earliest years of Anglo settlement, with acres of hillside chapparal and native oaks surrounding the house. The older portions of the house maintain a simple rusticity despite the more modern addition. While never particularly architecturally distinctive in terms of any specific style, the high stucco walls and tall roof parapets give it a feeling unlike any other house still standing in Glendale, conveying a feel of the West appropriate for a site that was one of the last vestiges of the true western lifestyle, with it stables, riding rings, and rodeos, in North Glendale. Further information that explains the sociocultural impact of Onondarka can be found in the nomination, attached to this report (Exhibit1). It continues to reflect important contributions made by this area to the city’s heritage and to its social and cultural life. Based on information provided in the nomination and referred to in this staff report, the staff and the Historic Preservation Commission believe the property is eligible for designation under Criterion 1 as detailed in the “Findings of Eligibility” section below.
The property’s development history goes back to the late 19th century. In 1875, George Engelhardt purchased 148 acres of former Verdugo family land and converted 100 acres of it into orchards. The canyon in which Onondarka sits is named after him. In 1900, he sold the property to members of the Sepulveda family, who quickly sold the land to Angelino Galentino, who planted vineyards. In 1912, Homer Baldridge, a Pasadena businessman specializing in decorative concrete outdoor vases, benches, and planters, purchased the land and moved his horses there. The following year, he constructed the residence and named it “Onondarka” – a Seneca term meaning “on a hill.”
In its early years, Onondarka was a social hub for the Crescenta Valley, with Baldridge hosting various activities like parties and birdwatching events. During prohibition, he 310b
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hosted dances on Onondarka’s roof, which originally had an 8-foot tall fireplace and a loggia. Primarily associated with the romanticized idea of the West and the Californian concept of open land and “Western Living,” Onondarka Ranch became a hub for equestrian activity, with descendents of the Verdugo family keeping horses at the site.
During World War II, the property became the base of operations for the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s “Montrose Mounted Posse” that patrolled the unincorporated Crescenta Valley at the time. Onondarka continued to be a social, cultural, and equestrian hub in the postwar days, hosting a rodeo for the community during the annual “Western Days” celebrations.
Various ranch hands and other hired employees lived in various buildings on the property that have since been demolished. Among these was T.O. Potts, who in 1915 opened the first store in Montrose, located at the corner of Honolulu and Verdugo Boulevards, and the noted tenor Lawrence Tibbett, who was discovered in 1921 and became an important singer with the Metropolitan Opera in New York for many years, as well as appearing in several Hollywood films. While the residents at Onondarka were active in Glendale civic and social life, none were individually significant in the history or development of the City of Glendale. Therefore, HPC did not find the property to be eligible under designation Criterion 2.
The Commission recommends that, in accordance with the City’s naming protocol, the house be identified by its historic name, “Onondarka”. The property was given this name by Baldridge and has been referred to as such by the community since then. The naming protocol would honor the history of the property and make official the common name of the property since its construction.
Architectural Description
Onondarka is located in North Glendale, nestled in Engelhard Canyon, at the dead end of Eilinita Avenue. The neighborhood below the residence consists of 1-story Ranch- style homes throughout the 1950s Oakmont Woods subdivision. A low gateway of smooth stucco walls with piers and carriage-style lamps flanks either side of the single- lane vehicular entry where the property line borders the public right-of-way. The winding driveway is surrounded by mature trees and open space. Mature oak trees surround the curvilinear road as guests drive uphill to the three-car garage building/living quarters.
The property also contains a natural watercourse that is presently dry and a non-historic swimming pool and wood trellis that surrounded by a wrought iron fence and stucco posts. A wide concrete and brick driveway leads to the historic loggia, which now consist primarily of its tall stone pillars. The original low stone clad wall with concrete caps continues along the path to the residence.
The original garage and attached maid’s quarters, which have been somewhat altered, is located west of the primary residence, and encountered before the house comes into view. It is clad in stucco and has a flat roof that is surmounted by a blank stucco parapet. The south façade features two single garage bays and a third single bay in a projecting box-form mass on the southwest corner of the façade. The northeast 410b
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elevation of the garage has two original divided light wood windows with wood vents above.
The house is clad in stucco, has an irregular plan and an asymmetrical main façade with multiple bays projecting off the primary volume. While a large portion of the house reflects aspects of its 1913 appearance, a large addition at the eastern end was added in 1966 that features aspects of post-and-beam Modernism. This gives the house something of a split personality and precludes consideration under Glendale Register Criterion 3 for the quality of its architectural design. The west elevation has a projecting block-form massing that including a prominent, frontal bay, with a flat roof of its own. A non-original wooden lattice covers an original bay window located at the west elevation.
Double hung and casement windows with different divided light patterns and a single stained glass window line the south elevation leading to the primary entrance, which faces west off the south elevation, accessed by a walkway clad in terra cotta pavers and covered by a wood trellis. The original front door is a stained wood slab door with a speakeasy window with six divided lights.
At the modern addition to the east, large expanses of picture windows, jalousie windows, and divided light French doors lead to a wooden deck and provide scenic views across the valley. The eastern portion of the house’s south elevation has flat, broad eaves, with exposed wood beams with notched ends. The north portion of the east elevation features a projecting, stucco-clad box-form massing.
The north elevation projects off an inaccessible, steep hillside and is away from pedestrian views. The 1960s midcentury architectural features wrap around to the north elevation’s eastern portions, including flat, wide, overhanging eaves. A secondary entrance is accessed by a walkway of terracotta pavers off the north façade. The door has similar wood low-relief insets as the primary residence, but with larger four-part glass panels.
Notable character-defining features of 900 Eilinita Avenue include:
One-story massing
Complex, irregular plan with multiple projecting bays off the primary massing Asymmetrical main façade
Flat roof with parapets
Stucco clad walls
Arroyo stone walls, base, and piers on the residence and around the property Stone columns that once carried an arbor leading to the main entry Wood slab primary door and secondary entry door
Wood hung and casement windows
Alterations and Integrity
The residence at 900 Eilinita has undergone several substantial alterations since its construction in 1913. The pool was added to the property in 1964, though it is set away 510b
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from the house and does not distract from it visually. According to permits pulled in 1966, a bedroom, bathroom, and family room were added at the north and east portions of the residence. In 1966, the garage was re-roofed. In addition to permitted work, on- site conditions show that some of the windows were replaced at some time. The rooftop chimney and loggia, which were evident in historic photographs, were removed. A bay window on the west elevation was covered at some point with a latticed enclosure to expand the interior closet. However, the current property owners propose to restore this elevation to the original condition by removing the lattice. The doors at secondary entrances were replaced with 6-panel wood doors. Also, the balustrades at the wood deck off the 1966 addition at the east elevation were replaced more recently. Some parts of the primary residence, as well as the garage, appear to have been restuccoed.
In addition to the alterations at the primary residence, the garage bays were resized to fit new garage doors. The lamps at the original piers leading to the primary residence have been replaced. Also, there is evidence that some of the original exterior elements, including a deck, concrete and boulder elements, have been eroded.
Despite being an interesting building that displays aspects of its early construction date and rural heritage, Onondarka has undergone several alterations, including a major addition and does not reflect a cohesive sense of architectural style or period of construction. It was built by its first owner, Homer Baldridge, who is not a notable designer whose work influenced his profession. Therefore, the property is not eligible for listing under Criterion 3. To qualify for listing in the Glendale Register, a property needs to meet only one criterion. HPC and staff strongly believe that this rare example of an early house in the Crescenta Valley that still reflects the area’s early years of settlement and is the last remnant of a Homer Baldridge’s fascinating role in the area’s history clearly makes it eligible under Criterion 1 and that, despite its alterations, many parts of the house still reflect the period when he built and lived in the house.
The applicants propose a Mills Act work program that was supported by HPC that involves exterior work at the historic western portion of the house to be completed in 2027 including:
Repair/replace termite damaged wood
Restore wood windows
Restore roof eaves and projecting rafters
Reconstruct roof loggia and fireplace
Other work will involve restoration of windows and a balcony at the 1960s wing.
Proposed future work includes exterior restoration at the garage structure and landscaped areas. All of this will help bring the property closer to its original appearance and was found by HPC to reinforce approval of a Mills Act contract. 610b
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ANALYSIS
After reviewing the nomination submitted by the owner and its supporting documentation, as well as visiting the site, HPC and staff conclude that the property appears to meet Criterion 1 of the eligibility criteria for listing in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.
Architectural Significance [Criterion 1]
To meet Criterion 1, a property must be “identified with important events in national, state, or city history, or exemplify significant contributions to the broad cultural, political, economic, social, or historic heritage of the nation, state, or city.”
900 Eilinita Avenue, historically known as “Onondarka,” is significant for its association with the social, historic, and cultural heritage of North Glendale and the Crescenta Valley. Located in Engelhardt Canyon of the Verdugo Mountains, Onondarka was designed with outdoor activities in mind and integrated with nature, expressing the historic legacy of outdoor California living. Historically a ranch property with orchards and vineyards, Onondarka also housed the Verdugo heirs’ horses, hosted rodeos, and featured stables. Livery owner Homer Baldridge built the residence as his own home in 1913 using boulders from a nearby wash hauled by mule train, which is typical in the construction of early Southern California residential properties that incorporated arroyo stone in their construction. During prohibition, Baldridge hosted dance parties on Onondarka’s rooftop. During World War II, Onondarka Ranch became the base of operations for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s “Montrose Mounted Posse” that patrolled the area’s hills. In the immediate postwar years, Onondarka Ranch hosted a rodeo to conclude Crescenta Valley’s annual week-long “Western Days” celebrations. The property reflects Glendale early history and association with equestrian and Western culture. It predates the annexation of the parts of the Crescenta Valley into the City of Glendale and is the last remaining portion of the original Onondarka property. The property remained an important social and cultural hub for the community for many years and remains one of the oldest and most storied properties in North Glendale.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
There are no stakeholders other than the property owner.
FISCAL IMPACT
Listing historic properties in the Glendale Register has no fiscal impact. However, future property tax savings to private owners of listed historic properties under Mills Act contracts will slightly reduce City property tax revenues from the general County tax levy received from each Mills Act property.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The project is exempt from CEQA as a Class 8 “Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment” exemption and a Class 31 “Historical Resource 710b
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Restoration/Rehabilitation” exemption pursuant to Sections 15308 and 15331 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it involves the designation and restoration of a historic resource.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
The names and business addresses of the members of the board of directors, the chairperson, CEO, COO, CFO, Subcontractors and any person or entity with more than 10% interest in the company proposed for contract in this Agenda Item Report are attached in Exhibit 4, in accordance with the City Campaign Finance Ordinance No. 5744.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternative 1: Reject designation/listing of 900 Eilinita Avenue on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources, finding that the property does not meet Criterion 1 or any other criteria.
Alternative 2: Any other alternative chosen by City Council.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Prepared by:
Ani Mnatsakanyan, Planner
Reviewed by:
Bradley Calvert, Director of Community Development
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Glendale Register Nomination
Exhibit 2: Photographs
Exhibit 3: Mills Act Application
Exhibit 4: Campaign Disclosure