ATTACHMENT A
PASADENA PERMIT CENTER
www.cityofpasadena.net/permitcenter
Supplemental Application for
HISTORIC DESIGNATION
Revised 4/2011
W:\Design-hp\Permit Center Applications & Handouts 1
Note: In addition to this application, a completed Planning Division Master Application Form is also required.
PROPERTY PROPOSED FOR DESIGNATION
1. Name of Property:
2. Property Address:
3. Date of Original Construction
4. Original Owner
5. Architect / Builder:
DESIGNATION CATEGORY
(CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX—SEE CRITERIA ON PAGES 2 & 3 FOR MORE INFORMATION):
HISTORIC MONUMENT
LANDMARK
HISTORIC SIGN
LANDMARK TREE
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
Briefly describe the property proposed for designation, indicating whether the entire site or a portion of the site is the subject of the nomination (e.g., how many buildings or objects on the site are included in the nomination) or if the nomination is for an object, sign or tree. A map may be used for the description. Please also submit recent and, if available, historical photographs. Use additional sheets if necessary.
________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPERTY
With this application, please attach information that will assist staff with the preparation of a designation report. Books, photographs, articles, and other archival information will all be useful to document the significance of the nominated resource.
Refer to bibliography, historical photographs, chronology, and other supporting information.
ATTACHMENT A
PASADENA PERMIT CENTER
www.cityofpasadena.net/permitcenter
Supplemental Application for
HISTORIC DESIGNATION
Revised 4/2011
W:\Design-hp\Permit Center Applications & Handouts 2
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
Attach a copy of the most recently recorded legal description for the property (usually in the deed for the property or other documents when the property was purchased—also available from a title company).
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION
Check the box under the category checked on first page that corresponds to the criterion under which you are nominating the property, object, sign or tree for designation. Multiple boxes may be checked if applicable.
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATING AN HISTORIC MONUMENT
(May include significant public or semi-public interior spaces and features) A. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the region, state or nation.
B. It is associated with the lives of persons who are significant in the history of the region, state or nation.
C. It is exceptional in the em bodiment of the distinctive characteristics of a historic resource property type, period, architectural style or method of construction, or that is an exceptional representation of the work of an architect, designer, engineer, or builder whose work is significant to the region, state or nation, or that possesses high artistic values that are of regional, state-wide or national significance.
D. It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, in formation important in prehistory or history of the region, state or nation.
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATING A LANDMARK
A. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the City, region, or State.
B. It is associated with the lives of persons wh o are significant in the history of the City, region, or State.
C. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, architectural style, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of an architect, designer, engineer, or builder whose work is of significance to the City or, to the region or possesses artistic values of significance to the City or to the region.
D. It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, in formation important locally in prehistory or history.
I. MAGNIN & COMPANY STORE
HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION CONTINUATION SHEET
DESCRIPTI
ON OF PROPERTY
Legal Description
APN: 5734-031-004
The former Pasadena I. Magnin & Company (I Magnin) property comprises portions of lots 24, 25, and 26 of Samuel Stratton’s Subdivi sion in the City of Pasadena, County of Los Angeles, State of California, as per maps recorded in Book 98, page 8 of Maps in the Office of the County Recorder of Los Angeles County (Attachment A).
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
General Setting
The former I. Magnin building is located on the west side of South Lake Avenue south of Del Mar
Boulevard and north of California Boulevard in the city of Pasadena. It is located in a de- veloped commercial area surrounded by small- and large-s cale retail properties. To the north are the Shops of Lake Avenue and parking structure with first-story retail spaces. To the south is a retail building originally built as parking in 1957 and remodeled in 1977. The I. Magnin building occupies the front of the parcel, with the large parking structure shared with Macy’s located at the rear. This provides an additional entrance from the top story of the parking structure directly into the second story of the store. The store is set back slightly from the sidewalk with a small
section of lawn and landscaping flanking the Lake Avenue entrance (Attachment B).
Architectural Description
The property at 475 South Lake Avenue is a two-s tory retail store designed in a Late Mod erne style by architect Harold C. Chambers. It was con structed in 1948 and opened for business in 1949. The commercial building has a simple, rectangular plan constructed of concrete on a con- crete foundation. It has a flat roof and concrete walls. Due to the proximity of the property to the south and the adjacent parking structu r
e to the west, the majority of the building’s
architectural features are centered on the east and north façades.
The primary (east) façade has a symmetrical arrang ement, with the main entrance centrally lo- cated and flanked by two windows to the north and two to the south (Figure 1). On the second story, the façade is punctuated by six windows slightly shorter than those on the first story.Each of the wood-framed windows consists of paired vertical panes of glass with no cas- I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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ings or ornamentation. The en trance has a pair of aluminum -framed glass doors flanked by glazed surrounds and a glazed upper section of three large panes of glass (Figure 2). There is currently a cantilevered, rounded awning over the entrance that is not original. The entrance is access
ed by a low, wide set of concrete steps with a metal balustrade that spans both sides of the façade. An entrance ramp was added on the north side and an additional set of stairs was added to the south leading to a solid door which was part of the original design (Figure 3).
Characteristic of the Moderne style, the north and south corners of the building are rounded (Figure 4). Lighting sconces are spaced between the first story windows; the sconces are not original.
The north façade has a less symmetrical fenestratio n pattern, with a section of solid wall to the east
of the off-center entrance (Figure 5). On the second story, three windows the same size and configuration as those on the primary façade are spaced above the solid wall and entrance.
This secondary entrance is a smaller version of the primary one, with a pair of glass doors flanked by plate-glass surrounds and a large, glazed transom (Figure 6). To the west of the entrance is an-ot her section of solid wall on the first story with two windows evenly spaced above
it on th e sec-ond story. These windows have the same configuration as those to the east, but ar e slightly smaller. Farther west, the first story façade is punctuated by four evenly spaced windows smaller than the others but with the same paired vertical configura tion (Figure 7). The windows on the second story are aligned above these. As on the primary façade, light sconces were added be-tween the windows at some later date. A cantilevered awning was also added to the secondary entrance.
The west façade abuts the parking structure with all the fenestration located on the second story (Figure 8). The façade appears to have been more symmetrical at the time the second-story en- trance was added flanked by windows when the parking garage was constructed; some altera- tions have occurred since 1957. Historic photos of this façade were not located, so it is not cer- tain if the variation in window size is original. A portion of the roofline to the south is higher, possibly to hide utility equipment located on the roof (Figure 9). The entrance is centered on
this façade and set within a slightly projected bay with rounded corners. Although it consists of glazed doors as on the other façades, there is a portion of solid wall to the north where it was most likely originally glazed (Figure 10). The cantil ever ed awning was added over this door as well. To the south of the second-story entrance are two windows with the same configuration
as all the other windows on the store with a section of solid wall to their south, but to the north the two large windows projec t slightly with casings suggestive of a storefront display (Figure 11). The south façade has no fenestration (Figure 12).
The
original interior finishes we re removed when the store was purchased by Borders, and it does not appear that any features associated with the I. Magnin store are extant (Figure 13). The basement retains some original partitions and doors, but the upper stories have no walls or fix-tures (Figure 14). There is a central staircase to access the second story, but at this time it is un-known whether the configuration was changed when it became the Borders store (Figure 15).
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Alterations
The former I. Magnin store has experienced some exterior alterations since its original construc- tion in 1948.1 The second-story entrance was added when the parking s tructure was constructed in 1957. An addition to the basement was made at that time as well. Changes were possibly made to the fenestration on the west façade when the parking structure was added, but as plans or per- mits did not indicate these changes , this cannot be confirmed at this time. A concrete ramp was added to the north end of the building’ s primary façade in 2002. The interior was completely remodeled in 2005, and a portion of the glazed entry on the second story was filled in at an un- known date.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Previous Evaluations
The former I. Magnin building w as previously recommended eligible for City designation as a local landmark.2 In a 2000 recording by Leslie Heumann of PCR, it was assigned the California Resource Status Code 5S2 (individual p roperty that is eligible for local listing or designation) .3 The California Built Environment Resource Directory lists the property with the status code 7R (identified in reconnaissance-level survey: not evaluated); this listing is presumed to be out of date (or pre-date the 2000 recommendation).
Summary of Significance
The former I. Magnin building at 475 South Lake Avenue meets the following aspects of Criteri- on C for designation as a Pasadena Landmark:
It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, architectural style, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of an architect, designer, engineer, or builder whose work is of significance to the City or to the region, or possesses artistic values of significance to the City or to the region (Criterion C).
The property satisfies Criterion C as an excellent example of the mid-century department store property type as it transitioned from downtown, urban locations to more residential suburban neighborhoods focused on automobile access . It also embodies distinctive characteristics of the Late Moderne style, particularly as expressed by the I. Magnin brand as part of its retail identity.
Its designer, H arold C. Chambers, was a master architect responsible for several significant buildings in Pasadena, both during his time partnered with Myron Hunt and later with his own firm.
1 Alterations have been determined to the extent possible based upon avail able documentation, including building permits, Sanborn maps, newspaper articles and historic photographs, as well as visual observation. 2 City of Pasadena, "California Historical Resources Inventory Database: Resource S ummary,” http://pasadena.cfwebtools.com/search.cfm?res id=5876&clisplay=resource, accessed January 9, 2022. 3 Leslie Heumann, DPR52 3 update form for 475 South La ke Avenue (prepared by PCR for t he City of Pasadena, August 30, 2000).
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Commercial Retail Development in Pasadena4
There are a small number of exampl es of commercial architecture from the period immediately preceding World War II remaining in Pasadena, primarily located adjace nt to Col orado Boule- vard and the original downtown area of Old Pasadena. Commercial properties from this period are typically Mo derne or Streamline Moderne, and the influence of the automobile is seen in early examples of drive -through architecture. An exa mple is the Dr ive-Up Building that was added to the Royal Laundry at 443 South Raymond Avenue in 1939. This building was designe d by George Whyte in the Streamline Moderne style, and was meant to create a place for the public to directly interact with the plant whe n bri nging in laundry and dry cleaning. The Streamline Moderne design of the building communicates smooth motion and speed, emphasizing the effi- ciency and ease with which drivers could approach the building, drop off or pick up their laundry or dry cleaning, and drive away with little interruption to their path of travel (Historic Resources Group 2007).
Other extant examples include the Pasadena Winter Garden, a Streamline Moderne ice -skating rink designed in 1940 by renowned local architect Cyril Bennett, and t he 1938 Bryan’s Cleaners.
Both are located on South Arroyo Parkway. It was in th e postwar era that dramatic shifts in commercial development occurred, largely due to the impact of the automobile. Historic down- town centers were abandoned for new regional shopping centers that were developed to serve the sprawling suburbs, and also in response to the automobile culture that enjoyed the freedom of new freeways and improved roads. The automobile changed the form and design of commercial architecture as well, with the introduction of drive-ins to service the new fast-paced postwar life- style, roadside architecture that sprang up along the new auto routes, and the large -scale depart- ment store placed in the center of a sea of parking spaces. New arch itectural forms were devel- oped as well, with the creation of the California Coffee Shop style (commonly known as “Goo- gie”) rooted in the organic formal principles of Frank Lloyd Wright but adapted to the scale and site of the car-oriented commercial strip.
These trends are also seen in Pasadena’s commercial development in the postwar era. Most sig- nificant was the continued downturn of the original downtown center in Old Pasadena, and the local shift from the mono -centric, or single downtown commercial dist rict, to th e pol ycentric approach with multiple regional shopping centers. Scattered examples of non-residential proper- ties from the period can be seen along all of Pasadena’s major commercial corridors, including Orange Grove Boulevard, Washington Boulevard, Fair Oa ks Avenue, Colorado Boulevard, and Lake Avenue. In the 1930s, to coincide with the completion of the Arroyo Seco Parkw ay, Pasa- dena’s Chamber of Commerce started a campaign called “Pasadena Preferred ,” promoting Pasa- dena as a regional shopping ce nter; the program gained momentum with the completion of Bull- ock’s Pasadena in 1947 (Scheid 1986:168). Anchored by the Bullock’s store, the stretch of Lake Avenue south of Colorado Boulevard contains the city’s highest concentration of intact commer- cial properties from the period. Several major buildings were constructed in and around Old Pas-
4 Excerpted from Cultural Resources of the Recent Past Co ntext Report, prepared by Historic Resources Group and Pasadena Heritage, October 2007.
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adena during the 1950s and 1960s, most prominently the Robinson’s Department Store at 777 East Colorado Boulevard, designed by Pereira and Luckman in 1957; and the Mutual Savings and Loan at 301 East Colorado Boulevard, designed by Welton Becket with la ndscape architect Ruth Shellhorn in 1964. However, most of the commercial development during this period oc- curs farther east. Commercial architecture from the period is se en throughout th e area between Colorado Boulevard and the 210 Freeway, from Lake Avenue to the eastern edge of the City.
Some remnants of Colorado Boulevard as Route 66 remain, including the Saga Motor Hotel at 1633 East Colorado, designed in 1957 by Harold Zook; and the Googie- style Astro Motel at 2818 East Colorado. Smaller clusters of non- residential period development occur south of the 210 Freeway between Marengo Avenue and the 710 F reeway, and along Washington Boulevard near Allen Avenue.
A significant shopping center was also d eveloped to serve the residents of Hastings Ranch. Rec- ognizing the substantial retail market created by Hastings Ranch, as well as the rapidly growing population of Pasadena and Arcadia, Fritz Burns and his partners built a new shopping center at the junction of Foothill Boulevard and Rosemead Boule vard, at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains. The Foothill -Rosemead Shopping Center, now known as Hastings Ranch, grew to become a highly profitable complex including movie theaters, supermarkets, and a wide array of restaurants in addition to its retail base (Keane 2001:217). The shopping center is anchored by the Sears & Roebuck’s Department Store, which was built in 1956. The center originally includ- ed a drive -in theater, which was eventually r eplaced by the Hastings Theater, one of the first multiscreen theaters to be built in Pasadena. The Hastings Theat er is now a part of the Pacific Theater chain.
The most significant new postwar shopping district in Pasadena developed along South Lake Avenue. In 1945, P . G. Winnet t, the Chairman of the Board of B ullock’s Department Store, commissioned the architectural firm of Wurdeman & Becket to design a new department store at 401 South Lake Avenue in Pasadena, six blocks removed from any pre-existing re tail stores.
Bullock’s Pasadena was built on an 8.3-acre site with an unprecedented amount of space devoted to parking. The main entrances to the store were off of the upper and lower motor courts, and there was only one pedestrian entrance set above Lake Avenue. Even the shape of the building was designed to appeal to people from the view in their passing cars.
Bullock’s Pasadena was California’s first postwar suburban department store and was an im- portant step in post -World War II suburba nization. Alan Hess writes in the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the building that “in a broader sense it helped to establish the ar- chitectural concepts that made the broad social trend to suburban living appealing, successful and viable at a crucial stage in its development” (Hess et al. 1996). Hess writes:
In the context of post -war department stores adapting to new suburban districts, Bull- ock’s Pasadena stands out for its contribution to commercial and suburban design. Its car oriented, suburban concepts were thoroughly conceptualized and carefully applied in a cohesive, complex, innovative design. At a time when the planning and architectural conventions for suburbia were still in development, when the design of parking lots and the relation of public buildings in these areas had not yet been determined, it was the most sophisticated and most advanced of the period in California.
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Walter Wurdeman and Welton Becket were classmates at the University of Washington before establishing a partnership in Los Angeles in 1933. Prior to their commission for the Bullock’s Pasadena store, their firm’s reputation was based on their designs for expansive “West Coast casual” residences for the Hollywood film community. Because of their involvement with Bull- ock’s Pasadena, Wurdeman and Becket, and particularly Welton Becket after Wurdeman’s death in 1948, would go on to design numerous department stores and shopping centers throughout California. Although they had a successful practice prior to the Bullock’s Pasadena comm ission, it established their national reputation for design excellence.
Bullock’s Pasadena is an example of the Late Moderne style, which is an adaptation of the earli- er Moderne and Streamline styles. The architectural significance of Bullock’s Pasadena w as im- mediately recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) who presented the building with an Aw ard of Merit in 1950, and in 1952 by the Pasadena & Foothill Chapter of the AIA who declared it one of the “outstanding examples of architecture constructed over the last half century.” The landscape architecture was also a key component to the design of B ullock’s Pasa- dena. It was designed by local landscape architect Ruth Shellhorn and architect Carl McElvy.
The landscaping helped to undersco re the indoor/outdoor connection that is so important to Southern California architecture, and it also served to cre ate a complete environment that would appeal to the suburban shopper. The grounds surrounding the store were lushly landscaped, but there was also a great attention to the landscaping of the parking areas as well.
History of I. Magnin & Company
The story of I. Magnin & Company represents the arc of American retail trade of its era, as it rose from a simple notions store of modest investment to a multi- million-dollar Pacific Coast luxury goods chain, followed by its financial decline in its final decades . F or more than 100 years, even as the I. Magnin empire eventually extended to Seattle and Phoenix, the store grew to represent the utmost in California style. Known for its exclusive selection of clothing and mer- chandise, the company’s larger stores were als o notable for their architecture. Designed by some of the best-known architects of the era, the elegant stores were finished with high-end materials including rare marbles and decorated with touches such as original artwork.
The chain was founded in 1876 by Mary Ann Magnin. She established the company and was responsible for the fine quality of the products; however, s he named the company after her hus- band, Isaac, as women rarely were acknowledged for operating their own businesses during that era. Born Mary Ann Cohen on April 7, 1848, in a small Dutch town, she was the only child of a rabbi father and a seamstress mother. She mar ried Isaac when she was 16 years old (Frick 2000:6). The couple, motivated by the economic opportunities presented by the discovery of gold in California, joined a wave of immigrants heading to the West Coast. They settled in Oak- land, California, across the Bay from San Francisco, in 1875. To help support the family, Mary Ann began to produce baby clothes and lingerie in a small home workshop. She quickly became known for her exquisitely tailored pieces, which she made by hand using the finest European textiles and lace (Frick 2000:7). Although it appears that Mary Ann was the primary driver of the business, the 1880 U.S. Census showed 30-year-old Mary Ann’s occupation as housekeeper. Her husband, Isaac, 34, kept a “fancy bazaar” (U.S. Census Bureau 1880).
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The success of I. Magnin is attributable not only to the incompar able quality of the goods, but also to the scrupulous direction of M ary Ann. She was described as strong- willed, controlling, calculating, and, to some, harsh (Frick 2000:10). She t rained her sons in all aspects of the family business. The eldest and the youngest boys, E. John and Grover, were groomed as managers.
Samuel was assigned to bookkeeping, and Joseph was relegated to deliveries. Three daughters were excluded from the family business (OAC 2021). Joseph split from the family in 1913, after being denied control of I. Magnin, and bought a rival store that he named Jos eph Magnin for himself. But Joseph could not truly compete with I. Magnin until he put his son, Cyril, in charge many years later, in 1937 (Stein 1988).
Early Development
The business soon outgrew the original home shop, leading to a series of expansi ons in rapid succession. Mary Ann and Isaac ope ned a small store at 14 th Street and San Pablo Avenue in Oakland in 1876. They sought out a busier location in San Francisco on Fifth Street shortly after.
As word quickly spread of Mary Ann’s impeccably tailored baby clothes, as well as hand - stitched women’s petticoats, lingerie, and bridal wear, the company mo ved to an even larger Third Street location in the Westchester Hotel a year later. With business continuing to grow, the company expanded to a three-story building on Market Street in 1888 (Frick 2000:8).5 In 1900, the company began construction on a six -story building at Post and Grant streets in San Francisco. Fire resulting from the 1906 earthquake destroyed the never -occupied building, and temporary quarters were established at the Magnin home at Mason and Haight s treets, and later in a large packing room at Van Ness Av enue and Bush Street (Frick 2000:8). In 1909, a new downtown store at Grant and Geary streets was completed (OAC 2021).
I. Magnin Stores
Over the years, I. Magnin establish ed various configurations of stores throughout its West Coast empire. Arguably more than any other high- end chain, these property types represented the tra- jectory of changing modes in retail shopping. Over time, the com pany operated seven large met- ropolitan stores, following the t radition of retail emporiums centrally locate d in the downtowns of large cities. These were San Francisco at Geary and Grant (1909, remodeled in 1928-1947; Figure 16), Santa Barbara (1923-1947), Los Angeles Mid- Wilshire (1939), Santa Barbara (1947), San Francisco Union Square (1948), Seat tle Pine and Sixth (1954), and Chicago (1971).
Between 1947 and 1967, under the leadership of Grover Magnin, the company embarked on an aggressive expansion program, replacing older stores with newer, more modern buildings and moving into locations in new areas. The company replaced and opened 20 new stores during this period. During this time, I. Magnin developed close relationships with high- end European de-
5 The locations and dates of the many I. Magnin stores are drawn from se veral sources, sometimes with conflicting information.
The main sources are Devin Frick’s I. Mag nin & Co.: A California Le gacy (2000), Richard Lo ngstreth’s compendium of “De- partment Store Branches, 1910-1960” (2009), Longstreth’s The American Department Store Transformed 1920- 1960 (2010), and historical/biographical information for the I. Magnin & Co. Records, 1893-1998 at the Online Archive of California. Although an attempt was made to compare and merge these various sources, it is beyond the scope of this study to confirm the information for each individual store.
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signers including Christian Dior and show cased his iconic ultra -feminine “New Look” (intr o- duced in 1947), featuring rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and a full skirt . During the 1960s, I. Magnin operated a European couture program with offices in Paris, Barc elona, Madrid, Rome, Florence, and London (Frick 2000:35-36).
From 1912 to 1953, the organization’s property types included at least 12 “resort stores,” consist- ing of small boutique shops within high- end “palace” hotels, all located in Southern California except those at the Hotel del Monte in Pebble Beach and the Senator Hotel in Sacramento. Addi- tionally, more than 20 branch stores, either free- standing or in malls, represent ed I. Magnin’s role in the suburbanization of retail space. A few of these branch locations established in the 1990s were formerly Bullock’s stores.6
Branch Stores and Resort Shops
Over time, retailers such as I. Magnin had become convinced that building ever bigger d epart- ment stores downtown was not the best way to grow. Department store executives simul taneous- ly resisted challenging the problem of expandi ng suburban shopping centers by opening branch- es. No model existed for branch stores, and the perceived expense of establishing and managing several outlying stores made this approach to growth seem prohibitive. But the writing was on the wall, and the def inition of what constituted a branch department store began to take shape, with I. Magnin among the innovators (Longstreth 2010:109-110). (See Attachment F for a list of I. Magnin branch stores from 1920 to 1960.)
Ultimately, branches we re conceived to duplicate the products of the parent store rather than to serve as annexes that specialized in goods that were not carried in the main store. Branches of upscale stores such as I. Magnin were not aimed at mass -market appeal but rather took the form of small, intimately scaled shops at resorts, generally located in existing hotels. Rather than di- rectly increasing revenues, these shops enhanced the image of the parent store and attracted a new, elite clientele (Longstreth 2010:110-111).
I. Magnin took the lead in establishing these hotel shops at two of the West Coast’s winter re- sorts, Santa Barbara and Pasadena, in 1912 and 1913, respectively. The first I. Magnin resort shop opened at the Potter Hotel in Santa Barbara in 1912. Over the next few years, I. M agnin established shops at the Hotel Del Monte at Pebble Beach (1914), the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego (1914), the Biltmore at Montecito (1927), and the Ambassador (1921) and the Biltm ore (1927) in Los Angeles. Some of t hese locations soon called for expansion, motivating I. Magnin to relocate its Pasadena store in the Hotel Maryland to a three- story building at 555 East Colora- do Boulevard in about 1927 (Longstreth 2010:111).
From the 1940s to the 1960s, I. Magnin stores proliferated. S tores were either established or ex- panded in Beverly Hills (1943), Santa Barbara (1947), Pasadena (1949), Sacramento (1953), Seattle (1954), La Jolla (1954), Fresno (1955), Palo Alto (1956), Santa Ana (1958), Carmel (1960), San Fernando Valley (1962), and Po rtland, Oregon (1962) ( OAC 2021). The 1954 La Jolla store, which replaced the Hotel del Coronado resort shop, was small and domestic in scale, a departure from the typical I. Magnin branch design (Figure 17). The location did not succeed
6 Compiled by Devon Frick, 2000.
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and was moved to a larger building across the street in 1964 (Frick 2000:97). The new location at 7661 Girard Avenue was designed by H. C. Chambers and Lester Hibbard ( Los Angeles Times 1964).
Suburban Stores
By the 1950s , a d ifferent model for the departm ent store began to emerge that chall enged the concept of a downtown location even further than earlier suburban stores. Set on a suburban site, the new type of store was flanked by smaller stores and was generally adjacen t to acres of plenti- ful parking to serve customers arriving by car. It was l ow and horizontal, rather than compact and vertical like downtown stores. This property type was the forerunner of the massive malls of the 1970s and later (Hess et al. 1996:Sec. 8).
Successful suburban stores generally included two important features: plentiful parking and care- fully considered landscaping. Bullock’s Pasadena (1949) surrounded itself with 600 parking spaces to make it easily accessible to car -owning suburbanites (Hess et al. 1996:Sec. 8). Its sub- urban orientation w as emphasized by ext ensive naturalistic plantings designed by landscape ar- chitect Ruth Shellhorn. The 1955 Fresno I. Magnin store was an example of a transitional subur- ban design at a location close to the fringes of downtown rather than in a far -flung suburban shopping center (Figure 18). At its opening, the store was described by Hector Escobosa, com- pany president, as having “an appealing and inviting country club atmosphere,” intensified by “extensive use of landscapi ng featuring lawns, shrubs, trees, and blooming f lowers the year around” (Fresno Bee 1955). Designed by local architect Walter Wagner, the single -story-plus- mezzanine store with surface parking for 60 cars was intended to bring the best of suburbia to downtown. An unattributed but likely accurate comment in an online discussion group claims the Fresno store opened based on a misreading of customer demographics . Noting that a number of upscale shoppers at the Union Square branch had Fresno County addresses, the company decided to open a store that would bring I. Magnin closer to those customers. “The fatal flaw in planning was that those customers (mainly women who lunch) used Magnin’s on Union Square in San Francisco as a destination in outings to The City,” according to the writer (Lost Fresno 2021).
In the immediat e post-war period, only Los Angeles produced suburban department stores, in- cluding May Co. Crenshaw, Broadway Crenshaw, Millirons, and Bullock’s Pasadena. Elsewhere in California, the push to develop shopping centers in suburban a reas lagged a few years be hind Los Angeles. Downtowns in both San Francisco and Oakland continued as strong shopping dis- tricts into the 1950s. In Fresno, Gottschalk’s department store (Walter Wagner and Mart in Tem- ple, ca. 1945) exhibited all the elements o f t he traditional dow ntown department store in a Streamline Moderne building ( note that Wagner later designed the I. Magnin store in Fresno) .
All these buildings signified the continuing vitality of traditio nal pedestrian downtown shopping districts in some markets (Hess et al. 1996:Sec. 8).
I. Magnin Store Architecture
Aiming to repres ent t he luxury of its goods and shopping experiences through its buildings, I. Magnin hired some of the most celebrated archi tects of th eir respective eras. As a result, I.
Magnin stores displayed outstanding representations of archi tectural styles from perio d Revival to Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern.
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Unlike some of the company’s other branches at the time, the I. Magnin store at 6340 Hollywood Boulevard did not occupy an existing building but was purpose -built. Designed by architect My- ron Hunt, with later a dditions by Hunt & Chambers, the store opened in 1923, when Hollywood was becoming an upscale shopping district to rival downtown Los Angeles. The building did not resemble a typical retail space but displayed features of the Spanish Colonial Revival and Medi- terranean Revival styles popular at the time (Figure 19). Its grand multi -level entrance set in a high arch beneath a f ront-gabled roof opened to a two- story foyer with a fireplace and rustic open beams. The Americ an Architect called it “the high -water mark to date in store architecture in this country” (Longstreth 2010:112).
Within two years, I. Magnin announced plans for much larger stores in Seattle and Oakland. Like the Hollywood store, the 35,000-square- foot Seattle location (later called Department S tore #1), opened in 1925. Although the architect was not identified in the research for this report, the building was notable for its extravagant architecture, incorporating elements of Italian Renais- sance and English Georgian architecture, as well as a variety of other styles. The store’s popular- ity necessitated a move to a larger four -story building at Sixth and Pine in 1954. The new store was modeled after the elegant Union Square store in San Francisco (Frick 2000:28).
In 19 27, the company opened a stor e at 555 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, again de- signed by architect Myron Hunt. The eye -catching three- story building displ ayed elements of Mediterranean and Gothic Revival styles. The façade featured twin entrances flank ed by full - height pilasters, each capped with an elaborately articulated capital. The design comprised motifs of heraldry, including shields, along with check erboard-patterned masonry, two- story windows in a grid pattern, and a parapet with a wave motif along the top (Frick 2000:28) (Figure 20).
A relatively small Oakland location was more accessible to upscale clients than the main San Francisco store. It was the first suburban I. Magnin store in the San Francisco Bay area, allowing East Bay s hoppers to avoid traveling into the City, which was a major undertaking because the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge was yet to be built. The store was replaced in 1931 by the company’s largest branch to date, a four -story, 80,000-square-foot Art Deco building at 20th and Broadway (Longstreth 2010:113). At a cost of over $1 million, the building was among the most expensive constructed during the period of the Gre at Depression. Designed by architectural firm Weeks and Day (Charles Weeks and William Day), the building has a black onyx marble ground floor with upper -floor façades of highly glazed articulated emerald -green terra cotta tiles pro- duced by California’s re nowned Gla dding McBean Ceramic Company (Figure 21). (Frick 2000:27-28). An extensive remodel of the interior in 1963 w as overseen by Chambers and Hib- bard, with an emphasis on a French look, including Louis XVI -style furnishings and artwork (Oakland Tribune 1963).
In 1939, the Los Angeles shops were consolidated into one store on Wilshire Boul evard. The five-story building at 3240 Wilshire Boulevard in the Mid- Wilshire area, constructed in 1939, was designed by the firm of Hunt & Chambers with Harold Chambers, Myron Hunt, and Timo- thy Pflueger as architects (1939) (PCAD 3917) (Figure 22). The store was designated Los Ange- les Historic-Cultural Monument #534 in 1991. The store, located on heavily traveled Wilshire Boulevard, was intended to accommodate the autom obile, following the model of the 1928 Bull- ock’s Wilshire store (located about three blocks to the we st). The I. Magnin store had a large porte-cochère at the back , adjacent to the parking area (Frick 2000:30). It is claimed that when John Magnin saw his brother Grover’s plans for the store, he said, “You know, I would like to I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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see this building the finest store in the world. You better employ ve ry fine decorators.” Grover replied, “John, I agree with you, but this is not a decorator’s job, this is an architectural job, and I will employ the finest architects.” To achieve these goals, Grover hired Southern Calif ornia ar- chitects Myron Hunt and his partner, Harold Coulson Chambe rs, t o design the building, with Timothy Pflueger brought in to develop the store’s interior (Frick 2000:41).
The flagship I. Magnin store at Union Square was initially constructed in 1905. In 1946, it was reclad in sleek white marble under the direction of designer and architect Timothy Pflueger (Fig- ure 23). Regularly placed recessed win dows at each floor contributed to the severe yet elegant appearance of the building, which became the iconic conte mporary I. Magnin store. The design influenced the façades of the Seattle and Los Angeles I. Magnin branches, as well as the relative- ly small two -story store on South Lake Avenue in Pasadena (PCAD 2165). I. Magnin Depart- ment Store #2 in Seattle at Pine and Sixth, which replaced the o riginal Seattle location, was de- signed by modernist firm Welton Becket and Associates in 1953- 1954. Similar to the Union Square store, the building was faced in white Vermont marble and had minimal, regularly placed square windows. The white marble was tri mmed by black Swedish granite around f irst-floor shop windows and doorways (PCAD 13289).
In addition to remodel ing the Union Square store and contributing to the design of the Mid- Wilshire store, Pflueger designed a new building in the Regency style in downtown Santa Barba- ra (1946). In 1947, the three- story, 100,000 -square-foot Beverly Hills store at 9634 Wilshire Boulevard, also designed by Pflueger, was clad in white marble, a material similar to that used on the Union Square store. However, the des ign incorporated French Revival histori cist features wrought-iron Juliet balconies and pediments above the second -floor windows. These features might have been added later, when a mansard roof was built to create a “French chateau” l ook.
Chambers was the architect responsible for the alterations (Los Angeles Times 1969). Multi-light windows on the second and third floors a re recessed with minimal surro unds. The ground- floor display windows are framed in black marble (Figure 24) (Frick 2000:72). The new location in La Jolla at 7661 Girard Avenue (1964), designed by H. C. Chambers and Lester Hibbard, followed the I. Magnin look established by its Union Square location and modified by the store in Beverly Hills. The stark white two -story building had black cont rasting features including wrought -iron Juliet balconies and ground-floor display windows set into black rectangular fo rms (Los Angeles Times 1964).
The End of Family Ownership and Closing of I. Magnin
Soon after Mary Ann Magnin died on December 15, 1943, her s ons sought a buyer for the com- pany who they hope d would continue its standards and traditions. Almost immediately, P. G.
Winnett, president of Bullock’s, stepped up to offer a friendly merger. The agreement was to continue to operate the I. Magnin stores i ndependently from the Bullock’s stores. For a time, Bullock’s continued to operate the two chains separately, but eventuall y stores were paired as different but complementary in suburban settings. The objective of the pairing was to offer sub- urban women with disposable income the full service of Bull ock’s with the quality and specialty of I. Magnin immediately next to each other in a tranquil garden setting. The first such pairing was at 401 and 475 South Lake Avenue in Pasadena, in 1947 and 1949, respectively . Echoing the elegance of the Union Square stor e in a modest white primary façade, the I. Magnin store I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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included landscaping of olive trees and other Mediterranean plantings that fit in with the area’s suburban feel (Frick 2000:95-96).
The acquisition of I. Magnin by Bullock’s began a series of mergers and sell-offs that ultimately signified the end of retail as a r egional entity and the emergence of an international structure.
The combined I. Magnin and Bullock’s stores became part of Federated Dep artment Stores, Inc., through a merger in 1964 (Frick 2000:34- 35). Under Federated, nine I. Magnin stores were add- ed and a number of older shops extensively remodeled and enlarged (OAC 2021). In 1988, Fed- erated was acquired by Campeau, a Canadian -based dev eloper, in a $6.6 billion agreement.
I. Magnin and B ullock’s Wilshire were then sold to R. H. Macy & Company. In January 1992, R. H. Macy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors and began closing I. Mag- nin stores as part of its strategy to focus on I. Magnin’s more profitable stores in San Diego, Phoenix, Beverly Hills, and San Francisco. Despite an offer by Jerry Magnin, a grandson of Mary Ann Magnin, to buy the remaining I. Magnin stores, Macy’s went ahead with plans to dis- continue the I. Magnin stores (White & Gendel 1994). In July 1994, Ma cy’s announced its agreement to merge with Federated. It was deci ded that the continued operation of a high-end specialty store chain would not be profitable to the merger. Four I. Magnin stores were converted to Macy’s or Bullock’s formats. Federated retained the I. Magnin name in continuance of its mail order catalog business. All other I. Magnin operations were discontinued in January 1995 (OAC 2021).
Pasadena I. Magnin at 475 South Lake Avenue
Prior to becoming a suburban shopping destination, South Lake Avenue was a residential street, initially consisting of large to mid -size single-family residences. The 1910 Sanborn map shows the subject parcels as vacant, with the surrounding parcels occupied by single-family homes on large lots (Attachment D). By 1931, the subject parcels were developed with two four-flats with similar footprints. Other parcels were subdivided with smaller single-family residences on small- er lots, but the area was still excl usively residential. The 1951 Sanborn map shows t he area in transition, with the anchor of the Bullock’s store on the four parcels north of the subject property, and service stations located across the street.
I. Magnin had long wanted to replace Pasadena’s older location at 550 East Colorado Boulevard.
When Bullock’s opened its large three-level building in 1947, away from Pa sadena’s main shop- ping district along Colorado Boulevard, the company saw the potential of opening a new I. Mag- nin adjacent to the South Lake Avenue property (I . Mag nin had recently been purchased by Bullock’s). As Hunt and Chambers ha d been responsible for most o f the I. Magnin designs, the firm was an obvious choice for the Pasadena store , but as Myron Hunt had recently retired, the plans for the building would become one of Harold Chambers first independent projects. Plan- ning for the store began in 1946, even prior to the opening of the Bullock’s store. A parking vari- ance was requested to accommodate the additional off-street parking required by the future store (Pasadena Independent 1946). Excavation of the lot began prior to the per mits being issued in July of 1948 ( Pasadena Independent 1948a). Some of the 10,000 yards of topsoil were pur- chased for the construction of a new nine -hole golf course at Brooks ide Park ( Pasadena Inde- pendent 1948b). Permits for the construction of the foundation and building were issued on Au- gust 26, 1948 (Attachment E). The foundation permit notes the purpose was for storage and a salesroom. The building permit for the store lis ts the architect as H. C. Chambers and contractor I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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as William Simpson Construction Company. The Simpso n company was responsible for many buildings in Pasadena and Los Angeles which have since become landmarks, such as the Avon Products Company Building (1947) and the Commercial Exchan ge Building (1924) (Southwest Builder and Contractor 1946; City of Los Angeles 2017).
The store opened quietly in August of 1949, as advertisements noted the change from the Colo- rado Boulevard location (Figures 25 and 26). Other than electrical and plumbi ng changes, build- ing permits indicate the building did not change considerably until 1957, when Bullock’s planned a large three- story parking structure between the two stores (Figure 27). Welton Becket was responsible for the design of the structure intended to accommodate 800 cars and an empha- sis was placed on incorporating the landscape around the “motor court” to create elegant transi- tions between the parking lots and stores. A “Court Entrance” was added to the north entrance of I. Magnin and advertised prior to the opening of the structure in October of 1957 ( Figure 28).
The landscape was designed by Ruth Shellhorn, a frequent collaborator with Becket in other commercial projects. As the new parking structur e abutted the west façade of the I. Magnin building, alterations were requir ed to create a second -story entrance directl y from t he parking.
Also, the basement level was extended to include a loading and receiving area ( Independent Star-News 1957).
The sprinkler system was u pdated in 1971 and the roof was replaced in 1988, but otherwise the store was not chang ed significant ly until the 1 990s. At one point , awnings were added to the windows, but they have since been removed ( Figure 29). In November of 1994, the owner of the I. Magnin brand, R. H. Macy and Company, closed the Lake Avenue store along with se veral other I. Magnin locations, and the contents of the store were liquidated before the end of the year (The Record 1994). The building was vacant until purchased by Borders bookstore in 1998 ( Fig- ure 30). Borders added the accessibility ramp in 2002 and altered the interior in 2005 (per the building permits). Although building permits were not located, the company also added the awn- ings over each of the three entrances and most likely filled in the glass on the second- story en- trance. Borders closed in 2011, and the building has been mostly vacant since that time.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Late Moderne7
The Late Moderne style incorporates elements of both the Streamline Moderne and the Interna- tional styles. While the earliest examples appeared in the late 1930s, the style achieved its great- est popularity in large -scale commercial and civic buildings of the late 1940s and 1950s. The Late Moderne style is most e asily identified by the use of the bezeled window, where horizontal groupings of windows are outlined in a protruding, bezel-like flange, often in a material and col- or that contrasts with the exterior wall. Local architects working in the style included A. C. Mar- tin, Welton Becket, and Stiles O. Clements. Bullock’s Pasadena (now Macy’s) at 401 South Lake Avenue (1947), designed by Wurde man & Becket, is one of the region’s finest examples of the
7 Excerpted from Cultural Resources of the Recent Past Context Report, prepared by Historic Resources Group and Pasadena Heritage, October 2007.
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style. Robinson’s Pasadena (now Target) at 777 E ast Colorado Boulevard (1957), designed by Pereira & Luckman, is another good local example.
Late Moderne was influenced by forms and compositional mo tifs of modern art to convey a sense of the progressive age. Geometric shapes, tall pylons, soffits , and canopies in biom orphic shapes often punctuated with cut -out circles typify the style . The expression of the style as ap- plied to I. Magnin stores had some Classical influences, with an emphasis on symmetry and sim- plicity.
Character-Defining Features
Character-defining features are those visual aspects and physi cal features or elements con struct- ed during the property’s period of significa nce that g ive the building its character. In general, a property that retains its character -defining features continues to convey its significance, and therefore retains integrity as a historic resource. Ch aracter-defining features can include setting and site; form and massing; roof and related features, such as chimney or skylights; projections, such as balconies or porches; recesses or voids, such as galleries or arcades; windows and doors and their openings; materials, with their distinguishing textures , finishes, colors, and craftsman- ship; and interior features, materials, finishes, spaces, and spatial relationships. Removal or alter- ation of one character -defining feature does not necessarily result in the loss of integrity of an historic resource. Impa cts to historic integrity can result from a single major change or from many incremental changes over time.
The former I. Magnin store retains significant character -defining features of its original Late Moderne architectural design with some classical and commercial variations:
• Horizontal emphasis
• Symmetrical façade
• Concrete construction
• Exposed concrete cladding
• Unadorned surfaces
• Flat roofline
• Horizontal bands of fenestration
• Large, glazed entrances with glass surrounds and transoms • Steel sash windows
• Rounded corners
Architect Harold C. Chambers
Harold Coulson Chambers was born in Nebraska in 1885 (Figure 31) . His father emigrated from England and worked as a pharmacist in Indiana before moving the family to Los Angeles some- time prior to 1910 ( U.S. Census Bureau 1900). Census records indicate Chambers attended col- lege for three years, and he began working as a draftsman for Myro n Hunt and Elmer Grey in 1907. In 1910 he was still living with his parents and working as head draftsman for Myron Hunt (U.S. Census Bureau 1910). He marri ed Nora Groftholdt in 1917 and his son Harold Chambers, Jr. was born in 1918 ( Los Angeles Evening Ex press 1917; U.S. Census Bureau 1920). While working for Hunt he contributed to some significant projects including the San Marc os Hotel in Chandler, Arizona (1912-1913), the San Marcos Building in Santa Barbara, California (1913) , I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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and the Huntington Library in San Marino, California (1919). In 1920, he and Hunt pa rtnered to form Hunt and Chambers, a prominent and prolific Los Ange les firm that continued until Hunt’s retirement in 1947. The firm was recognized with AIA awards for their work on large -scale pro- jects such as the Pasad ena Public Library (1925 -1927), Flintridge Biltmore Hotel (1927), and Thomas Jackson Library (1939). Th eir projects ranged from affordable housing designs for modular bricks to 15-room mansions for clients such as W. K. Kellogg (Los Angeles Times 1932; Pasadena Evening Post 1925). They had several institutional commissions for hospitals, libraries and universities, as well as commercial projects including multiple I. Magnin stores throughout California. Chambers served as president of the Southern California Chapter of the AIA between 1930 and 1931 and was a fellow in 1943 (Los Angeles Times 1930).
After Hunt’s retirement, Chambers continued his practice briefly on his own and then as a part- ner with Lester Hibbard. The Pasadena Lake Avenue I. Magnin was one of his first independent commissions without Hunt and prior to his partnership with Hibbard. Also in 1947, he was work- ing on plans for a large hospital in Tulare and for alterations to Huntington Memorial Hospital in San Marino (Tulare Advance Register 1947; Pasadena Independent 1948c). His work on hospi- tals and universities continued during his partnership with Hibbard. He designed the general plan for the campuses of University of California , Riverside and Valley College 1950 ( Los Angeles Times 1950a; Van Nuys News 1950). That same year he completed plans for a children’s hospital in the San Fernando Vall ey and Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital in Newport Beach ( Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet 1950; Los Angeles Times 1950b). He also continued t o re- ceive commissions for commercial projects, particularly with I. Magnin as the store expanded into m ore suburban areas. Although other architects designed the shopping ce nter itself, the I.
Magnin at Fashion Square in the San Fernando Valley was designed by Chambers (Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet 1962). He and Hibbard also planned the interior of the I. Magnin in San Mateo and the remodeling of the interior of the store in Oakland (San Francisco Examiner 1963; Oakland Tribune 1963). In the late 1960s he planned the store in L a Jolla and for the De- sert Inn Shopping Center I. Magnin near Palm Springs ( Los Angeles Times 1964; Desert Sun 1967). Just before his death he planned an expansion of the Hunt and Chambers I. Magnin store in Beverly Hills which involved the addition of a mansard roof (Los Angeles Times 1969). Har- old Coulson Chambers died in 1971 at the age of 85 (Los Angeles Times 1971).
Landscape Architect Ruth Shellhorn
Landscape architect Ruth Patricia Shellhorn was born September 21, 1909, i n Los Angeles (Fig- ure 32). When she was two years old, her family moved to South Pasadena, where she and he r family enjoyed outdoor activities such as gardening, hiking, and camping (Johnson 2002). In- spired by a neighbor, accomplished landscape architect F lorence Yoch, Shellhorn decided at age 15 to pursue a career in landscape design (TCLF 2022).
Shellhorn w as educated at Oregon State College, School of Landscape Architecture (1927– 1930), and Cornell University (1930–1933) (Sapphos 2012). Unable to affor d her final year at Cornell, she left without a degree and returned to the Pasadena area, entering a wo rkforce that was in the m idst of the Great Depression. Although struggling to fi nd clients, she was able to work independently as a l andscape architect, w hich was a newly recognized profession (TCLF 2022). Shellhorn’s persistence eventually led to a highly succ essful career that would span some I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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57 years until she retired in 1990, as s he became one of the best-known and most highly respect- ed twentieth-century landscape architects in Southern California (Johnson 2002).
A highlight of her career was serving as consulting landscape architect for the Pasadena Bull- ock’s store on South Lake Avenu e, where she worked with modernist architects Wu rdeman and Becket. After planning the original landscaping of the store in 1947, she returned in 1956-1957 to contribute to the landscaping associated with a new multi- level parking garage for Bullock’s and I. Magnin. She continued the relationship with Bullock’s until 1978, designing and manag- ing the landscaping and site plans at several of the chain’s stores, including those at t he Fashion Square shopping malls. Shellhorn claimed that she especially enjoyed working on Bullock’s pro- jects because, beyond the initial design, the company retained her to ensure that maintenance of the vegetation was carried out properly over time (Johnson 2002:76).
Notably, Becket recommended her to work on the new Disneyland theme park in Anaheim as someone who could pull the separate “Lands” of th e park together. She became a member of the design team responsible for the central pedestrian circulatio n. As the engineer raced to compl ete the project within a year and a half, Shellhorn pitched in, even directing the tractor operator in soil placement around the Castle and working with the head carpenter to lay out the walks. The visibility of this work le d to re cognition as Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles Times in 1955, the year Disneyland opened. During her long career, she designed hundreds of pr ivate gar- dens, with celebrity clients who included Spencer Tracy, Gene Autry, and Barbara Stanwyck, as well as many large commercial and institutional projects. Her landscape projects were rev iewed by Sunset Magazine and by professional journals (Johnson 2002).
In 2005, Cornell University retroactively granted Shellhorn a Bachelor of Landscape Archi - tecture degree and a Bachelor of Architecture degree (TCLF 2022). She died the following year.
Period of Significance
The period of significance is 1948, the date of initial co nstruction, and 1957, the date of con- struction for the garage was added. The adjacent parking structure was substantially altered in 1977, as was the landscape designed by Ruth Shellhorn. As such, neither the landscaping nor the garage conveys the significance of the building, and both are excluded from the boundaries of the pr operty. However, because the addition of the second-story e ntrance represents the im- portance of the automobile to this property type, that feature is related to the s ignificance of the building.
Integrity
Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance and is defined by the National Park Service (NPS) as the “authenticity of a property’s historic identity, evidenced by the survival of physical characteristics that existed during the property's prehistoric or histor ic period” (National Park Service 1997). The NPS identifies seven aspects of integrity: location, design, setting, mate- rials, workmanship, feeling, and association.
Despite some al terations to the former I. Magnin store, the property retains all seven aspects of historic integrity. It retain s its ab ility to convey its significance as an excellent example of Late Moderne commercial department store architecture and as an exceptional expression of the work I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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of H. C. Chambers, a significant Southern California architect who de signed numerous inst itu- tional and commercial buildings throughout the region.
• Location: The building remains on its original site and theref ore retains integrity of loca- tion.
• Design: The original form, plan, massing, and configuration of the building remain intact.
The second -story e ntrance was added to the rear façade in 1957, but it was congruent with the existing plan and massing of the bui lding and related to the significance of the property type. The building retains character-defining features of the Late Moderne style, including a flat roof, rounded cor ners, horizontal bands of fenestration , and steel sash windows. The building’s design intent is still clearly discernible, and for this reason, it re- tains integrity of design.
• Setting: In 1948, the I. Magnin store was a fr eestanding building with a driveway to the north leading to a small rear parking lot. There were still residences to the west and south of the store at that time. In 1957, t he store was enclosed by a p arking structure to the north and west. Although the surrounding area has transitioned com pletely to a commer- cial setting since the time of its initial construction, the I. Magnin building still rese mbles its 1957 period of significance when the automobile took precedence. Landscaping fea- tures and the Court Entrance have been lost, but overall, it retains fair integrity of setting. • Materials: The property retains nearly all of its original exterior materials, including the unadorned concrete cladding, steel sash windows , and most of the glazed entrance doors with large surrounds. The second- story entrance has been filled in and the windows may have been altered, but overall, the exterior has good integrity of materials. All original in- terior materials have been removed.
• Workmanship: The I. Magnin retains the majority of its exterior features, which reflect the refined craftsmanship of the commercial Late Moderne. Distinguishing characteristics like the rounded corners and clea n lines help provide the buil ding with its architectural character and express the sk ill underpinning its design and constru ction. As a result, t he building retains integrity of workmanship.
• Feeling: The subject property retains integrity of location, desi gn, materials, and work- manship. As it retains its essential character -defining featur es and appearance from its historic per iod, it continues to express its Late Moderne commercial design aesthetic.
Therefore, the building retains integrity of feeling.
• Association: The subject property retains integrity of location, design, m aterials, work- manship, and feeling. As a result, it continues to convey it s association with early 1950s commercial design and with historic patterns of development in Pasadena during t his time. As it retains the d istinctive look, feel, and appearance of L ate Moderne retail stores from its era, and remains clearly identifiable as such, it retains integrity of association.
Conclusion
In summary, the former I. Magnin store at 475 South Lake Avenue is recommended eligible as a Pasadena Landmark under Criterion C as an excellent example of a mid -century department I. Magnin & Company Store ASM Affiliates, Inc.
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store property type as it transitioned from downtown, urban locations to more residential subur- ban neighborhoods focused on automobile access . It also embodies distinctive characteristics of the Late Moderne style, particularly as expressed by the I. Magnin brand as part of its retail iden- tity. Its designer, Harold C. Chambers, was a master architect responsible for several significant buildings in Pasadena, both during his time partnered with Myron Hunt and later with his own firm. Its period of significance is 1948, representing the year in which it was completed , and 1957, related to the construction of the parking structure, which required the addition of the sec- ond-story entrance. The building retains sufficient integrity to convey its signi ficant architectural qualities.
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Southwest Builder and Contractor
1946 “Factory Being Constructed for Avon Products.” June 22, p. 1.
Stein, Mark A.
1988 “Revolutionized Clothing Business: Cyril Isaac Magnin, 88; Called ‘Mr. San Francis- co.’’ Los Angeles Times, June 9.
Tulare Advance Register
1947 “Hospital Board Hires Architect.” February 11, p. 36.
United States Census Bureau
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1900 The Twelfth Census of the United States. Los Angeles County. U.S. Bureau of the Census. U.S. Gover nment Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Accessed through an- cestry.com; January 2022.
1910 The Thirteenth Census of the United States. Los Angeles County. U.S. Bureau of the Census. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Ac cessed through an- cestry.com; January 2022.
1920 The Fourteenth Census of the United States. Los Angeles County . U.S. Bureau of the Census. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Accessed through an- cestry.com; January 2022.
Van Nuys News
1950 “New Campus: See Plans for Valley College.” October 2, p. 4.
Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet
1950 “Shriners Award Contract for Crippled Children’s Hospital.” April 20, p. 59. 1962 “Bullock’s Fashion Square Opens Tomorrow in Valley.” April 29, p. 2.
White, George, and Debra Gendel
1994 “Venerable I. Magnin to Pass Into History.” Los Angeles Times , November 19.
Attachments
A. Parcel Map
B. Location Map
C. Figures
D. Sanborn Maps
E. Building Permits
F. Partial List of I. Magnin Stores
Attachment A
Parcel Map showing lots 24 and 25 of Samuel Stratton’s Subdivision
Attachment B: Location Map
Map showing the location of the former I. Magnin store at 475 South Lake Avenue.
Attachment C: Figures
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Figure 1. Overview of east façade of 475 South Lake Avenue, looking west.
Figure 2. Detail of entrance on east facade, looking northwest.
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Figure 3. Detail of ramp added in 2002, looking southwest.
Figure 4. Detail of rounded corner and added light sconce on west façade, looking south.
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Figure 5. Overview of north facade, looking west.
Figure 6. Detail of secondary entrance on north facade, looking southwest.
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Figure 7. Overview of north façade windows, looking east.
Figure 8. Overview of west façade from parking structure, looking southeast.
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Figure 9. Detail of roof structure added to hide equipment, looking southwest.
Figure 10. Detail of alterations to second-story entrance, looking east.
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Figure 11. Detail of windows on north end of west facade, looking east.
Figure 12. Overview of south façade of parking structure and building, looking east.
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Figure 13. Overview of interior, looking west.
Figure 14. Overview of basement interior, looking west.
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Figure 15. Detail of interior stairs, looking northwest.
Figure 16. I. Magnin store at Geary and Grant (on right), ca. 1910.
Source: San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.
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Figure 17. The first I. Magnin store in La Jolla, which opened on April 19, 1954. It was termed as "friendly and informal as a private home.” Source: Los Angeles Public Library, Herald Examiner Collection.
Figure 18. Architect Walter Wagner’s drawing of the I. Magnin in Fresno, October 1, 1954. Source: Los Angeles Public Library, Herald Examiner Collection.
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Figure 19. I. Magnin store at 6340 Hollywood Blvd. at Ivar, 1927.
Source: Los Angeles Public Library.
Figure 20. I. Magnin store on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, 1927.
Source: Los Angeles Public Library, Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection.
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Figure 21. I. Magnin Building at 2001 Broadway in Oakland. Built in 1931.
Source: Dreamyshade.
Figure 22. The six-story Magnin store in the Mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles. April 4, 1939.
Source: Los Angeles Public Library, Security Pacific National Bank Collection.
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Figure 23. Flagship store at Union Square constructed 1905; exterior reclad by Pflueger in 1946. Source: San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.
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Figure 24. I. Magnin store Beverly Hills, ca. 1978. Source:
Los Angeles Public Library, Marlene & Anne Laskey Wilshire Boulevard Collection, Los Angeles Photographers Collection.
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Figure 25. Advertisement noting location of new store.
Source: Los Angeles Times, July 25, 1949.
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Figure 26. Historic photograph of I. Magnin at 475 South Lake soon after opening in 1949.
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Figure 27. Advertisement with rendering parking structure.
Source: Pasadena Independent, July 25, 1957.
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Figure 28. Detail of I. Magnin Court Entrance from advertisement.
Source: Pasadena Independent July 25, 1957.
Figure 29. Undated view showing awnings added over windows.
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Figure 30. Undated view after Borders vacated.
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Figure 31. Photo of H.C. Chambers.
Source: Tulare Advance Register, February 27, 1951.
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Figure 32. Ruth Shellhorn, working on plans for Disneyland, ca. 1955.
Source: The Cultural Landscape Foundation.
Attachment D: Sanborn Maps
1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map with subject property outlined.
1931 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map with subject property outlined.
1951 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map with subject property outlined.
Attachment E: Building Permits
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Attachment F: I. Magnin & Co. Resort Stores and Branches
This compendium offers basic data on buildings used as branches –as more-or- less duplicative extensions of, and set apart from, their parent I. Magnin store in downtown San Francisco. The list includes resort shops and other small specialty outlets as wel l as facilities that encompassed a wider range of goods up to the full line of items carried by the parent store (as of closing of all Magnin stores in 1994; Longstreth 2009).
1. Resort store in Potter Hotel, Esplanade del Mar, Santa Barbara Opened 1912; replaced by store in new location, 1918
Hotel burned 1921
2. Resort store in Maryland Hotel, Colorado Boulevard & Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California
Opened 1913; replaced by store in new location 1932
Hotel demolished by 1940
3. Resort store in Hotel del Coronado, 1701 Strand Way, Coronado, California Opened 1914; closed 1948
H otel extant
4. Resort store in Hotel Del Monte, Del Monte Avenue, Pebble Beach, California Opened 1914
Hotel burned ca. 1924; replaced by new store in rebuilt hotel ca. 1927
5. Resort store in Ambassador Hotel, West Boulevard between Chapala & Castillo streets, Santa Barbara
Opened ca. 1920
R eplaced earlier store; replaced by store in new location 1923 Hotel no longer standing
6. Resort store in Ambassador Hotel, 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles Opened 1921; closed 1939
Hotel demolished 2004-05
7. Resort store in Arlington Hotel complex, 1315 State Street, Santa Barbara Opened 1923; r eplaced earlier store (ca. 1920); replaced by larger store 1947 Extant
8. 6340 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles
Opened 1923; Myron Hunt, architect (Los Angeles)
One/two stories + basement, parking
Additions announced November 15, 1927, opened March 27, 1928; Hunt & Chambers, architects
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Additions announced June 16, 1934, opened November 19, 1934; Hunt & Chambers, architects
Replaced by store in new location 1939
E xtant, altered
9. Fifth Avenue & Union Street, Seattle
Opened 1926 in Skinner Building
Two stories, 35,000 square feet
Replaced by store at new location 1954
10. Resort store in Biltmore Hotel, Channel & Hill streets, Montecito, California Opened 1927; closed 1942
H otel extant
11. Resort store in Hotel Del Monte, Del Monte Avenue, Pebble Beach, California Opened ca. 1927; replaced store burned ca. 1924
H otel extant, altered
12. Resort store in Biltmore Hotel, Olive & Fifth streets, Los Angeles Opened 1927; closed 1939
H otel extant
13. 59 Grand Avenue, Oakland, California
Opened ca. 1928
Replaced by store at new location 1931
14. Broadway & Twentieth Street, Oakland, California
Opened 1931; replaced earlier store (1928)
Weeks & Day (San Francisco), architects
Four stories + basement, 60,000 square feet, $1,250,000 (total investment) Extant
15. Resource store in in El Miramar Hotel, Palm Springs Opened 1932; closed 1942
16. 550 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, California
Opened 1933; Myron Hunt (Los Angeles), architect
Three stories + basement, 10,000 square feet
R eplaced earlier store (1913); replaced by store in new location 1949 No longer standing
17. Wilshire Boulevard & New Hampshire Avenue, Los Angeles Opened 1939; Hunt & Chambers, architects
Five stories + basement, $3,000,000 (total investment), parking R eplaced earlier store (1923)
Extant
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18. Resort store in Arrowhead Springs Hotel, State Route 189, Lake Arrowhead, California Opened 1939; closed 1942
Hotel no longer standing
19. Wilshire Boulevard & Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills
Opened 1947; Timothy Pfleuger (San Francisco), architect Three stories + basement, 70,451 square feet, parking
Altered, now part of Saks Fifth Avenue
20. In Huntington Hotel, Pasadena, California
Operating in 1946
21. S. Lake Street, Pasadena, California
Opened by August 19, 1949
35,000 square feet, parking 32 cars + lot of Bullock's Pasadena Building extant
22. Resort hotel in Hotel Senator, 1125 L Street, Sacramento Opened 1953
3,000 square feet
H otel extant
23. 7661 Girard Avenue, La Jolla, California
Opened 1954; closed 1964
6,000 square feet, in existing building
Addition 1957
Building extant
24. Sixth & Pine streets, Seattle
Opened 1954; closed 1993
Narmore, Baine, Brady & Johnson (Seattle) and Welton Becket & Associates (Los Angeles), associated architects; Raymond F. Dexter (I. Magnin), interior designer 80,000 square feet
R eplaced earlier store
Building extant
25. 1630-32 Van Ness Avenue, Fresno, California
Opened 1955
17,000 square feet
No longer standing
26. In Stanford Shopping Center, El Camino Real & Quarry Road, Palo Alto, California Opened ca. 1956; Welton Becket & Associates (Los Angeles), architects 54,000 square feet
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27. N. Main Street & Roe Drive, Santa Ana, California (Los Angeles) opened 1958; H. C. Chambers & Lester Hibbard (Los Angeles), architects Two stories + basement, 30,000 square feet
In Fashion Square shopping center (opened 1958)
Pereira & Luckman, H. C. Chambers & Lester Hibbard, and Burke Kober & Nicolais, associated architects
Shellhorn & Kueser (Pasadena), landscape architects
Bullock’s, Inc. (Los Angeles), developers
560,000 square feet, $15,000,000, 32 stores, 45 acres, parking 3000 cars no longer
28. Ocean Avenue & Juniper Street, Carmel, California
Opened 1960
10,000 square feet
In Carmel Plaza shopping center
29. S.W. Sixth Avenue & Salmon Street, Portland, Oregon Opened 1962; H. C. Chambers and Lester Hibbard, associated architects Three stories, 33,000 square feet
In Public Service Building
No longer standing
30. Riverside Drive, Woodman & Hazeltine avenues, Sherman Oaks, California Opened 1964
In San Fernando Valley Fashion Square shopping center (opened 1964) Welton Becket & Associates and Burke Kober & Nicolais, associated architects (Los Angeles)
Ruth Shellhorn, landscape architect
Bullock’s Inc. (Los Angeles), developer
extant, extensively altered