PASADENA PERMIT CENTER
www.cityofpasadena.net/permitcenter
Supplemental Application for
HISTORIC DESIGNATION
Revised 10/2022
W:\Design-hp\Permit Center Applications & Handouts 1
Note: In addition to this application, a completed Planning Division Master Application Form is also required. Submit all materials via email or file transfer to [email protected].
PROPERTY PROPOSED FOR DESIGNATION
1. Name of Property:
2. Property Address:
3. Date of Original Construction:
4. Original Owner:
5. Original 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 & HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS
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. If applying for historic monument designation, specify whether any interior public or semi-public spaces are included in the nomination. A site plan and/or floor plan may be used to supplement the narrative description.
Please also submit recent and, if available, historical photographs.
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. If applying for historic monument designation, an evaluation by a qualified architectural historian may be required to demonstrate exceptional or regional, statewide or national significance. Refer to bibliography, historical photographs, chronology, and other supporting information.
ATTACHMENT B
PASADENA PERMIT CENTER
www.cityofpasadena.net/permitcenter
Supplemental Application for
HISTORIC DESIGNATION
Revised 10/2022
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/criteria under which you are nominating the property, object, sign or tree for designation. Multiple boxes may be checked if applicable. Submitted description and supplemental information should provide an explanation of how the property meets the specified criterion/criteria.
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 embodiment of the distinctive characteristics of a historic resource property type, period, architectural style or method of construction, or 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, information 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.
B. It is associated with the lives of persons who are significant in the history of the City.
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 possesses artistic values of significance to the City.
D. It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important locally in prehistory or history.
PASADENA PERMIT CENTER
www.cityofpasadena.net/permitcenter
Supplemental Application for
HISTORIC DESIGNATION
Revised 10/2022
W:\Design-hp\Permit Center Applications & Handouts 3
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATING A HISTORIC SIGN
A. It is exemplary of technology, craftsmanship or design of the period when it was constructed, uses historic sign materials and means of illumination, and is not significantly altered from its historic period. Historic sign materials shall include metal or wood facings, or paint directly on the façade of a building. Historic means of illumination shall include incandescent light fixtures or neon tubing on the exterior of the sign. If the sign has been altered, it must be restorable to its historic function and appearance.
B. It is integrated with the architecture of the building.
C. It demonstrates extraordinary aesthetic quality, creativity, or innovation.
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATING A LANDMARK TREE
A. It is one of the largest or oldest trees of the species located in the City.
B. It has historical significance due to an association with a historic event, person, site, street, or structure.
C. It is a defining landmark or significant outstanding feature of a neighborhood.
DESIGNATION PROCESS (INFORMATION ONLY; NO ACTION REQUIRED) §17.62.050 Pasadena Municipal Code:
1. A preliminary evaluation by staff to determine if the nominated property meets the applicable criteria and is eligible for designation.
2. If staff determines that the nominated property is eligible for designation, the nomination is scheduled for a public hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission. If not, the applicant may appeal the determination of ineligibility to the Historic Preservation Commission or it may be called for review by the Historic Preservation Commission or City Council.
3. If the Historic Preservation Commission finds that the nominated resource qualifies for designation, it forwards a recommendation on the designation to the City Council.
4. At a noticed pubic hearing, the Council then determines whether to approve or disapprove the application.
Applica�on for Historic Designa�on
Langford Residence – 627 S. Euclid Ave.
1 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.
The Langford Residence was completed circa 1886 (the same year the City of Pasadena incorporated) by an unknown builder/architect. Located at 627 S. Euclid Ave. (previously 651 S.
Euclid) in the Madison Heights neighborhood of Pasadena, the Langford Residence sits on a large lot just a few houses south of bustling California Blvd. The site includes a large main residence, a carriage house building (houses guest quarters and a garage), and a pool. The main house and carriage house are subject to the nomination; the carriage house was expanded early in the property’s history.
The property presents as a proud Queen Anne residence with an asymmetrical, irregular plan, three stories, and details indicative of its early period of construction. The main form of the house is characterized by a steeply pitched irregular shaped hipped roof with shallow boxed eaves and a third-floor dormer. A front porch extends across a portion of the front elevation and wraps the corner. A polygonal tower is also a key element of the house’s form. Original extant details include wood clapboard siding, band of wood shingles, and wood double-hung and decorative windows. Original details (since removed) include roof cresting and finials and spindle-work balustrades; these can be seen on the historic photo dated 1902.
Figure 1 - Historic photo dated 1902 labeled "Residence of Mrs. Marie M. Langford, S. Euclid Ave.
Applica�on for Historic Designa�on
Langford Residence – 627 S. Euclid Ave.
2 The front (east) primary façade has a prominent projecting full-height bay off-center featuring grouped 1/1 double-hung wood sash windows at each level. The front porch extends across a portion of the front façade and wraps the north corner of the house. The primary cladding of the house’s form is wood clapboard with a band of fish scale shingles forming a visual break between first and second floors. The front porch posts and railings are currently quite simple and square in nature, however, they were originally more elaborately decorative.
The northern façade of the house is characterized by a prominent full-height projecting bay, roughly centered on the façade, and flanked by first floor porches. Details on this façade continue and are consistent with the other facades.
The southern façade has a covered deck that protrudes from the otherwise flat façade.
The western façade has an enclosed porch that projects from the otherwise flat façade. The basement is also accessed from this side of the house.
There is no original building permit on file for the Langford Residence, as the City of Pasadena did not begin issuing building permits until 1902. The first time the assessor visited the property they recorded “a three-story single residence, garage, and shed. The house has a brick foundation, walls of rustic wood siding, a shingled cut-up roof with dormers, and plain wood trim…the assessor estimated the square footage at 4,800. On the first floor were six living rooms (one was probably a dining room), one bedroom, and a kitchen. The second floor contained five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Three bedrooms and one bathroom were on the third floor. The house had a total of nine hardwood floors. There were also two 5-foot-deep brick-lined basement areas, one measuring 14 by 30 and the other 12 by 12.” (Gregory, 2005)
The permit history and additional historical data is attached as a supplement to this report. The most significant changes to the property in its permit history include:
-Unspecified alterations costing a large sum of money in 1910 -South-facing porch enclosed with glass in 1915
-Garage addition in 1923
-Interior remodeling in 1930, including changing some window openings -Elevator added in 1938
-A cement step (possibly front steps) was removed and replaced with a brick step and brick foundation covered in plaster in places (1945)
-1970 – House was the Showcase House so numerous interior cosmetic changes were made and a small dormer was added to the roof
Character-defining features of the residence include its steeply pitched hipped roof, irregular plan, asymmetrical facades, use of integrated polygonal forms with bay windows, porches, and decorative exterior detailing such as the band of fish scale shingles. Significant interior spaces include the foyer, living room, and paneled dining room. Interior spaces are characterized by high ceilings, high profile moldings, and decorative elements such as the staircase balustrade.
Applica�on for Historic Designa�on
Langford Residence – 627 S. Euclid Ave.
3 The historic integrity of the Langford Residence is intact, with the house able to convey its historic significance.
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. If applying for historic monument designation, an evaluation by a qualified architectural historian may be required to demonstrate exceptional or regional, statewide or national significance. Refer to bibliography, historical photographs, chronology, and other supporting information.
Substantial historical documents and articles have been compiled and included with this application. Tim Gregory, Building Biographer, completed a building history. The home has been featured in publications (historical and contemporary). A bibliography and digital file has been included with the available information.
The subject residence is proposed to be significant under the City of Pasadena’s Criteria for Historic Landmark Designation (see criteria discussion below). The property is currently considered a potential contributor to the potential Madison Heights Historic District.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
Legal description included on attached Grant Deed
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION
Criteria 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 possesses artistic values of significance to the City.
The Langford Residence embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Queen Anne style (popularized in the late 1800s) and representative in the context of early Pasadena’s Residential Architecture 1883 – 1904. The subject residence is an important early record of residential development in the City of Pasadena.
The subject residence was built in the boom of the 1880s (1886-1895).1 At the same time that Second Empire was proliferating in Pasadena’s commercial areas, the Queen Anne style was becoming the style of choice for its wealthy residents.
Developed by Scottish architect Richard Norman Shaw, the style referenced medieval building forms and displayed dramatic roofs with steep gables, half-timbering, asymmetrical plans, and multi-textured, multi-colored walls. In Britain, the variations in texture and color were often accomplished in brick and stone. When the style was
1 As referenced in Teresa Grimes’ Historic Context Statement Applica�on for Historic Designa�on
Langford Residence – 627 S. Euclid Ave.
4 transported to places in the United States such as Pasadena, these details were typically wrought in painted wood, as it was such an abundant local material. There are several extant examples of Queen Anne residences throughout the city. Late 19th and Early 20th Century Development and Architecture in Pasadena Los Angeles County, California Notable local examples include the two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne houses at 206 N.
Grand Avenue and 233 Martelo Avenue, as well as the picturesque one-story Queen Anne houses at 490 Ellis Street and 324 S. Euclid Avenue. (Grimes, NPS Form Section E, pgs. 13-14)
Universally referenced A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia and Lee McAlester states the identifying features of Queen Anne style as: “steeply pitched roof of irregular shape, usually with a dominant front-facing gable; patterned shingles, cutaway bay windows, and other devices to avoid a smooth-walled appearance; asymmetrical façade with partial or full-width porch which is usually one story high and extended along or both side walls.” (McAlester, 2000) “Principal subtypes – Queen Anne houses are most conveniently subdivided into two sets of overlapping types. The first is based on characteristic variations in shape; the second on distinctive patterns of decorative detailing.” (McAlester, 2000) The Langford Residence is an excellent representation of the Queen Anne style and residential development of early Pasadena. Character-defining features of the residence include its steeply pitched hipped roof, irregular plan, asymmetrical facades, use of integrated polygonal forms with bay windows, porches, and decorative exterior detailing such as the band of fish scale shingles.
These features are all indicative emblematic of the home’s stylistic roots.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Note: Sources and historical information compiled and reported by Tim Gregory, Building Biographer, report prepared April 2005
Los Angeles Public Library
City of Pasadena Planning Department (Design & Historic Preservation Section) Including: NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Pasadena Public Library
Pasadena Museum of History (Research Library and Archives)
Fitch, Noel Riley. Appetite for Lide: The Biography of Julia Child.
New York, Doubleday, 1997.
Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles.
Salt Lake City, Gibbs-Smith, 2003.
Guinn, J.M. A History of California, vol. II.
Los Angeles, Historical Record Company, 1907.
McAlester, Virgina and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses.
New York, Knopf, 1984.
City Directories: 1893-
Applica�on for Historic Designa�on
Langford Residence – 627 S. Euclid Ave.
5 Los Angeles Times: November 18, 19, and 24, 1893; December 3, 1893; April 3, 1897; December 31, 1972
Pasadena Daily Star: June 12 and 13, 1893
Pasadena Star-News: January 11, 1970