South Pasadena Historic Districts
Since 2001, architectural photographer John Bare has documented numerous historic residential districts throughout Southern California. Today SoCal Landmarks is presenting selections from several of the historic districts in South Pasadena. While some of the homes and buildings may be noteworthy on their own, the goal of John’s documentation, and our presentations, is to provide an overview of the districts and the variety of architectural styles that contribute to their notoriety. The city of South Pasadena was officially incorporated on March 2, 1888, with a population slightly over 500 residents. The establishment of Cawston Ostrich Farm and Raymond Hotel around 1886 made South Pasadena a wellspring for tourism. The arrival of the Pacific Electric red cars in 1895 brought a wave of new residents, making South Pasadena one of the first suburbs of the city of Los Angeles. That growth and prosperity left a legacy of well-preserved late 19th and early 20th century neighborhoods and residences. The City of South Pasadena has designated 11 areas as Historic Districts. Surveys in 2002 and 2017 identified about 60 other areas that may be eligible for historic status designation. The neighborhoods, flora and architecture have a classic American look that has been used widely by motion picture, television and commercial productions.
South Pasadena, Los Angeles County
Photographer: John Bare