Yesterday was the South Pasadena Eclectic Music Festival and it was a wonderful event. There was plenty of fantastic free music and it looked like the event did a lot to continue the revitalization of South Pas’s beautiful central business district. As a salute to one of my favorite cities, here are some images of Pasadena’s small neighbor to the south:
South Pasadena Bank, now Kaldi Coffee Shop at 1019 El Centro Street. This and other area banks were founded by George W. E. Griffith, who relocated from Kansas to the Highland Park neighborhood of LA in 1900. The photo was taken c. 1907. The building was built in 1904 and was the first bank building in South Pas. It held the city’s offices from 1908 until 1914 when the town finished its city hall. Kaldi has been used as a location for several TV shows and movies, recently including Brothers & Sisters and a great episode of Modern Family.
First National Bank at Fair Oaks and Mission St. Notice how all of the overhead power and phone lines have been moved underground? The photo on the left appears to have been taken when it was about to open, as there is a man lifting a door into place. Either that or he’s robbing the joint. The image is dated 1922, and the original caption states that Security First National Bank later occupied this location at 824 Fair Oaks. The building underwent a renovation in what I think was the 1940′s, and was Gandell’s Furniture when I lived in South Pas (lower image). It is currently being remodeled again and some of the historical detailing that had been covered up is now being restored. Its original use will also be restored—ComericA bank is moving in to the location.
The view north on Fair Oaks, 1936. The row of attractive buildings on the left including a liquor store, Ford dealership, and drug store have been replaced by the parking lots for Pavillions and Vons. The Masonic Temple on the right side of the street is still there, along with the adjacent structures. The site of the Chevron gas station is still occupied by a gas station, only now a 76. The most striking difference is the absence of the Red Car tracks down the middle of the street, which ran from Oneonta Junction at Huntington (behind us) up through Pasadena. The Northern District passenger service was discontinued September 30, 1951.
The Lucretia R. Garfield House. The house was designed by Greene and Greene for the widow of James Garfield, the U. S. President who was assassinated in 1881. Lucretia Garfield was a distant relative of the Greenes, and they made many compromises on the design in deference to her active involvement with the project. The house was completed in 1904. She died March 14, 1918.
Bonus (as seen on TV!):
Just a few doors down from the Garfield House is a filming location for Brothers & Sisters. This is Sarah Walker’s house as seen in Season 4 Episode 17 “Freeluc.com.” I’m pretty sure this is not the place that was previously used for exterior establishing shots of Sarah’s house.
(Photos from the LA Public Library, South Pasadena Public Library, Google Street View)