Pasadena Architecture and CW Buchanan

If you spend any time in Pasadena, you will discover that we are pretty proud of our historic neighborhoods. The city was founded in 1874 which is a mere 127 years ago. Looking around today, you would be hard pressed to see the orange and olive orchards, vineyards or the poppyfields of the foothills but you will see many of the houses, especially of the craftsman style, which were built in the early 1900s. The Gamble House built by Greene and Greene is one of our most treasured places but you will also see homes by Frank Lloyd Wright, Wallace Neff, Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury, Roland Coate, and Myron Hunt among others advertised in the real estate section of the newspaper. It wasn't until I looked at the 1900 census, that I found there was another prolific architect working in the early days of Pasadena by the name of CW (Charles Wesley) Buchanan. One may suggest that I only had to take a ride down to old town and I would find 2 plaques mentioning him a few blocks apart. After doing a little research, I decided that a field trip was in order.

Charles was born in Indiana in 1852 and came to Pasadena for his health in 1889 according to Western Architect and Engineer, Volume 12 , although other sources have differing dates. His father, JA Buchanan and family were also in Pasadena and he, among other things, was instrumental in the design of the Mt. Wilson trail.

One of the homes designed by CW, was interesting to me for a different reason. This is the home of Reuben Simons. According to zillow.com, the house was built in 1911. By 1913, Reuben's wife Melissa is listed in the 1913 City Directory as his widow.




 

 Reuben Simons house on S Madison Ave, Pasadena 11/3/2013

It is appropriate that the house is made of brick as the Simons family were in the brick business. One of their brickyards was a 20 acre parcel in Pasadena in the Oak Knoll area of Lake and Glenarm. Doing any gardening in my own yard, I can see how the earth would be good for the brick making process. Sometimes it seems as if the water can't penetrate the thick clay soil. 



The wall above is said to be made of Simons brick.

Below is detail from a driveway on Rose Villa Ave in Pasadena
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The Simons family sold the Pasadena brickyard in 1917 to the W. R. Staats Co for development into residential lots. The Simons brick business continued with other brickyards in Santa Monica and a company town called Simons in the Boyle Heights area. You can read all about the brick business at http://calbricks.netfirms.com/brick.simonspasadenabm.html. There is also an historical novel called The Brick People by Alejandro Morales that I may have to look into. Another interesting source is Pasadena, California, Historical and Personal: ...by J.W. Wood.

The mystery of my found album is still unsolved. Will it be tied to CW? I am not sure but will post some more of his homes in the coming days.