THE PASADENA CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW: A BRIEF HISTORY

Within the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Craftsman style was a progressive architectural design that proliferated in the early part of the 20th century and to this day stands as a form of residential architecture most commonly associated with Pasadena.

It can arguably be said that the two brothers, Greene and Greene, were the architects that have made the Craftsman style so prevalent in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles. Initially most of the work of Greene and Greene was implemented into smaller Craftsman designed California Bungalows for residences that were built for the middle class communities in and around Pasadena. As the Greene & Greene Architectural firm became more renowned they began receiving commissions for much larger custom Craftsman homes that became termed as the ultimate bungalow. The most prime example of a Greene and Greene ultimate bungalow is one of Pasadena’s many historic landmarks, The Gamble House, which has been deemed by enthusiasts as America’s Craftsman masterpiece.

At the beginning of the 20th century many people chose to make a move to Pasadena for its warm, arid climate and it was because of this that the Craftsman Bungalow reached its full potential in California. The San Gabriel Valley lends well to Craftsman homes because of the broad front porches that is a common feature of the architectural style, which allows a homeowner to take full advantage of the year round sunny weather that is typical to the Pasadena area.

The Bungalow was part of a movement in the United States that provided housing that the working class could afford. Unlike today’s affordable housing, which many times uses the cheapest materials, Craftsman Bungalows were built with old-growth timber, real plaster, wooden windows and doors, and built-ins that are now mostly found in high-end homes. It is because these homes were built so well, in a city that finds importance in preserving culture, that many Craftsman Bungalows still stand today. The Pasadena Craftsman Bungalow, many which are now over a century old, continue to provide housing for residents that appreciate a flourishing city with such a colorful past.

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Erica Swanson
Ramiro Rivas & Associates
Coldwell Banker- Pasadena

818-257-1054
Erica@RivasEstates.com
www.RivasEstates.com