Table Of ContentRES. VOL. 41 PAGE 161 001/618/
RESOLUTION NO. 6858
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OF
SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE
BURWOOD HOUSE AT 335 MONTEREY ROAD AS A
CULTURAL HERITAGE LANDMARK L(ANDMARKN0.
47)WHEREAS, Section 2.73A-14ofthe South Pasadena
Municipal Code Ordinance 2004 (commonly known as the C"ultural Heritage Ordinance")
authorized the Cultural Heritage Commission ("theCommission") to recommend to the
City Councilthedesignation of appropriate properties
as landmarks; and WHEREAS, a dulyprepared nominationform has been
prepared and submitted by the Cultural HeritageCommission toregister the Burwood House
at 335 Monterey Road as
a landmark; and WHEREAS, the researchand documentation provided
byCultural Heritage Commission members GlenDuncan andJohn Lesak
amply demonstratethequalifications of the property for
landmark designation; andWHEREAS, theCommission has complied with the
applicable provisions of Subsection a( )3)Desi gnat"ion Procedur(e" of theabove Ordinance Section
inthat it visited the site, attempted diligently and in gcod faith tomeetwith
theproperty owner,mailed notices, held a duly noticed public hearing, received
public comment; and WHEREAS, the accreditedarchitectural historian recently determined
ina report that the Burwood House appears eligibleforlisting on theNational
Register of
HistoricPlaces; andWHEREAS, the Commissionmade .findings offact based on
the nomination and supporting materials and theinformation and testimony provided by
the public pursuant to Subsection a( )2)Des igna t"ion Cri(teria" of the above Ordinance
Section, as follows:A.Its)charac ter, interest orvalue asa part ofthe heritage
of the community;According to building biographer Tim Gregory, theresidence
was built in 1910.T he original five-acre property was on a
wooded hillside overlooking the Cawston Ostrich Farm, in whatwas then one of
the most desirable and prestigious areas in South Pasadena. As such,i t is a
major contributor tothe architecturaland historic context of 4he
Monterey Road neighborhood. Both owners, Ezraand Ida M( oon)T hompson,
were South Pasadena community leaders. Ezra served as a trustee for many years on
RES. VOL. 41 PAGE 162 001/618/
RESOLUTION NO. 6858
Page 2
Board andwas listed in the local directory as afarmer. Idawas active in the
Women's Improvement
Association.Important character-defining features specific to neighborhood
context and the original agriculturaluse of the
property include:An extensive system of arroyo stone retaining wallsalong
Monterey Road frontage, up the winding driveway andsouth of
the residence.s Wooden cellar door and cooling chamber w( ine cellar/
rootcellar)leading through retaining wall and
intohillside.D.Itsexemplificationo)f aparticular architecturalstyle of anera ofhistory of
the city;The Craftsman Style,ju st beginning to hold sway in
local residential development, predominates, although it also evidences
Classical influences particularly Greek Revival, that were still popular, particularly
in largerhomes and public buildings. Itisa particularly well-preserved
example of this transition from classical to the modern,t wentieth
century Americanresponse to the Arts and Crafts movement now
known as Craftsman.F)I.t s identificationasthework of aperson whose work has influence
the heritage ofthe City andthe
State of California. Although little is known about his early life and education,
Lester S.Moore,t he architect of the 335 Monterey Road property, is recognized
as one of Southern California's earliest noted architects. His career
in the Los Angeles area spanned the period fromabout 1895 until shortly
before
his death in 1924.An extensive list of Moore's work,a bridged
in the Tim Gregory's attached house history, indicates the
architect' s thoroughfamiliarity and experience in a number ofstyles becoming popular
following the turn of the 20th century. Moore first specialized in Mission
Revival, then Craftsman, and later in period revival styles that gained
acceptance after WWI.H e also designed everything from single-family residences
and multi-unit apartment houses to all kinds of public buildings. Previous
to his work on the Thompson house, Moore had designed a studio residence
and art gallery along the ArroyoSeco in SouthPasadena for
Franz Bischof, one of Southern California's premier Plein
Air and studio painters. Unfortunately, that very significant structure was demolished
yearsago andBurwood is the
most significant surviving example of Moore'swork in
South Pasadena.WHEREAS, the Commissionfindings included adetermination that
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RESOLUTION NO. 6858
Page 3
WHEREAS, based on the evidence presented in the application materials, the
designation being categorically exempt from the California Environmental QualityAct, sub-
committee research, on-site inspection and public testimony, the Cultural
Heritage Commission voted to recommend designationof this property on November 17,2 005
and forwarded therecommendation to theCity Council;
and WHEREAS, the City Council held a public hearing on the proposed designation
on January 18,2 006 andreceived public
testimony.NOW,TH EREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SOUTH PASADENA,C ALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE, DECLARE,D ETERMINE
AND ORDER AS
FOLLOWS:SECTION 1.T he City Council approves the designationof 335Monterey
Road as an OfficialSouthPasadena Historic Landmark;
and SECTION 2.T he City Council directs the City Clerk to file the
appropriatedesignation with the officeof the Los Angeles CountyRegistrar-Recorder/
Clerk's Office.PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED ON this18`h
day of January,
2006. Kilby,it y Clerk APPROVED
OdomStamp yorATTEST:
Sa..
a.e-4~-S~all-y,--,. ,, /
RES. VOL. 41 PAGE 164 001/618/
RESOLUTION NO. 6858
Page 4
I HEREBY CERTIFI' the foregoingresolution was duly adopted bythe City
Council ofthe City ofSouth Pasadena at aregular meeting held on the 18`h day
of January, 2006, by thefollowing
vote: AYES: Cacciotti, Margrave, Putnam, Ten and Mayor
Stamps NOES:
None ABSENT:
None ABSTAINED:
None
SSally Kilb C, ity
