Then: Johnson Lake 1888
Today: A Gated Community – Trespassers Prosecuted
please do select the above image: on our blog the gates open
Hahamongna, “the land of flowing water, fruitful valley”
Our Garvanza tour last left off at the steps of Rosewood Terrace. Up Ave 64 (once known as Mountain Road) and around the corner, one discovers a true laguna that once served the agricultural needs of “Church of Angel’s” founder and land owning Campbell Johnston clan. Today it belongs to Pasadena and unless your a title holder, testing the waters is considered a criminal offence. Occasionally there are exceptions; such as being a participant on season three of Dr Drew’s Celebrity Rehab. For Heidi Fleiss, her birds and other fallen celebrities, the private lake was transformed for the day intoJohnston’s Lake Retreat.
Another less personally harmful way to touch base with the sacred waters is to take a tour of the John Norton House…This is where “Post and Beam meets Field and Stream.” Following in the tradition of the Tongva who once placed settlements along area stream beds, so have the masters of mid century modernism. Real estate agents have recently saddled the area with the bogus moniker “Laguna Road Landmark District.” Bleeech
Installment Eighteen of my series examining the “Secret, Feral and Concrete”
Segment two of my walk through Garvanza and the “adjacents”
Johnstone or Johnson or Johnston. The name occurs in three variations.
The Buff / Hensmen link: a great article about the architect’s presence in Pasadena
http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/buff_hensman/7664/
It’s Mr Johnson to you, PA
Nice color pics!
Notice how even the public schools have become gated communities. Public, keep out!
Just think about all the windows you’d have to wash. I envy the postcard more than the house.
I used to take this street on the way to work — just to cheer me up a little. Our editor, John Carroll, lived around there at the time. Nice though he was, he didn’t ask me to drop by for coffee.
KB, now I know one reason why those gates went up.
PA, looks like a good place to put in another Rods.
I’m calling Robin for an appointment. Just promise that you and Mr V will come for Sunday dinner…
I just looked at the floor plan and this house is only a few hundred feet larger than mine. It makes me wonder why “architects” still keep putting out cracker boxes – like the one I live in. Why not let the house speak for itself? The design is so simple and elegant, and then they invested where I think it really counts, in outdoor living space. I remember you mentioning secret streams once, are these subject to flooding?
Love the title of this. If only the realtors could be so clever.
And I am in love with this property. It’s truly my dream house. I’ve always wanted to take my shower in front of floor to ceiling windows.
Wow. Just, wow.
Seriously, you need a show on PBS. THese finds are wonderful, and your tour guiding is the best.
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For all the google “Johnston Lake Retreat” searches coming to my blog, you have been duped. Reality TV lies. There is a Pasadena Recovery Center on North Raymond. There is no Johnston Lake Retreat. Johnston Lake exists but it is encircled by a private gated community.
CO Dog: “Notice how even the public schools have become gated communities. ” …thats good, can’t top it. Re Rod’s: Let’s not forget Mr V’s rant “dry desolate smalltime Montebello” Lets keep Rods where it belongs. We can visit.
AH: The image is from the USC photo archive (and dolled up by me) I photographed the lake’s guard gates and put them in. Interesting to note that all the Angels and Lake images were either taken or donated by a man named Lewis. That’s also one of the nearby street names.
PJ: Several blocks within the immediate vicinity are loaded with a wealth of moderns. They’re mixed in with other prominent styles and along with the lush landscape, seem to work well together.
I heard this stream before I ever saw it. It’s encased and not effected by the Station Fire. This area of Los Angeles/Pasadena/Garvanza is rich in water above and below ground.
Susan: I’m so glad that someone picked up on my title. A sure winner. Did you catch the mosaic over the kitchen sink? Anyways…this is my favorite post and beam because of the creek. And also because I’m attracted to those homes that fuse modernism with asian influences. Probably why I like Schindler over Nuetra.
Laurie: Yay, you came to visit! btw: I swear I saw your husband while I was attending the open house. A guy who looked like he’d popped in from a bike ride. He was so quick, I didn’t get a chance to ask.
PA, R U referring to the celebrity recovery rehab center run by old Doc Drew?
Worth almost two million just for the decks and gardens. Though I’m not crazy about the mosaic. I love your title, too.
this was a beautiful area to see on our walk Friday, PA. I think we enjoyed it more than Dennis Rodman did, even in my sinus-y haze. See I told you you should have your own show/book/empire…
If you like the stream here you have to visit Fallingwater in eastern Pennsylvania some day. FLW’s masterpiece. This place does have some features though. Very nice, looks like lots of privacy, the inside tour belies the size of this place. Yes, I could live there.
The POST & BEAM caught my eye right away – wonderfully done. (I did not pay attention to the title ‘TILL reminded in the comments – clever. I’ll make sure not to glance over those any more.)
Fascinating place & history. I agree with Laurie, should be on TV – how about local cable channels. Seriously…I bet PV would broadcast something that’s PV related…there must be something similar up your way.
Petrea and the daily bloggers are posting about passageways today, and I think your gate fits right in and then does them one better by ushering us inside. Brava.
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CO Dog: “old Drew” is younger then me. Do you have a favorite celebrity in rehab?
Petrea: Thanks on the title. Biomorphic pod depiction is to “post and beam” what Batchelder is to craftsman.
Mary: I watched the episode via my machine. I don’t think anyone enjoyed their day by the lake; especially Heidi….The siren call of Pahrump Nevada was to hard for Heidi and her birds to resist. A shame she rolled her nest while in flight.
empire? yes, good idea
D: I may not have visited Fallingwater (and really, isn’t it the Mac Daddy of stream side straddlers) but I have the DVD. Didn’t you place that into Ramona’s shopping cart?
Tash: Real estate “speak” is within Susan’s zone of expertise. She used to write articles for the LA Times real estate section. They focused on differing areas of Los Angeles including the article on Garvanza (I think). She has a greater appreciation of our area then most.
Tash….thank you and no way.
Only those of you with refined and superior taste visit me regularly and leave your calling card (in the form of a comment). You are the select and lucky ones.
Margaret: you are my new best friend
I’m late on this one. Great post on a great house! How wonderful to integrate the house with the outdoors. I adore the stream.
Having the gates open like that is very clever! I often walk by this lake (which seemed bigger in 1888), trying to get a peek at it through the hedges and fences, but I find it very frustrating that I can’t get a better look at the houses. Isn’t one of them the converted barn of Prudent Beaudry’s vineyard?
As for the B&H house, the link finally let me see the lovely stream flowing through the garden – it’s impossible to see it from the road (and believe me, I’ve tried). The house is so private and hidden away, you wouldn’t need curtains on those big windows, would you? But does it get any sun?
Shanna: From Bauhaus to our city. It’s that integration between the in and out that make these birds sing. They’re presence is non obtrusive to the landscape. Paint them the right color, stick them on a hillside and all is well. Not these gawd awful beasts Pasadena and the adjacents have “permitted”. Their boxy presence clutters our hills. Not to mention those Soviet styled massive housing complexes (think south of Green) that block our views. Then there are those homes on the grid that over whelm their lot size.
yup
a rant
Bellis: Curses! once again you’ve left an info nugget that makes me realize I’ve left a rock unturned…”converted barn of Prudent Beaudry”???? I’ve never heard of this. I’m still working on the Garvanza water info nugget that led me over some rather interesting terrain. I’ll be dedicating that future post to you.
shhhh…check out the second or third house down from the Norton. Those glass windows don’t hide a thing. A floor to ceiling pack rat. I’m intrigued.
it must be a interesting and beautiful place.