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Building History

The firm of Hudson and Munsell designed this lavish bungalow for Jonas Butler Kissam and Cornelia Burrows Bartlett Kissam, (09/20/1848-04/28/1921), New York residents, who married in 1868. She was the daughter of Abner Bartlett, who served as the agent of the William Waldorf Astor Estate. They built this house next door to their daughter, Grace Kissam Duryee (02/21/1875-11/15/1948), who had settled in Los Angeles at 2164 West 20th Street with her husband, Harvey H. Duryee (04/14/1871-08/19/1942). Jonas B. Kissam (04/01/1838-06/02/1917), a lawyer and investor born in New York City, was a cousin of Mrs. William Henry Vanderbilt, and was a well-heeled enough to afford this 8,000-square-foot house to be used only occasionally during visits. (See Diane Wedner, Los Angeles Times.com, "Taking over from Titans," 09/16/2007, accessed 05/05/2017.) In 1900, Jonas and Nellie maintained an estate in Fairfield, CT, staffed by a coachman, cook, servant and chambermaid. On all sides, neighbors were "capitalists," merchants, or farmers, probably a mix of affluent urbanites recently settling in the country and more established agrarian families cultivating the fields. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut; Roll: 133; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 0068; FHL microfilm: 1240133. accessed 05/08/2017.) They resided at their estate, "Greenfield Hill," near Bridgeport, CT, until about 1912, according to the Bridgeport, Connecticut, City Directory. (Bridgeport and Fairfield were adjacent cities.)

In 1910, Jonas and Cornelia lived in this house when the 1910 US Census was taken. According to it, the couple had had four children, two of whom survived in 1910. They resided in this house with three servants--Anabel Graham (born c. 1882 in Scotland), Helma Olson (born c. 1877 in Sweden), Caroline Hedrickson (born c. 1868 in Sweden)--and a chauffeur, Thadeus F. Radnicke (born c. 1882 in PA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 70, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T624_80; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0216; FHL microfilm: 1374093. accessed 05/08/2017.)

Kissam seems to have spent significant amounts of time in Los Angeles in retirement, as his name appeared in the Los Angeles City Directories every year from 1908 until 1916. This was probably his primary residence after 1912.

Building Notes

Jonas and Cornelia Kissam, and their daughter, Grace, were the first guests of New York's luxurious Waldorf Hotel when it opened on 03/13/1893.

PCAD id: 21209