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AKA: Huntington, Henry E., Library, Japanese House, San Marino, CA
Structure Type: landscapes - parks
Designers: [unspecified]
Dates: constructed 1903
2 stories
Overview
Pasadena antiques dealer George T. Marsh erected this authentic Japanese house to serve an an antique store in 1903. Many Japanese gardens were built by the wealthy of CA during the 1890s and early 1900s, but few remain. According to Huntington officials, there are "...only four structures of its type and era remaining in the United States." (See Diane W. Thompson, "Beneath the Surface," Huntington Frontiers, Spring/Summer 2012, p, 11.) Henry Huntington, the owner of the Pacific Electric Railway Company, bought the house from Marsh in 1911, and had it moved to his sprawling estate in San Marino, a city incorporated in 1913.
Building History
Marsh operated his antiques emporium on the corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and California Boulevard in Pasadena, CA, from 1903 until 1911. Railroad magnate Henry Huntington (1850-1927), nephew of the Big Four Central Pacific Railroad owner Collis P. Huntington (1821-1900), bought the building from Marsh in 1911, and by 1912, had installed it on his ranch outside of Pasadena. Huntington relied on his building superintendent, William Hertrich, to complete the relocation and rebuilding process that took at least one year.
Alteration
Led by supervising architect Kelly Sutherlin McLeod, the Japanese House was restored to its condition when Henry Huntington moved the house to his property in 1911. According to the Huntington Library's magazine, Huntington Frontiers, McLeod and her restoration team "....identified a 16-year period of significance from 1911, when Huntington purchased and relocated the house to his ranch, until his death in 1927." (See Diane W. Thompson, "Beneath the Surface," Huntington Frontiers, Spring/Summer 2012, p, 11.) The house restoration was completed meticulously in 2012 utilizing the assistance of specialized craftspeople, conservators and historians with knowledge of traditional Japanese building techniques. Its restoration coincided with the Japanese House's centennial on the Huntington property.
PCAD id: 21877
