National Register visit 180: Bowen Court. Back in the 1910s and ‘20s, Pasadena was filthy with bungalow courts: self-contained assemblies of small cottages, all centered around a walkway or courtyard. While many have disappeared over the years, we’ve still got the granddaddy of them all, Bowen Court. Designed in 1911 by brothers Arthur & Alfred Heineman, Bowen was the largest of the bungalow courts in Pasadena, and it’s the earliest one still standing in its original location.
Bowen Court catered to the more working-class folk that flowed into Pasadena during that era, but that doesn’t mean it skimped on style or amenities. These 23 buildings are compact, cozy craftsman bungalows, with built-in cabinets and high-quality redwood construction. The landscaping is gorgeous too, and as all the palms, oaks and camphor trees have matured over the past century, Bowen’s transformed into a proper urban forest.
PS: Charles Greene, ½ of that OTHER famous brother-brother firm of Pasadena craftsman architects, was less than charitable about Bowen Court: “The style and design of each unit is uniform, making for the monotony and dreariness of a factory district,” he once wrote. “This is a good example of what not to do.” Methinks that assessment was unfair. Each unit has its distinctive quirks. And Greene didn’t address the bungalow court’s unique role as a middle ground between the privacy of a single-family home, and the community of an apartment complex.
A number of residents at Bowen Court have been there for decades. And I can understand why. It feels secluded and natural, the tenants actually interact with each other, and the rent’s pretty affordable. Who needs a white picket fence when you can stroll down a sun-dappled walkway on your way to Pie ‘n Burger?
I'm visiting all the landmarks in LA County listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Read more about this one and many more at etandoesla.com...
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