Robert R. Blacker House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Robert R. Blacker House
|
|
Robert R. Blacker House (Greene & Greene 1907)
|
|
| Location | 1177 Hillcrest Ave Pasadena, California |
|---|---|
| Architect | Charles & Henry Greene |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000147 |
| Added to NRHP | February 6, 1986 |
The Blacker House is a famous home in Pasadena, California. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical place in the U.S. This beautiful house was built in 1907 for Robert Roe Blacker and Nellie Canfield Blacker.
It was designed by Henry and Charles Greene. They were part of the famous architectural firm Greene and Greene. The Blacker House was a very special project for the Greene brothers. Everything inside was custom-made. This included the small metal plates on the doors and even the keys for the linen closets.
Contents
Who Were Robert and Nellie Blacker?
Robert R. Blacker (1845–1931) was a retired Michigan lumberman. This means he used to work in the timber industry. Nellie Canfield Blacker was also from a family involved in lumber. Her father owned a lumber mill. Robert Blacker was part of several lumber companies. He was also the president of the Michigan Steamship Company. This company owned a ship called the SS Eastland.
Robert Blacker passed away in 1931. Nellie Blacker passed away in 1946. They did not have any children. In her will, Nellie said the house, land, and all its furniture should be sold together. She did not want them to be separated.
The Famous "Yard Sale"
Sadly, the people in charge of Nellie Blacker's estate did not follow her wishes. They wanted to get the most money possible. So, the large seven-acre property was sold without its furniture. Then, the land was divided into smaller pieces. This destroyed the beautiful gardens. The main house ended up on just one acre. The garage and caretaker's cottage became separate homes.
Even more famous was a "yard sale" that happened after the house was sold. All the special furniture made for the Blacker House was sold off. Today, some of this furniture is in museums. Other pieces are owned by wealthy collectors and famous people in Hollywood.
One family, the Andersons, lived nearby. They bought a lot of the furniture. Years later, in 1990, a member of the Anderson family offered to sell the breakfast room table back to the Blacker House owners. It was offered for a very high price. Later, this table was sold at an auction. Other Greene and Greene items from the house were also sold for high prices. These included a living room chair and a bedroom chair.
Why Was the House Taken Apart?
Mr. and Mrs. Max Hill bought the Blacker House in the 1950s. In 1985, Mrs. Hill, who had recently lost her husband, sold the house. It was bought by Barton English and Michael Carey.
Soon after buying the house, Mr. English hired someone to remove many original light fixtures. Later, he also removed some of the special glass doors and windows. He had copies made to replace them. Many of the original pieces were then sold to art collectors.
Saving the Blacker House
News about these events spread quickly. Articles appeared in major newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. A local group called Pasadena Heritage helped share the story.
Pasadena then created a special rule called the Blacker Ordinance. This rule tried to stop people from taking apart homes designed by Greene and Greene. It did not completely ban changes. However, it could delay any changes for up to a year. This allowed time for a committee to review the plans. People who cared about saving the house even guarded it day and night. They wanted to stop more parts from being removed.
The removed chandeliers sold for a lot of money. Many lamps also sold for high prices. Mr. English had bought the house for $1 million. He quickly made his money back by selling the fixtures. He sold the house in 1988 for $1.2 million, without ever living in it.
Bringing the House Back to Life
In 1994, Harvey and Ellen Knell bought the Blacker House. They had been planning to buy another Greene and Greene house. But they changed their minds to get the Blacker House instead.
The Knells worked with experts to restore the house. Randall Makinson, an architect, specialized in Greene and Greene homes. James Ipekjian was a master craftsman. A whole team of skilled workers helped too.
The house was restored both inside and out. Ipekjian recreated the wooden parts of the lamps and other fixtures. He even traveled to see an original piece to make a perfect copy. The house also got new electrical wiring and plumbing. Its structure was made stronger to withstand earthquakes. Hidden ventilation systems were added. Every roof shingle was either fixed or replaced. All the wooden beams were cleaned and refinished. Many of the wooden parts extending beyond the roof had to be replaced.
After four years of hard work, the restoration was finished. A special dinner was held to celebrate. The actor Brad Pitt even hosted the event.
