Russian Village District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Russian Village District
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House at 330 S. Mills Avenue
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 290--370 S. Mills Ave. and 480 Cucamonga Ave., Claremont, California |
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| Area | 3.2 acres (1.3 ha) |
| Architect | Konstanty Stys, et al. |
| Architectural style | Folk architecture |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000680 |
| Added to NRHP | December 28, 1978 |
The Russian Village District is a special neighborhood in Claremont, California. It has 15 unique houses built mostly by Konstanty Stys, a Polish immigrant, and his friends during the Great Depression. These homes are famous for their "folk architecture" style, meaning they were built using local and recycled materials, not by trained architects.
Even though the houses are in Claremont, parts of some properties are actually in Montclair, which is in San Bernardino County. This historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 because of its unique history and building style.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Village
Konstanty Stys (1894-1961) was born in Poland. He moved to the United States and first lived in Ohio, working in a steel factory. In 1921, he and his family moved to Pomona, and then to Claremont. He found work in construction and bought land on Mills Avenue.
How the "Russian Village" Got Its Name
Stys started building houses on his land. Local people thought he was from Russia, so they nicknamed the area the "Russian Village." This name stuck, even though Stys was actually from Poland!
Building Homes from Recycled Materials
Most of the people who built homes in this district, including Stys, were not trained architects. They used materials found nearby, like stones from the plains around Claremont. They also used recycled items, such as parts from old railroad cars. After the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, they even used debris from damaged buildings. Materials from wrecking yards were also very useful.
Helping Friends During Hard Times
The Great Depression was a very tough time. Many of Stys's friends lost their jobs and even their homes. Stys helped them by selling parts of his land for very low prices, sometimes with no down payment. He also helped them build affordable houses using all those salvaged and recycled materials. This created a strong community where neighbors helped each other.
Unique Homes in the District
Each house in the Russian Village District has its own story, built with creativity and recycled items. Here are a few examples:
House at 290 South Mills Avenue
This house was built in 1927. It was originally about 700 square feet inside. The outside is made of local field stones, and the inside has wood from used materials. Some of the wood even had old paint or square-head nails from its previous life!
House at 305 South Mills Avenue
This property is on the corner of South Mills Avenue and East Cucamonga Avenue. The house and garage were built in 1937. They were first used as an office and workshop for the Lay-Mor block company, owned by Konstanty Stys and Merle Mead. The buildings themselves are made from these special Lay-Mor blocks.
House at 306 South Mills Avenue
This house is partly in Montclair. It was the very first house built in what became the Russian Village. Konstanty Stys started building it in 1923 for his own family. He and his family lived in the garage while he built the main house, which was finished in 1925. The house has wood siding and stone on the outside. Stys also added stone walkways, planters, and walls to the yard.
House at 316 South Mills Avenue
This house, also partly in Montclair, was built in 1932 by Raymond Yerkes. Stys and another neighbor, Merle Mead, helped him. The house uses stone and concrete forms from Pomona College construction sites. A large railroad tie supports the living room window. Later, the garage was turned into a studio, with walls and cupboards made from wood salvaged from a railroad car.
House at 333 South Mills Avenue
Stys started building this house and then gave it to his niece and her husband, Clarence Michael, as a wedding gift. Michael finished building it in 1933. The outside is stone, and railroad ties were used as supports in the windows.
House at 350 South Mills Avenue
This house, partly in Montclair, was built by Stys in 1935. It's shaped like an 'H'. The outside walls are made of concrete blocks from street repairs. Local highway crews even delivered these blocks to Stys! The inside walls use wood from wrecking yards. The roof tiles came from a school in Placentia that was damaged in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake.
Beyond the Village: Cucamonga Properties
Stys's building style also reached other areas. The Cask 'n Cleaver restaurant in Cucamonga was originally an orchard house designed and built by Stys. Nearby, there used to be a stone wall and seven redwood bungalows built by Stys using lumber from the Long Beach earthquake wreckage. These were later taken down to make way for a new city park, but some of the old lumber and river rocks were reused in the park's new structures.
Why the Russian Village District is Important
Konstanty Stys bought land in the 1920s and built his first house using local and recycled materials. During the Great Depression, he sold parts of his land cheaply to friends and helped them build homes. He used native rocks and items from salvage yards, demolished buildings, and construction sites.
Stys helped many people, like Merle Mead and Raymond Yerkes. He even gave a house to his niece as a wedding gift. This community spirit, especially during the hard times of the Depression, made the Russian Village unique. Using salvaged materials was a smart and affordable way to build houses when money was scarce.
There wasn't a grand plan for the district. The houses were built as needed, but they became connected by the similar materials used and by the friendships with Konstanty Stys.
The Russian Village District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its special "folk architecture" and how it shows the social and economic conditions during the Great Depression. It's a great example of how people can be creative and help each other during difficult times.
Images for kids
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305 S. Mills Ave.
