Upton Sinclair House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Upton Sinclair House
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 464 N. Myrtle Avenue |
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| Area | 0.8 acres (0.32 ha) |
| Built | 1923 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000153 |
| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1971 |
The Upton Sinclair House is a special old house located at 464 N. Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia, California. It was built in 1923. This house was the home of a famous American writer named Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) from 1942 to 1966. He wrote many of his books here. Because of its history, the house became a National Historic Landmark in 1971. This means it's a very important place in American history. Today, it is a private home.
Contents
About the Upton Sinclair House
The Upton Sinclair House is found near the San Gabriel Mountains. It is north of the main part of Monrovia. The house has a style called "Neo-Mediterranean." This means it looks like buildings from countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Many houses in this area have a similar look.
House Design and Features
The house is made from poured concrete. It has special decorations like "ball-and-ribbon" concrete designs. You can also see beautiful Batchelder tiles on the house. The main door is under a fancy archway. Above the door, there is an iron balcony. The windows next to the entrance also have round arch shapes. Behind the house, there is an old garage that matches the house's style.
Who Designed the House?
A California architect named Frederick H. Wallis designed this house. It was finished in 1923.
Upton Sinclair's Life and Work
Upton Sinclair bought this house in 1942. He wanted a quieter place to live than Pasadena, where he had been before. Sinclair was a very important writer. He was known for his "exposé" style of writing. This means he wrote books that revealed problems or unfair things in society.
Famous Books and Awards
One of his most famous books is The Jungle, written in 1906. This book showed the difficult and sometimes unsafe conditions in the meatpacking industry. His writing helped bring about changes to make food safer. In 1943, Upton Sinclair won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. This is a very important award for writers.
Writing at the House
Many of Sinclair's later books were written while he lived in this house. He had a special studio in the garage where he worked. The property also has a concrete vault. This is where he kept all his important papers and writings safe.
Saving the Historic House
In 1991, a strong earthquake called the 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake hit the area. The Upton Sinclair House was damaged. The owner at the time almost tore it down. However, California's state historic preservation office stepped in. They said the house could not be torn down because it was so important to history. This helped save the house for future generations.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Upton Sinclair para niños
