Architectural Style
Commercial
Around 1920, a new style of housing which, in general, featured red tile roof material and stucco siding, became extremely popular in Monrovia. The Spanish Colonial which, in its original form had been seen primarily in the Southwest and Florida, was experiencing a revival. In California, this revival had been sparked by the buildings, featured at the 1915 Panama-California International Exposition, which were designed by Bertram G. Goodhue and Carlton M. Winslow. Since Spanish architecture includes Byzantine, Mediterranean, and Moorish influence, these styles were also incorporated in the revivals seen at the California exhibition and then copied all over Southern California. In Monrovia, the revival took the form of houses which would be considered Spanish Colonial and others with more Mediterranean influence; consequently, the volunteers working on this project use the category ''Spanish and Mediterranean Revival.''
Both styles tend to have red tile roofs, stucco exterior walls, and arches over the primary windows and doors. The primary difference is that Mediterranean-influenced stucco structures are symmetrical, while Spanish-influenced structures are not. Consequently, a Mediterranean-influenced building will have a centered entrance and a pergola or porte-corchere at either end. The centered entrance is often semi-circular and attached, rather than flush with the side.
Spanish revivals in Monrovia may have an entry which opens into a tiny courtyard. In a two-story version, there may be a cantilevered second-story porch with wooden or wrought iron balustrade which gives the house a Monterey (colonial capital of California) look. Another version in Monrovia is a stucco structure with a Mission-shaped roof parapet and arched entry.
Note: There are currently no structures listed for this category.
133 E. Lime Avenue
KNOWN DETAILS
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B
21
No
1908
Commercial
Unknown
Unknown
No
No
Irving K. White
Yes
Town of Monrovia
This picture shows a glimpse of the two-storey rooming house on Lot 21. This picture dates from 1915-1920. The land to the east up to Ivy Avenue is still vacant. The house to the east of the boarding house won't be built until 1922.
This picture dates from the 1960s and is the reverse of the picture before it. The houses on Lots 21-16 that would have been in this picture have all been torn down.
Description
Lot 21, Block B in the Town of Monrovia Subdivision lay unimproved until 1908 when Byron Clark built a two-storey house that would be a boarding house that provided furnished rooms for renters. The structure kept its function asa boarding house until it was torn down in the late 1950s.
The Sanborn maps show a two-storey, rectangular structure which is very common for commercial structures of that time. It was wood frame and had enough rooms to rent to ten people.
By 1921, Margaret Clark had died, and her husband moved to Anaheim to live with one of his daughters. They sold the business and the property, and the boarding house became the Ak-Sar-Ben Rooms in 1924. The owners then added a small dwelling at the back of the property by the alley with an address of 133 1/2 E. Lime Avenue.
203 E. Lime Ave.
KNOWN DETAILS
Block No:
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A
13
No
1927
Commercial
Unknown
Unknown
Yes
No
William McLean
No
Town of Monrovia
Description
William McLean was the first person to own Lot 13, Block A, in the Town of Monrovia Subdivision. The 1904 map issued Charles Slossen, a real estate dealer and property manager, shows the original configuration of the lot. Like most of the other subdivided lots in 1886, the block was divided into lots that were 50 feet wide and 150 feet deep with an alley bisecting the block.
In 1888, the property was valued by the tax assessor at $300. The following year, it was worth only half that. From 1897 to 1903, the property was valued at $75. After that, there was an uptick in property values with the price rising to $150. That was the value on the property when McLean sold it to Alex Foster in 1914.
The 1907 Sanborn Map shows Lot 14 has yet to be subdivided though some houses are already appearing.