Cottage Court
Why it's listed
Cottage Court is a bungalow court at 642-654 South Marengo Avenue in Pasadena, built in 1923 on about 0.4 acre. It consists of seven separate stuccoed units in the Colonial Revival style. Identical gables with broad eaves and large rectangular vents face the courtyard and shelter recessed porches supported by columns, recalling the fronts of classical temples. A single walkway runs through the narrow courtyard, which has two light standards. The nomination describes the buildings as looking like a series of miniature classical temples facing each other across a narrow pathway. It treats the court as an example of adapting style to site in a manner peculiar to Southern California, and as one more part of a representative cluster of bungalow courts in the vicinity of Marengo Avenue. The court was entered in the register in July 1983 as part of a thematic group of Pasadena bungalow courts. The document names no architect or builder for this court.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the court's units resemble miniature classical temples facing each other across a narrow path, an adaptation of style to site that it calls peculiar to Southern California. It also adds to a representative cluster of bungalow courts around Marengo Avenue.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83001186, listed July 11, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 642-654 S. Margeno Ave., Pasadena |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | July 11, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001186 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 34.13445, -118.14573 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83001186.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14681784
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.