Holly Street Livery Stable
Why it's listed
Built in 1904 at 110 East Holly Street in Pasadena, this one-story brick livery stable has a trapezoidal floor plan shaped by the curving Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way beside it. Its 18-inch load-bearing masonry walls, wood roof trusses, original hayloft, and wide wooden barn doors under a shallow masonry arch survive. Designed around the needs of a stable rather than any particular style, it adapted a common barn plan to an awkward site. John Breiner, proprietor of the Pasadena City Market, first used it to house horses and wagons for grocery deliveries, and early Rose Parade programs mention it as a place to hitch horses and build floats. As automobiles spread, later occupants included a Red Cross thrift store during World War I and the Pasadena Spring and Bumper Company. It is valued as one of the best preserved reminders of the horse-drawn era in Southern California, and faded painted signs on the brick still record its former uses.
Significance in brief: The stable is described as one of the last and best preserved examples of the non-mechanized transportation era in Southern California. It also reflects Pasadena's commercial history and the shift from horse-drawn to motorized transport. It has early links to the Rose Parade, and its brick construction and unusual plan are noted as architecturally important.
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 79000491, listed October 25, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 110 E. Holly St, Pasadena |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | October 25, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000491 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | John and Jean Cauzarang |
| Architectural style | Not representative of any strong architectural style; design based on functional requirements of a livery stable |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and used as a furniture warehouse; condition listed as fair, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Pasadena Civic Center District |
| Coordinates | 34.14696, -118.14839 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 79000491.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14682300
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.