House at 1240 North Los Robles
Why it's listed
Built in 1896 in Pasadena's Claremont Tract, this two-story Shingle style house sits on the east side of North Los Robles Avenue. Its architect, builder and original owner are unknown. Originally facing south toward East Claremont Street, the house was turned to face west in 1912, when the southern part of the lot was sold. Walls are clad in coursed wood shingles, with wave-patterned shingles in the overhanging gable ends, a shingled bowed hood over the attic windows, and a river rock foundation. Shingled columns support a north side porch, and the corners of the beam-to-column junctures are rounded. Queen Anne influences appear in the mix of shingle patterns, cutaway bay windows and an interior turned spindle balustrade. Later changes include a 1940s rear laundry room and a 2000 reroof and foundation retrofit. The house was listed as an example of Arts and Crafts era residential design in Pasadena, and it remains a single dwelling in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The house is an excellent example of the Shingle style within Pasadena's Arts and Crafts single-family residence property type. It retains integrity and is one of few Pasadena houses with Shingle style columns. Its curved hoods, rounded beam-to-column junctures and lack of corner boards are distinguishing features, alongside Queen Anne detailing.
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 04000329, listed August 20, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1240 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | August 20, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000329 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1896 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements/Late Victorian/Shingle |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition with a high degree of architectural integrity; currently used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.16822, -118.14184 (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 04000329.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18151988
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.