Mello, Clarence and Mary, House
Also known as: The Mello House
Why it's listed
Completed in April 1957 at 541 Fremont Drive in Pasadena, this one-story house was designed by the firm Buff, Straub and Hensman for Clarence and Mary Mello, who loved camping and expected a family of five children. Built for $36,689.99, it uses a 6-foot module of dark-stained posts filled with stucco, wood or glass panels under a broadly pitched roof. Its plan forms two back-to-back L shapes, one holding the living and family areas and the other the children's bedrooms, with terraces, decks and patios woven around them. The wedge-shaped lot sits on the bank of the Arroyo Seco, with views toward the San Gabriel Mountains. A 1963 two-bedroom addition was also designed by the firm. The house was listed for its architecture, as a strong example of the firm's post-and-beam work adapted to a modest budget and a specific family. It is also valued as an example of residential Modernism in Pasadena, and it remains largely original and occupied by the family.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be significant under Criterion C as the work of master architects and as an example of the modular post-and-beam technique adapted to a particular site, budget and family program. It is also cited as showing innovation in residential Modernism within Pasadena's 1948-1968 Recent Past period. It retains exceptional integrity.
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 09000178, listed April 10, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 541 Fremont Dr., Pasadena |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | April 10, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000178 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1957 |
| Architect / builder | Buff, Straub, and Hensman |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling and occupied by the Mello family; the form says the house is original apart from glass replacement and some rafter-tail enclosure. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Prospect Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.15414, -118.16205 (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 09000178.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133289479
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.