Oaklawn Bridge and Waiting Station
Why it's listed
Spanning the Santa Fe Railway between Oaklawn and Fair Oaks Avenues in South Pasadena, this 1906 bridge carries vehicles and pedestrians on a graceful concrete arch. It has six spans and runs 340 feet, and the arch is only twelve inches thick at the center. At the east end, a waiting station built of Arroyo Seco boulders with red brick detailing and a heavy timber roof of clay tile once sheltered electric car passengers. The South Pasadena Realty and Improvement Company sponsored the structure. Greene and Greene designed it, Carl Leonardt built it, and Michael de Palo, a pioneer in reinforced concrete, served as consulting engineer. It is the only bridge the architects designed. The railway required an extra pillar in span two, which the architects added reluctantly because they felt it spoiled the grace of the design. Its significance rests on architecture, engineering, landscaping, transportation and urban planning, and it remains a useful link in the community.
Significance in brief: It is the only bridge designed by the architects Greene and Greene and reflects their California style rather than the European styles then in vogue. Its reinforced concrete design was an engineering achievement of its day. It also continues to serve as a vehicle and foot link and as a landscaped community feature.
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 73000406, listed July 16, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Between Oaklawn and Fair Oaks Aves., South Pasadena |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | July 16, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000406 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architect / builder | Greene and Greene (architects); Carl Leonardt (builder); Michael de Palo (consulting engineer) |
| Architectural style | Early Modern (Bridge); Bungalow/Craftsman (Waiting Station) |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, on its original site and unaltered in the 1972 form; owned by the City of South Pasadena and in use as a road crossing. A 2001 amendment concerned restoring the bridge to its original design. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 34.11887, -118.15311 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 73000406.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133294844
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.