Pegler, John Carlton, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1894 at 419 East Highland Avenue in Sierra Madre, this two-story wood-frame house was the center of a citrus ranch owned by John Carlton Pegler. It is a Queen Anne Revival farmhouse with clapboard siding, fish scale shingles in the gables, carved brackets and a brick foundation. Later owners added Craftsman and Mission Revival touches, especially on the wraparound front porch, which was reconstructed in 1974 to its 1917 appearance. Inside, the 12-foot ceilings, redwood stair balustrade, original moldings and tiled fireplace survive to an uncommon degree. The grounds once covered about fifteen acres, later subdivided in 1925. What remains includes a magnolia tree over 90 years old, a small concrete bridge and wall from an irrigation aqueduct, and the deep well that supplied other residents during drought. The property reflects both late nineteenth-century farmhouse design and the citrus economy of the area.
Significance in brief: The house is nominated as a well-preserved example of a Queen Anne Revival farmhouse with unusually intact interior features. It is also tied to Pegler's citrus ranching, a major Southern California industry, and to his deep well, which supplied water to neighbors during a drought. Surviving aqueduct fragments illustrate early water-gathering methods.
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 88002019, listed October 20, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 419 E. Highland Ave., Sierra Madre |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | October 20, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002019 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Revival; Bungalow/Craftsman; Mission Revival; Other: Farmhouse |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Agriculture, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family dwelling; the form notes porch alterations were partly reversed in 1974 and the well still exists beneath a garage. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.16555, -118.04655 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 88002019.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.