Storrier-Stearns Japanese Garden
Why it's listed
This 1.45-acre Japanese stroll garden in a residential part of Pasadena was created between 1937 and 1942 by Kinzuchi Fujii, a landscape designer and craftsman from Japan, for Charles and Ellamae Storrier-Stearns. Two interconnected ponds, a 25-foot hill with a cascading waterfall, thousands of granite boulders, four bridges, a rustic redwood waystation, and granite and bronze lanterns make up its main features. Granite and bronze pieces were imported from Japan, and the work was done by hand labor and mules. The original teahouse was built in Japan, shipped over and reassembled. It burned in 1981 and is being rebuilt from original drawings. The garden is significant in California landscape architecture as an authentic wet garden with a promenade and as a rare surviving pre-war private Japanese garden. It also reflects Japanese immigrant contributions to American garden design. Despite losses and neglect, the basic design and most principal trees remain.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the garden is an excellent example of Japanese-style garden design and is significant in California landscape architecture. It reflects the American appreciation of Japanese design and the Japanese immigrant experience. It is one of very few surviving pre-war private Japanese gardens in California and the supreme example of Fujii's work.
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 05000050, listed February 15, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 270 Arlington Dr., Pasadena |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | February 15, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000050 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1937-42 |
| Architect / builder | Fuji, Kinzuchi designer |
| Architectural style | Other - Japanese |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The garden retains its basic design of ponds, waterfall, paths, boulders, bridges and retaining wall. The original teahouse burned in 1981 and is being reconstructed, with its foundation laid. The original entrance gate and Foo dogs were removed and replaced with period substitutes. Some artifacts are in storage. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Within district | Pasadena Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.12759, -118.15583 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 05000050.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7620328
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.