Court at 638-650 North Mar Vista Avenue

Built in 1927, this bungalow court on North Mar Vista Avenue in Pasadena is arranged in a U shape around a landscaped central courtyard. Four one-story bungalows face each other in pairs, and a rear duplex closes the end of the court. The buildings are wood-framed with clapboard siding, gabled roofs and small entry porticos supported by paired wood posts. Their simplified Colonial Revival design mixes classical touches with Craftsman details such as exposed rafters and wide eaves. Karl Valentine designed and built the court as its owner; the bungalows cost $1,500 each and the duplex $3,000. The court is significant for its site planning. Its 100-foot-wide lot allowed a spacious layout of detached houses, at a time when builders were turning to narrower courts that fit more units on a 50-foot lot. It also retains a high degree of integrity and fits well into a neighborhood of small single-family homes. It is recognized as a fine example of its type in Pasadena.