South Marengo Historic District
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Twelve Craftsman bungalows line South Marengo Avenue in Pasadena between Bellevue Drive and California Boulevard. Built between 1901 and 1916, they sit on a street once known for its prestige and its canopy of pepper trees. The houses share common setbacks, regular driveways, varied gabled rooflines and dark, earthy colors. Many have wide wood front doors, broad windows with small-paned transoms, and porches, chimneys and foundations of cobblestone or Arroyo stone. Variations include a Swiss chalet type, an English-style house and one with bellcast lines. Louis B. Easton designed and built two of the houses, 530 and 540, and C. W. Buchanan designed the house at 462. L. P. Prichard commissioned five of the bungalows. The district was recognized for its link to Pasadena's bungalow era and for the consistent quality of its architecture, which survives despite nearby apartments and offices.
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) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1901-1916 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Craftsman bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | South Marengo Historic District (property record) |
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.