This 1903 Craftsman style residence was the first house built on Ford Place. The house was originally constructed as a winter home for land speculator, rancher, and banker W.A. McHenry. It was designed by architect C.W. Buchanan and constructed by builders Crowell & Seward. Of wood frame construction, the house is sheathed in clapboard on the first two stories, with half-timbering and plaster on the third. The foundation, chimney, porch piers and porch walls are of brick, the last capped with cast stone. The McHenry House has a massive front porch, similar to other homes in Ford Place. Original leaded glass sidelights flank the original front door. The roof has multiple gables; all gable ends are similar in appearance, with half-timbering, notched bargeboards, eaves supported by paired cut-out brackets, and beveled beam ends.
A photograph from an early Tournament of Roses yearbook reveals that the house has been altered from its original appearance. Alterations include an addition on the south side, an enclosed rear storage room, and a fire escape. The balcony connecting the two front gable ends was enclosed.
Tall date palms at the front of the property are remnants of the parkway trees that originally lined North Oakland Avenue. In the rear is evidence of a formal garden, but the original pathway and flower beds are now paved with asphalt.
The original interior spatial arrangement has been altered with the addition of partitions to accommodate the change in use to office space. Original intact interior features include: wood crown, baseboard, and door frame moldings; hardwood floors on the first floor; a fireplace with amber colored brick veneer cheeks; built-in cabinets; panel doors; octagonal floor tiles; and casement, fixed pane, and double-hung windows, some with divided lights. The living room features coffered ceilings with wood beams. The house is on the campus of Fuller Seminary, housing the offices of student government, pastoral care and student lounges on the second floor. Located at 130 North Oakland Avenue in the Ford Place Historic District of Pasadena, California.
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