370 W Del Mar Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105, USA

Dr. W. T. Bolton House - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:

The W. T. Bolton House is significant for its association with the architects Charles and Henry Greene, and for the excellence of its: craftsmanship in the execution of the Greene’s' design. Although not of the size or caliber of the Gamble House, the Bolton House represents the style of the Greene’s during Its most characteristic period and documents their work in a less ambitious program.

The Bolton House was built in 1906 for Dr. W. T. and Alice Bolton, the second house to be designed by Charles and Henry Greene for the couple. Although Dr. Bolton Died before the house was occupied, Alice Bolton lived there until 1917, when it was purchased by Kate, Margaret, and Cordelia Culbertson. Another example of the loyalty of Greene and Greene clients, the Culbertson’s moved from their well-known Greene and Greene house on Hillcrest Avenue in Pasadena, and members of the Culbertson family lived in the Bolton House until the early 1950*s. Several years ago, the house was acquired by Ambassador College, and was used for storage. Plans for converting the house into a dormitory were never implemented, and the house passed into private ownership in 1979.

Charles and Henry Greene were the foremost practitioners of the Craftsman design philosophy in Pasadena, and their work had a profound influence on residential architecture in the early years of the century. The sources for the Greenes' architecture were many: Japanese structural articulation, the emphasis on the roofline and the picturesque in the Swiss Chalet, the simplified forms and shingles of the American Shingle Style, and the synthesis of the Arts and Crafts movement promulgated by Gustav Stickley in the Craftsman. The Bolton House is an example of a raid-range commission, costing approximately $11,000 in 1906, which embodies many of the Greene's interpretations of these sources.

Primary among the Craftsman design principles is the conviction that "form follows function". In the Greene’s house’s structure and materials are openly, even joyfully, expressed. The Bolton House exhibits this characteristic: for example, Joints are not hidden but emphasized, and the Joists and beams which bear the load of the structure are extended beyond the corners of the house so that their intersection becomes an architectural event. Since '"form follows function" precludes extraneous decoration, the open expression of structure becomes the decoration.

A respect for nature and natural forms is also important to the Craftsman designer. Natural materials such as wood, are exploited for their innate qualities. On the interiors and the front door, the wood is oiled and rubbed to bring out its color and grain. Oregon pine, port oxford cedar, teak, and mahogany are used in the Bolton House. For the exterior the plans for the Bolton House bear the usual specification that "... all corners ... be rounded with No. o6 sandpaper ..." to give beam ends the smooth, weathered appearance of old wood. The horizontality and low profile of the overall design, emphasized by the low gables, continuous moldings, and the heaviness of the brick foundation and terraces which seem to anchor the house to the site, seem to echo the horizontals found in nature as well.

Total design was an integral element of the Craftsman and the Greene’s philosophy. The Greene’s felt design went beyond Just architecture and encompassed light fixtures, stained glass, cabinetry, and even furniture. (Several pieces of furniture were designed for Alice Bolton; these unfortunately are no longer in the house, although some are known to be in Pasadena.) Total design meant an emphasis on craftsmanship as well. The excellence of the execution of the Greene’s plans can still be observed in the details of the Bolton House today.

The Bolton House is part of a district which has recently demonstrated an interest in the preservation of the remaining large homes on and near Orange Grove Boulevard, the one-time "Millionaire’s Row". Restoration work has been Initiated on all of the house^ on the south side of this block of Del Mar, and the Mead House by Louis B. Easton, immediately to the west of the Bolton House, is also being submitted for National Register consideration. The current zoning, which encourages higher density uses, is being studied, by the City of Pasadena for possible downzoning. The Bolton House is a strong feature of this street, which conveys so well the architectural ideals of one of Pasadena’s golden eras.