657 Prospect Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91103, USA

Louise C. Bentz House - National Register of Historic Places

There are several reasons for the significance of the Bentz House, from its place within the body of work of Charles and Henry Greene, to its place in modern architecture, to the position of the client, John 0. Bentz, as a prominent turn-of-the Century Pasadena businessman, developer, and patron of the arts, to the quality and extent of the program of restoration taking place on the house.

The houses for which Charles and Henry Greene are beat known--the Gamble, Cordelia Culbertson, Robinson, Blacker Freemen-Ford, Thorsen, Pratt, and James Houses—are all large commissions for very wealthy clients. And while those are all without doubt modern masterpieces, and deserve acclaim, they do not fully or fairly represent the main body—or at least a substantial proportion--of the Greene’s' work. Her do they tell the complete story of the Greene’s' contributions to modern architecture. The Greene’s did not only build elegant houses exclusively for the very wealthy. Easily as many as half of their 157 documented, major structures were built for moderately well-to-do, middle-class clients—for under |J10,000. Unfortunately, this major group of their houses has suffered the most in time. The usual causes—deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods, unfortunate zoning practices, disregard for historic and architectural heritage, new development, re-development, remodeling, and vandalism—have taken a heavy toll. Their numbers have possibly been reduced by half, and of those remaining, most have been altered beyond recognition or recall. Of all the representative buildings in this class of their work, the Bentz House la undoubtedly the prime, extant example. Moreover, it was conceived and completed at the height of the Greene’s' most productive period, while their mature style was at its peak. Randell L- Makinson:

.. . From 1905 to 1909 they developed and refined the style for which they are most widely known. Its principles adapted equally well to the elaborate designs for their wealthy, clientele and to the small single bedroom dwelling.

"...The Bentz House exemplifies the full development of the basic Greene and Greene vocabulary and illustrates the effectiveness of the Greene’s' principles in bringing fi genuine dignity to moderate-sized as well as larger structures..."2

REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS

WALKS FOR YOU TO TAKE IN PASADENA, a pamphlet prepared by the Pasadena Cultural Heritage Committee in 1973, available at numerous public distribution points throughout the city; obtainable in bulk from the Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA. 91101.

GREENE & GREENE: Architects in the Residential Style, William R. and Karen Current, Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, 1974. Available at the Gamble House Library, at public libraries throughout Southern California, etc.

A GUIDE TO THE WORK OF GREENE AND GREENE, Randell L. Maklnson, Peregrine Smith, Ino., Salt Lake City and. Santa Barbara, 1974. Available at the Gamble House Library, at public libraries through Southern California, etc.

A GREENE AND GREEN’S GUIDE, Janaan Strand, Grant Dahlstrom/The Castle Press, 1974. Available at the Gamble House Library, at public libraries throughout Southern California, etc.

Various other tours, Including that prepared by the Foothill Chapter— A.I.A., also on file at the Pasadena Central Library.

DESCRIPTION
The approach to the entrance on Prospect Boulevard Is over a broad, brick walk, which leads to the protective mantle of the front porch—an interesting composition In its own right: 6"x6" fir posts, set upon brick posts, support 6"xl0'' (tapered to 6"x8") purlins extending from the house to well beyond the fascia, which In turn support 5"xl2“(tapered to 5) rafters, upon which the decking and rolled-edge, malthoid roof rest. Its roofed area measures approximately I6'x21', with rafter ends extending 10" beyond the rolled edge'. One then enters. through the larger of two front doors (3 8'x 6’; the other, 2' wide, but of the same design, rectangular panes of clear glass, has, perhaps, more aesthetic than practical significance) Into the long front hall, which extends along the major axis of the house. One's attention Is drawn immediately to the living room, more specifically to the band of eight, tall, simple casement windows (four along each wall), which wrap around the southwest corner of the room. The living room, the largest in the house, is 18'x30'. There is a band of three casement windows in the center of the east wall, of three glassed-paneled doors on the southeast wall (these lead to the terrace of mission-style tile), the eight corner casement windows, and a massive--though well-scaled to the size of the room— fireplace on the north wall. A (1"x7"^) celling band and the (3/"x4 1/2") picture railing, both of Douglas Fir, end separated by a 6" sand-finish plastered space. Inscribe a double horizontal band around the room, and have the effect of further lowering an already low (8' ) celllnB,. The wall surface colors are earthen. The wood, a warm, reddish brown, rubbed to a dull, satin finish. The floors are of light maple. Although the plan of the house is essentially simple—Mrs. Louise Bentz in a letter to Randell Makinson:

"...My mind was quite set upon the Swiss Chalet type of house of which he approved heartily saying square or nearly square houses give the most room and are more economical--he also advised the use of hallways for the same reason..."

the rooms that compose the family living area flow easily into one another, and one is provided with a pleasant or interesting view from practically any vantage point. The sure hand of a gifted architect is evident throughout the building. The rooms have an almost impressionistic quality--the refraction of light through windows of irregular, wavy glass, the play of color, light and shadow, on the flat, quiet wall surfaces, and finally, the reflected light coming from the maple floors and the vibrant vegetable dives of the oriental rugs (of which the client, John C. Bentz, a collector of fine oriental art, must have had a fine selection). The interior trim wood throughout the house is Douglas Fir, a material both plentiful and inexpensive in 1906. William R. Current suggests that Charles Green may have deliberately chosen flat-cut fir for these buildings because it has a wild and interesting grain pattern and suggests the Japanese wood finishing technique known as augi, would hold down construction coats, and yet would provide an appropriate and d hold down construction coats, and yet would provide an appropriate and harmonious setting for his client's collection of oriental artifacts.

The hallway and the other rooms on the first floor—the dining room, the pantry, the kitchen, and the maid's bedroom--are all trimmed in a manner similar to the living room. Casement windows, in bands of two or three, are used, except in the pantry and kitchen, where milled, double-hung windows are used.' Wainscoting, to a height of 5', capped with a plate railing, is used in the dining room.

Four bedrooms— three large, one small--and a bath open off the central, L-shaped hallway on the second floor. A sleeping porch, second bath, and dressing room were added to the second floor by the Greene’s in 1910. Unlike some of their houses in this class (built for under $10.000, the detail elements and materials used on the second floor are identical to those used on the first; all milled doors, casement windows, maples floors, and Identical trim.

Considering the present condition of most of the remaining Greene and Greene buildings, one must observe that the Bents House has survived the passage of time very well Indeed, and has suffered less from alteration than most houses in its class. No irreversible alterations have occurred. All original doors, windows, hardware, screen frames (all things very difficult to replace, once gone) have survived intact. The house has, if anything, grown more beautiful. as its exterior surfaces have aged and weathered, as its trees, chiefly the camphor’s along the boulevard, and the four California live oaks on the property, and Its numerous Other plantings, have matured. The attention of passers-by is drawn to the quiet beauty and dignity of this building. They are able to experience a Greene and Greene building—essentially undisturbed on its original site, surrounded by mature, beautiful trees, and other residential buildings of equal dignity and charm—as it must have been envisioned by its creators in its prime maturity.

In 1910 the Greene’s added the sleeping porch, second upstairs bath and dressing room to the flat deck above the kitchen, maid's bedroom and back porch, and the garage, which fronts on prospect Crescent.