Third Time's a Charm

Where are my manners? I promised you this photo last November! That kind of lateness is soooo unfashionable.

You probably forgot, like I did. I'll refresh your memory.

Last November we were talking about Owl Drug, which was once in this building at the corner of Colorado Blvd. and Fair Oaks. (You can still see the Owl Drug tiles at the entrance to J. Crew.) I posted twice about it, with pictures and information sent in by knowledgeable Pasadenish. But the most recent photo I had at the time was a 1980's, run-down version of this 1930 "zig-zag modern" structure that replaced one of Pasadena's earliest buildings, the 1893 Los Angeles House Hotel, which burned down in 1929.

I took today's photo while on the thoroughly enjoyable Pasadena Heritage Old Town Walking Tour. The next one's in August. You can make reservations at the website.

At last, I've brought you up-to-date on the story of this building.

Too little too late?

Owl Drug Store

The old Owl Drug Company doorway now leads into Old Town Pasadena's J. Crew store at 3 W. Colorado Blvd. The corner of Colorado and Fair Oaks is where local commerce began.

Finding information online about this building and about Owl Drug isn't easy. The building, in Zig Zag Modern style, was built in 1930 after the previous Victorian structure burned in 1929. Apparently Owl Drug was there in the 1930s and 1940s (or the 20s-40s, depending on which article you read). Confusing, I know. Also, it looks like Owl was one of the forerunners of Rexall, but not until the 1940s. Yeah. Hard to follow.

This is a treasured old building, but not one of the oldest in town. Pasadena goes back to the turn of the 20th century.

Hey! It's my brother's birthday. One of these days I'd love to tour him around Old Town. He'd love it. Happy birthday, Stu!

This photo was a contender for the November first theme day of Doorways but I set it aside when I discovered how little information I was able to find on the web. In my search, though, I did find this 2006 article about hidden history by Janette Williams for the Pasadena Star-News. It reminded me that if I'll just dig, there are always treasures to uncover here.