House Proud

When real estate agent Jeremy Hardy and his family bought the "Dayholme" it was in sad shape. Over time they've nursed it to health—repairing plumbing, replacing fixtures and remodeling. Once that was done you'd think they'd take a rest. But they followed up with the process of turning their home into a Pasadena Historic Landmark, which may have taken as much work as remodeling.

The Dayholme was built in 1921 for Clarence P. Day, a landscape engineer and contractor who developed the area around it as Eldora Park (now Eldora Road). Later, in the late 1960's and early 1970's, it became the home of Henry T. Wilfong, the first African American to sit on Pasadena's Board of City Directors.

Is discovering your home's history enough reason to go through the Landmark Process? Well, Landmark Designation could increase the home's value. And there's the Mills Act, which might help reduce property taxes. And a historic home deserves to thrive.

Plus, when you understand that the Hardy's efforts have put their home on the same list as the Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena City Hall and the Gamble House, you realize there may be another reason for all that work: pride. And you begin to understand why people care so much about fixing up their bungalows, Craftsman homes, Victorians and what-have-you, all across the historical spectrum.

My house was built in 1924. By California standards, it's an antique. I love the woodwork, the Batchelder fireplace, the old fixtures. I also love my neighborhood, my neighbors, my town... Hey! I love my home! That's another reason for going to the trouble of the Landmark Process! I wonder if anyone important ever lived here...