Back from a pandemic-induced hiatus last year, the Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association is once again inviting the community to explore Pasadena’s first historic landmark district during the 31st Bungalow Heaven Home Tour, being held in a virtual format this week.
Instead of the tradition guided tours of some of the district’s early 20th century architecture and style, the BHNA had enlisted docents, historians and artisans to produce a digital version of the popular tour, which can be accessed online through Wednesday, Bungalow Heaven Home Tour Director Annette Yasin said.
The ticket price of $20 includes access to the virtual tour, as well as an online question and answer session with historians scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, organizers said. Proceeds benefit the BHNA’s preservation efforts and activities.
“Docents will lead a video walk-through of seven historic homes, providing insightful commentary about the home’s architectural details and history,” the BHNA said in a written statement. “Separate videos will include artisans demonstrating their talents in restoration and sharing tips and tricks of their trade.”
“The tour will feature homes in Pasadena, California built in the Craftsman and English Revival style architecture from 1900 to about 1925,” the statement added. “The houses on our tour meld original historic elements, beautiful restorations and period-appropriate renovations.”
Yasin commended the hard-working volunteers who put it all together.
“There’s a lot going on in our video,” Yasin said. “It was an amazing production.”
Bungalow Heaven became Pasadena’s first designated historical Landmark District in 1989, Yasin said.
The movement came in response to the sudden demolishing of a “beautiful Craftsman home,” which was replaced by an apartment building, in 1985, she said. “So a group of neighbors got together to petition the City Council of Pasadena to change the zoning restrictions to only single-family residence.
By 1989, the majority of residents in the neighborhood voted to become a Landmark District, enacting historical preservation rules, Yasin said.
“It took a lot of effort, because people didn’t know if they really wanted government restrictions on their homes. They had to be convinced,” she said.
More than 20 other historic Landmark Districts have formed in the city since.
More information on the Bungalow Heaven Home Tour, including a link to obtain tickets, can be found online at https://www.bungalowheaven.
