[photo credit: Pasadena Heritage]
The $50 ticket to Jazz Night at the Historic Blinn House grants admission plus two drink tickets to the 1906 residence at 160 N. Oakland Avenue, a two-and-a-half-story masterpiece completed in 1906. The property carries multiple layers of historic designation: individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places (2001), recognition as a Pasadena Cultural Landmark, and inclusion on the California Register of Historical Resources.
The evening features live music by The Bohemians, an Art Deco Entertainment group performing gypsy jazz reminiscent of the legendary “Quintet of the Hot Club of Paris,” the ensemble featuring Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Attendees will enjoy French-inspired hors d’oeuvres and festive libations in the home’s elegant spaces.
Designed in 1905 by George Washington Maher, the Blinn House stands as an architectural anomaly—Maher built only one residential structure west of the Mississippi River. The residence features Prairie School’s characteristic simplified forms, low-pitched roofs, and broad overhangs, complemented by finely detailed woodwork, beautiful fireplaces, and hardwood floors.
The Women’s City Club of Pasadena acquired the property in 1945 and maintained headquarters there for over 75 years before dissolving in May 2020. Members transferred ownership to Pasadena Heritage in March 2021. Pasadena Heritage, founded in 1977, describes itself as “the second largest preservation organization in California” with more than 2,000 members.
The Bohemians performed at the Blinn House’s grand reopening celebration in May 2022, delivering an incredible gypsy jazz performance.
Jazz Night at the Historic Blinn House will run on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. Historic Blinn House, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 441-6333 or visit https://www.pasadenaheritage.org/events-tours/jazz-night-at-the-historic-blinn-house. Ticket price: $50.
