For anyone curious about the architecture and history of Pasadena, Pegfair Estates is an interesting neighborhood in Pasadena. Located in the southern part of Pasadena, Pegfair Estates offers visitors a genuine insight into the city’s architectural evolution and its connection to other parts of Los Angeles county.
Where is Pegfair Estates?
Pasadena’s Pegfair Estates is located the Linda Vista neighborhood at the base of San Rafael Hills and bordered by Arroyo Seco. Originally, Linda Vista neighborhood was a popular destination for visitors to Pasadena.
During the early 20th century, visitors to Pasadena who were staying at The Raymond, Hotel Green would often spend leisurely days enjoying the natural beauty of the area and exploring the Park Nursery near the Pegfair Estates.
Pasadena’s Pegfair Estates
Originally called “Fairview,” the mansion later adopted the name “Pegfair” in 1939 to pay homage to its owners and draw inspiration from the famous “Pickfair” estate in Beverly Hills. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Hollywood silent film icons and one of the original power couples of the era, provided the initial connection between Pegfair Estates and the glamour of the entertainment industry.
Pegfair Estates and the Art Center College of Design
As time passed, portions of the Pegfair property were repurposed in the 1960s to accommodate the Art Center College of Design, a prominent educational institution. The remaining land was transformed into the beloved Pegfair Estates, a response to the increased housing demand following the population boom in Southern California after World War II. The architectural style of the neighborhood reflects the changing trends and tastes of that era.
The Pegfair Estates Neighborhood
Ranch-style homes, known for their single-story designs and integration with the natural surroundings, take on a distinctive twist in Pegfair Estates. Here, you’ll find a delightful amalgamation of traditional Ranch aesthetics with elements of Asian and Polynesian influence. This unique blend makes Pegfair Estates an interesting example of how architectural styles adapted and evolved in Los Angeles county.
Exploring Pegfair Estates Neighborhood: House by House
Pasadena’s Pegfair estates are privately owned homes. Be mindful of the privacy of the homeowners.
1530 Pegfair Estates Drive
- Linear 1965 Contemporary Ranch design.
- Asian-influenced attic gable screen over the garage.
- Vertically-oriented wood cladding facade.
- Glass doors link interior and exterior spaces.
- Recessed entry area defined by a low concrete wall.
1540 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1961 Contemporary Ranch; model home for Pegfair Estates.
- Design by Neptune & Thomas.
- Thin vertically-oriented wood siding.
- Low-pitched side gable roof with exposed, angle-cut rafter ends.
- Glass doors lead to front patio beside a flagstone-faced wall.
- Recessed front entry with a door linked to earlier Craftsman designs.
1560 Pegfair Estates Drive
- Custom 1964 Contemporary Ranch by William Pauli.
- Side-facing attic gables with Asian-influenced lattice screens.
- Minimalist Modern with stucco exterior and full-height aluminum windows.
- Recessed front entry.
- Low brick wall separates house from front slope.
1570 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1961 Contemporary Ranch oriented towards Carnarvon Drive.
- Asian-influenced hipped gable roof.
- Wood screen encloses part of the front yard.
- Textured stucco exterior; vertically-oriented wood siding at certain windows.
- Modern square, top-hinged windows near the entry.
1340 Carnarvon Drive
- U-shaped 1964 custom Contemporary Ranch by George T. Kirkpatrick.
- Center entry clad in flagstone; board and batten wings.
- Asian-influenced low pitched hipped roofs.
- Modern details: four picture windows, lower fixed windows by recessed entry.
1335 Carnarvon Drive
- 1967 Contemporary Ranch custom design by John Corey.
- Modern forms with continuous fascia detail above vertically-oriented windows.
- Asian design elements: hipped roofs and boxed eaves.
- Flagstone used for chimney, walls, and planter at stairs to raised site’s entry.
1345 Carnarvon Drive
- 1962 Contemporary Ranch designed by Wilfred H. Noble, Jr.
- Recessed entry area links house and garage; features round window.
- House’s gable end clad in flagstone, extending to flagstone chimney.
- Exposed wood members extend roof framing, creating pergola effect.
1600 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1963 custom Contemporary Ranch; hipped roof garage & side gabled house face driveway.
- Thin, vertically-oriented wood siding; metal-framed fixed and sliding windows.
- Recessed entry with bottle-glass sidelights.
- Slumpstone masonry retaining wall intersects rising slope under mature pines.
1620 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1962 Wenzlaff Residence by Heitschmidt & Thompson.
- Gravel-topped flat roof, hipped attic projections, Polynesian vent details, flared corners at boxed eaves.
- Jalousie windows, recessed entry, Asian-influenced grill.
- Walls & glazed screen face the street; framing/details echo Japanese screens.
1630 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1-1/2 story 1964 Contemporary Ranch by Clifford F. Hatch.
- Design responds to site slope: painted brick base at garage, painted brick planter beside concrete steps to second floor.
- Arched entryway on second floor.
- Hipped attic roof with aluminum vent.
- Stucco finish on upper story; three-part metal-framed windows; bulls-eye window above garage.
1645 Pegfair Estates Drive
- Situated at the top of Pegfair Estates Drive.
- Linear custom 1965 Contemporary Ranch with low-pitched hipped roof.
- Cladding: random courses of stone-facing and an irregular stone-faced chimney.
- Facade: large rippled glass windows near the recessed entry.
- Wood framing of garage doors reminiscent of Japanese screens.
1635 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1962 Contemporary Ranch by William Pauli.
- Features open breezeway between projecting garage and main house.
- Garage: low-pitched roof with extended eaves; glazed gable end with three extended beams showcases post and beam construction.
- Exterior: textured stucco accented by vertical wood siding; sliding glass doors.
- Frontage: terrace made of parquet brick and grass panels.
1625 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1965 custom Contemporary Ranch with horizontal shiplap siding and vertical bands.
- Design elements reminiscent of a traditional screen; wood screen by garage and stone garden near front door evoke Asian influence.
- Features: vertical flagstone pilaster at gable, bottle-glass panels, 1950s-era globe lamp.
- Mature fruit tree by driveway alludes to earlier Linda Vista times.
1615 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1964 Contemporary Ranch by Harold Levitoff.
- Distinctive front-facing attic vent with screen detailing and exposed rafter ends suggest Asian design.
- Elements: recessed entry, metal-framed sliding and bay windows, textured stucco and brick exterior, board and batten siding at garage.
1605 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1966 Contemporary Ranch by Denn Engineers.
- Defined by low-pitched side gabled roof; west-side extension forms a porte-cochere.
- Exterior: slumpstone cladding and chimney, textured stucco at metal-framed windows.
- Entrance: pebblecoat pavers and planters lead to recessed entry.
1595 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1965 Contemporary Ranch house with Asian and Polynesian influences.
- Hipped roof features: attic gable vent with a projecting ridgepole and extended eaves.
- Stone detailing: flagstone cladding, planters, and chimney enhanced with dark lava rock.
1585 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1965 California Ranch inspired by Hiawatha Estes.
- Exterior: horizontal wood clapboard siding contrasts with vertical board and batten by the recessed entry.
- East wing: extended eaves, exposed rounded rafter ends, brick detailing and chimney.
- Garage feature: postwar dovecote with board and batten siding.
1575 Pegfair Estates Drive
- Custom 1965 Contemporary Ranch design.
- Façade: clad with both courses and irregular stone facing.
- Roof: low-pitched hipped with extended eaves; secondary hipped roof on west end.
- Windows: full-height picture window by recessed entry, metal-framed casement windows centered on façade.
1565 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1963 Contemporary Ranch with low-pitched hipped roof.
- Roof details: two front-facing attic gables (one with an aluminum vent) supported by a single metal pipe column over recessed entry.
- Stone detailing: façade and chimney in random-patterned stone facing.
- Windows: metal-framed sliding and corner windows; textured glass panels at entry.
1555 Pegfair Estates Drive
- Custom 1962 Contemporary Ranch by Harold Levitoff.
- Asian elements: side-facing hipped attic roof with Japanese roof tiles, horizontal wood screen on west end, vertical metal grilles by recessed entry.
1535 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1962 Modern Ranch with Asian and Polynesian design elements.
- Roof: low-pitched side gable with a front-facing gable, projecting shaped ridgepole and vent detail; extended eave forms entry porch supported by one wood post.
- Entry: accompanied by large picture windows framed with vertically-oriented wood siding, giving a sliding screen feel.
- Other features: low Roman brick planter accentuates the horizontal design.
1525 Pegfair Estates Drive
- 1962 Contemporary Ranch by E. Beaumelle.
- Design: receding horizontal sections contrasted with vertical emphasis from grand entry steps and chimney block.
- Roof: hipped with a front-facing attic gable, vent detail, extended eaves, and vertical wood siding hinting at Asian influence.
- Cladding: stone details showcase California ranch characteristics.
Tour Pasadena’s Pegfair Estates
if you’re a fan of architecture or just curious about Pasadena’s past, you’ll find Pegfair Estates to be an interesting Pasadena neighborhood. The Pegfair Estates neighborhood offers a peek into the history of Pasadena and how it is connected with other parts of Los Angeles county.


