734 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena

734 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena

My wife, Karen Haas, and I had a nice adventure when we were in the L.A. area last week.  I went to the research library in the Pasadena historical museum and discovered the Directory of Pasadena from 1912 that at that time John T., Harold, Helen, and May were all living at 734 N. Raymond Ave.  So we drove over to that site and took a picture of the house.  Then it turned out that the current owners were there and were happy to show us the renovations they had done.  Some of the rooms looked just as they would have looked in 1912. Here is an example of the interior.

I also found out that they rented this place, which was constructed in 1905.  It is described in one document "A one-and-one-half-story Classic Box, the design of this residence was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement as seen in the arroyo stone piers, foundation, chimney, and walls flanking the front concrete steps."  It had been turned into a duplex at one point, but now again is a single-family house.  The owners had a copy of a census sheet from 1910 which showed living there John T and wife Mary (or is it Margaret?), and their four children: Mari, Helen, Jane, Harold and Alma.  Interestingly, John T.'s wife is shown as having a father from England and a mother from Louisiana.  Mari (26) was a "typewriter," Helen (21) a book-keeper in a laundry, and Jane (20) a book-keeper in publishing.  Harold (18) and Alma (17) were not employed.  Joseph E. Leddy (John T.s brother who co-owned Perkins and Leddy menswear) lived down the street at 501 N. Raymond (there is no longer a residence there.)