The Prose of Preservation

A beautifully handcrafted 1911 Arts and Crafts home located in the northeastern corner of Alhambra was among four residences honored with an Alhambra Preservation Group 2011 Heritage Home Award at a November 2011 ceremony. “We are proud to recognize the owners of this home for their responsible stewardship of Alhambra’s architectural history,” said Christine Olson, APG President, in presenting the award.

The first owners of this 100-year-old grand Craftsman home were James and Abbie Reid, who lived here with their two daughters, Ruth and Irma. Mr. Reid was a Los Angeles banker and fruit grower and helped to organize the Semi-Tropic Fruit Exchange in 1893 – a growers’ cooperative that later became known for its Sunkist brand. In 1911, the Reid family bought eight acres of land in the original Alhambra Tract and built an elegant two-story home in the northeast corner of their property with the help of Los Angeles architect Arthur Acker, whose residential designs reflected his admiration of famed Craftsman architects, Charles and Henry Greene. The Reids planted their surrounding acreage in Valencia and navel orange trees, and situated the ranch so that it was immediately adjacent to both the Southern Pacific rail line and the Alhambra Packing House.

Sadly, the Reid family was not able to enjoy their home for long. Mr. Reid was killed in a streetcar accident in 1913, and his widow sold the home to John and Florence Sesser in 1918. John Sesser was a railway executive and real estate speculator who was very active in the early days of the Alhambra Board of Trade. The Sesser family owned this home until Florence’s death in 1965.

When the current owners purchased the home in 2003, there was a great deal of rehabilitation work to be done, with the most immediate problems involving the plumbing and electrical systems. After upgrading these two major systems, the real work began in 2009 and literally involved raising the roof so that badly damaged original rafter tails and exposed beams could be replaced, and a new roof installed. Finally, all of the home’s exterior shingle siding was removed so that the walls could be fully insulated for energy efficiency. The original shingles were then turned over, reinstalled and stained so that their un-weathered side is now exposed.

Interior improvements to the home were also part of the restoration work and included a remodel of the kitchen, downstairs bathroom and butler’s pantry. With improvements both inside and out, this stunning Arts and Crafts-styled home is now ready for the next 100 years!