Historic Lummis House on the Arroyo Seco in Los Angeles

Along the Arroyo Seco Parkway, which connects Los Angeles and Pasadena, there are an incredible amount of historical spots for you to explore. Among them in the Lummis House, which is one of the oldest structures in the area. Built in the late 1800s, this house was home to the first city editor of the LA Times, Charles Lummis, and is a great spot to explore to see early Los Angeles history. Here is all the information so you can check it out.

Details

  • Free
  • Only open Sat-Sun from 10 AM – 3 PM
  • Location: 200 E Ave 43, Los Angeles, CA 90031
  • This information is from my visit in 2017

Getting There

Driving up Highway 110 to Pasadena, you will want to get off at Ave 43 and head to the left. There are signs for the house since it is a place of historical interest. There is free parking along the street outside of the house.

History

Charles Lummis bought the property for the house in the late 1800s, after which he started a 13-year process of building the stone structure that currently sits there. Lummis became famous when he accepted the job at the LA Times and proceeded to walk to LA from his previous job in Cincinnati.

While he resided in this house, he entertained many notable people include John Muir in the guest house. During that time, he became a huge proponent for Native American history. He did lots to establish the preservation of many artifacts in what became the Southwest Museum, the oldest museum in LA.

The House

After arriving at the house, you will proceed through the garden before seeing the house itself.

The residence is large and covered in stone. It really does have beautiful craftsmanship, and it is great to see it still standing.

I was lucky enough to go when it was open, and the docent that met me, Charles, was a fantastic resource on both the man and the property.

There are only a few rooms to walk around in while you are there, but they house lots of old pictures and antiques.

I especially liked the windows in the first room, which had photos printed on the glass.

There is also a charming reading nook with a piano in that room as well.

Heading to the next room, you will be in the kitchen, which has a lot of old plates and other antiques from the house.

If it is open, you can also head into the bedroom that has a unique fireplace with small heads along the top of it.

There is a staircase in this room that heads up to the second floor but that you cannot go up.

Lastly, you can head outside and see the exterior patio area and the guest house.

I enjoyed visiting this spot as it had a lot of history I knew nothing about, and it was really well preserved. If you are heading through the area, then you should add it to your list to visit if it is open. Also, be sure to go to Galco’s Old World Grocery and the Southwest Museum while there.

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