Recently the MonteCedro retirement community gave an update on its progress to the Altadena Town Council. MonteCedro is at the site of the former Scripps Home, and its one surviving building, the Gloria Cottage, is to be refurbished and incorporated into the MonteCedro development. The Altadena Historical Society shares this background of the property and the Gloria Cottage.
by Kathy Hoskins
Altadena Historical Society
Anyone who has driven by the large vacant lot on the south side of Calaveras Street between El Molino and Crawford remembers the former Scripps Home that stood on the site for 100 years. Two artifacts are left of the home. The first is a small craftsman cottage that still stands in the middle of the lot. The second is the Scripps Home sign that hung for years at the corner of El Molino and Calaveras. It now hangs from the ceiling of the Altadena Historical Society archives.
The story of Scripps Home began when William A. Scripps, a British-born newspaperman, moved his family from Detroit to Altadena in 1904. Mr. Scripps became very involved in his new community and took a particular interest in the Pasadena Emergency League. This organization was helping to house a number of elderly people. In 1911 Mr. Scripps purchased a home on the southeast corner of Calaveras and El Molino that had been built by Prof. Thaddeus Lowe (of Mt. Lowe Railway fame) for his son Thad Jr. In 1913 Mr. Scripps gave this property along with 8 acres of land and an additional wing to the community to be called “The William A. Scripps Home for Aged People.” The original buildings were designed by the architectural firm of Buchanan and Brockway. The total cost of the gift at the time was $50,000. In its early years the home was always free from debt and supported by contributions, gifts and legacies as well as the Community Chest.
In 1914 “Gloria Cottage,” designed by architect C. F. Driscoll, was added as a gift from prominent Altadenan, Mrs. A.F. Gartz (nee Crane; heiress to the Crane Plumbing fortune). It was named after Mrs. Gartz’s daughter and was used as a small hospital. In later years it became the caretaker’s cottage. In 1922 a new building was completed and additional wings were added, financed by the Scripps family and friends. The name was changed to “The Pasadena Home for the Aged.” The buildings were updated over the years and newer additions were built. In 1962 the name changed again to “The Scripps Home.”
Today the land is vacant but the rich history of The Scripps Home is documented in the archives kept by a series of dedicated residents of the home. The Altadena Historical Society is in the process of having this collection organized and catalogued. The Gloria Cottage is the only visual reminder of one of Altadena’s finest and oldest institutions.
