National Register of Historic Places

Old Pasadena Historic District

Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California
Listed
September 14, 1983
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
83001200

About this property

Old Pasadena, often referred to as Old Town Pasadena or simply Old Town, is the original commercial center of Pasadena, a city in California, United States, and had a latter-day revitalization after a period of decay. Old Pasadena began as the center of a research hub where science and research institutions such as Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and companies such as Beckman Instruments and Aerojet, were founded. The large concentration of such companies in the area gave it the nickname "Athens of the West". The area was also an artistic center, the home to Andy Warhol's West Coast museum debut and the first Marcel Duchamp retrospective, both at the Pasadena Art Museum (one of the earliest modern art museums in the country, now the Norton Simon Museum). Before that, Pasadena was a center of suffragist and pacifist movements and other liberal causes. By the late 1940s, the downtown area was blighted by flophouses, dive bars and pawn shops. It later became a hippie destination, with head shops, adult bookstores and massage parlors. By the late 1980s, Old Pasadena was undergoing a period of urban renewal and regeneration.

Location

Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California
34.14682, -118.15162

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Old Pasadena Historic District

This page lists Old Pasadena Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Old Pasadena Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Pre Contact
0.1 mi
Holly Street Livery Stable
Industrial
0.2 mi
Hotel Green
Industrial
0.2 mi
Friendship Baptist Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Pasadena Civic Center District
Listed
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of San Gabriel (California 1847)
1847Mexican-American War
4.4 mi
Siege of Los Angeles
1846Mexican-American War
8.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Pasadena Historic District listed on the National Register?

Old Pasadena Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Old Pasadena Historic District?

Old Pasadena Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Pasadena Historic District?

The period of significance for Old Pasadena Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Old Pasadena Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Old Pasadena Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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