This has got to be some type of Halloween gimmick or hoax. During California’s Mission Era, meticulous records were kept by both civil and Church authorities documenting every phase of a mission’s founding, from site surveys to actual construction. If there had been a mission chapel in the area of Old Town Pasadena, there would be no doubt about it among scholars.
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The Tupa's porch.
Porch scene at the Finnish Folk Art Museum on the Pasadena Museum of History grounds. Once a Swiss-chalet style garage, the building was originally designed in 1910 as part of the Wigmore Estate. In 1949, a Finnish consul moved the structure to what was then the Finnish consulate and refurbished it as a sauna and guesthouse in his country’s tradition. It’s certainly one of Pasadena’s most “unique” buildings and, according to its official web page, the only museum of its kind in the entire U.S. Unfortunately, however, the porch, exterior and a little looksie through the windows is all you can see right now. The museum is currently closed for repairs.
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Angeles-Rosedale Cemetery.
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Monrovia's haunting Aztec Hotel.
Built in 1925 in the Mayan Revival style, Monrovia’s sadly dilapidated Aztec Hotel is a notable example of the once-proudly offbeat motoring attractions that characterized America’s famous Route 66.
The hotel was designed by Robert Stacy-Judd, an architect known for exotic buildings, including several Egyptian-themed theaters in England. The Aztec was his first American creation.
Tucked away in Monrovia’s growing business district, the modest-size Aztec is easy to zip on past when cruising what is now Foothill Blvd. (In fact, the scary characters you’ll likely encounter there — alive and otherwise — will probably discourage you from lingering altogether.) Yet the hotel is culturally significant for sparking a wave of similarly designed buildings across the country. In 1978 it was added to the National Register of Historic places as one of America’s first (and last remaining) Mayan Revival structures.
Inside, the lobby, banquet room and other interior spaces can probably best be described as cozy but ornate, thanks to a playful mix of Aztec and Mayan-inspired murals, mosaics and related architectural cues.
Corner relief.
Upscale and chic when it opened, the Aztec quickly fell on hard times during the Depression. It had a brief recovery during the 1930s — and even hosted such celebrities as Bing Crosby — but eventually declined as the surrounding area developed.
In more recent decades, the hotel has struggled with a reputation for seediness, although current management seems intent on rekindling it’s former charm. Perhaps this is one reason they aren’t shy about romanticizing their ghostlore on the Aztec’s website:
“In the twenties or thirties a tragic accident occurred to a young couple in room 120. During their lovemaking, the wife fell off the bed and hit her head on the radiator, causing her death. Every room located west of room 120, which includes rooms 118, 116 and 114, has been without heat since the misfortune. Time and time again, the heating system is checked out, but it is always found to be in working order.”
So goes the story of the female ghost dubbed “Razzle Dazzle.” But she isn’t alone in haunting the joint. In fact, if you believe such stories, the Aztec is very popular with female visitors from the Great Beyond. Several ghostly women are said to frequent a ladies’ rest room in the lobby area, while others flit through the hotel’s hallways, chilling the air as they go.
This is probably a good thing in summer, since to this day the hotel lacks air conditioning — supposedly to preserve its historic character.
Aztec Hotel
311 W. Foothill Blvd.
Monrovia, CA
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More Pathe Newsreel footage from the Silent Era. This time a plane buzzes Pasadena’s Colorado Street (aka “Suicide”) Bridge. Just imagine anyone trying that stunt today.
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The famous Eagle Rock.
Situated near where the 134 FWY crosses over Figueroa Street, the 50-foot sandstone boulder is a well-known landmark. Perhaps less known is that the dome also sits atop a 20,000-foot-deep faultline that runs through the region. In fact, the boulder was partially disfigured by an earthquake in 1923.
Once part of Rancho San Rafael, one of California’s first Spanish ranch concessions, the surrounding district was incorporated as a 600-resident city in 1911. Twelve years later, having more than doubled its population, Eagle Rock City voted for annexation to Los Angeles. Today the neighborhood boasts approximately 24,000 residents and 600 businesses.
Meanwhile, the rock has become a historical monument, with a modest park at its foot. (Surprisingly, no one was there on the beautiful weekend I snapped this photo.) A few picnic tables and a small trail can be accessed from Figueroa.
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Unless otherwise specified, all Dateline>City of Angels photos and content © Michael Imlay under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
