A Pasadena home where Caltech students once climbed a steep flight of steps for weekly economics seminars with their professor is on the market for $1.68 million.
Completed in 1935, this one-level modern home within the historic Poppy Peak district spans 1,449 square feet and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Architect Harwell Hamilton Harris designed it for Caltech professor Graham Laing and his wife, Maggie, a year after leaving the offices of modernist Richard Neutra to start his own practice.
Laing asked the architect to include enough lecture space for 30 people. He hosted discussions in the central great room, which features built-in bookcases, a fireplace and framed-glass doors that open at the corners — just a sharp 90-degree turn from the entryway — during his decade here. The professor of economics and business died in November 1946 at 62 after a long illness.
According to a Caltech publication at the time, his weekly seminars were fondly remembered as always culminating in informal gatherings over cups of coffee and tea and a selection of sandwiches and cakes, courtesy of his wife. It’s not known how long she remained in the house following her husband’s death, but it most recently traded hands in November 2020 for $1.21 million, according to records viewed at PropertyShark.com.
Perched on the hillside above the street, the house — highlighted in the November 1935 issue of California Arts and Architecture with the title “A Frank Lloyd Wright House With a Hat On” — features a design of irregular rectangles clad in stucco. Wright’s influence is evident in Harris’ broad eaves, ribbon windows and a deep boxed balcony off the great room, which provides north-facing views of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Inside the house, the rooms seamlessly interlock, giving a spacious impression. Natural light spills through windows and French doors, enhancing that sense of openness.
The kitchen features a breakfast bar, green cabinetry and white countertops with views of the gardens. They were originally designed in consultation with Theodore Payne, the English horticulturist who became a leading advocate for California wild flowers and native plants.
At the opposite end of the house, the primary bedroom encompasses two closets and a private bathroom.
Glass doors offer both the primary and secondary bedrooms direct access to the backyard.
Nate Cole and Pfaff of Modern California Houses share the listing.
They promote it as a good candidate for the Mills Act program and its potential property tax savings “because of its historical significance, but also because it is already in the Poppy Peak Historic District, so it does not require being designated a landmark,” Cole said.
The house is also a highlight of the city’s Mid-Century Modern Houses Driving Tour.
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