Historic Homes

Historic Home Detail | 391

Back to Search Results

Historic Name

A. B. Whitney House

Address

805 W 16th Street
Upland, CA 91786

Architect

Myron Hunt

Evaluation

Building
5/8/2007

Construction Date

1917

Current Owner

George H. Whitney

Current Owner Address

805 w 16th st
Upland, CA 91786

Description

Sited on a walled parcel nearly an acre in size, this is a one and two-story residence in a Mediterranean influenced style. Stucco sheathes the exterior and clay tile covers the hipped and gabled roofs. Some portions of the complex are flat-roofed. Windows are primarily double casements. Several lower story openings are round-headed while the upper level windows are flatheaded. The arch motif is repeated in an arcade which overlooks a courtyard on the south elevation. Wrought iron was utilized for balconies and window grilles. The property is extensively landscaped and contains several other structures including a tile, star-shaped fountain and a tree-house. Another fountain faces the corner of San Antonio and 16th and has a blue and white patterned backsplash incorporating the image of a saint. The integrity of the house can not be determined from the street, although glimpses through the gates indicate that it is most likely unaltered.

The assessment records indicate that lot 402 of the 0ntario Colony was unimproved in 1915 and was owned by Alice and John Shingler. The following year A. Bradford Whitney was assessed for a small improvement. Then, in 1917, no improvement was assessed. A $3000 improvement assessment in 1918 indicates that this house had been erected. The first listing in the directories for the Whitneys, alternately labeled ranchers or citrus growers, was in 1922-23. ~ccording to the present owners, the son and daughter-in-law of Alden Bradford and Olive H. Whitney, the house is a remodeled stone barn. The stone walls were plastered over with cement which had earth added to it for color. Myron Hunt, the architect, was inspired by the farmhouses of the Italian countryside in his design.

Hunt, educated in Massachusetts and a resident of Pasadena, was one of the premier architects of Southern California during the first few decades of the century. Among his commissions were the Pasadena Public Library; the Ambassador, Huntington (remodel), and Maryland Hotels; Throop Polytechnics School and Bridges Music Hall in Claremont, and numerous homes, including one for Henry Huntington in San Marino. The Guide to Architecture in Los Angeles and Southern California (1977) called the Whitney House "one of Myron Hunt's best Spanish Colonial Revival houses." Only two buildings in Upland are known to be by Hunt: this house and the 1924 San Antonio Community Hospital, which is substantially altered. The estate is significant for its association with Hunt, for its architectural qualities, and as a former grove house.