Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-15
PASADENA PALACE
NEAR COMPLETION
H. C. MERRITT HOME A MAG
NIFICENT STRUCTURE
Built at a Cost of o,ooo-Interior
Finish Includes Rare Material
From South America, Peru
and Hawaiian Islands

H. C. Merritt, formerly president of
the Great Northern railway and known
throughout the northwest for his hold
ings in Minnesota mining property, has
for the past eleven months been con-
structing a palatial mansion on Alcott
place, between South Orange Grove
avenue and Terrace drive, Pasadena.
The great building is now rapidly near
ing completion and it is expected that
within five or six months it will be
ready for occupancy.
The great pile of brick and stone
stands on the summit of the slight
hill sloping from the millionaire
street. towards the city and with it's
white walls and roof covered with
bright red tiles sketched in rough out
line against the lowering mountains
on the east or the fire-lit western sky
it presents a picture one will not soon
forget The exterior of the house be-
gins to take on an air of completion but
the interior is all confusion. When
completed the magnificent structure
will represent an expenditure of not far
from 100000 and will be one of the
most unique and costly of the many
fine homes in a city of wealthy and
ambitious people. The piece of proper
ty, in the center of which rises the
great building, has frontage of about
100 feet on South Orange Grove ave-
nue. and extends clear through the
block to a like frontage on Terrace
drive and contains something over two
acres. Three years ago the present
owner purchased the land of then
City Auditor George +. Kernaghan,
paying, it is said, something like $780,,
900. Today the same property unim-
proved would be easily worth $4,000,
but that is another story. Between the
house and Orange Grove avenue when
the present scheme of arrangement is
carried out will stretch a beautiful!
sunken garden, while to the east will
drop terrace after terrace lined with
shrubs and greensward clear to the
street. Across Terrace drive will be
erected a handsome garage with COM
modious machine shop and probably
stables. Mr. Merritt also owning large
vacant lot there
Open CircL,ar Balcony
The main entrance to the house will
be from the west, where a large open
circular balcony extends, flanked on
either side by open beam-sheltered YER
andas. On he-east side of the house
there is similar open veranda extend
ing from the north wing to the south
wing and facing the marvellous view of
the city and mountains. On the ground
floor will be extensive living rooms,
dining room, billiard hall, den, library,
servants living and dining rooms and
commodious hallway. The servants
dining room, it is said, will be finished
with fumed oak and tapestry panels.
But it is in the interior finish of the
rooms devoted to the members of the
family that naturally the greatest care
has been shown. The living room, for
instance, extending across the south
end of the ground floor, 18x44 feet, with
great inglenook and fireplace, is to
be finished with costly but wonderfully
beautiful myrtle wood from South
America. The family dining room will
be in white mahogany. Another room
of Peruvian mahogany selected by the
owner from woods exhibited at the re-
cent Portland exposition. Yet another
room on this floor is to be finished
in "tamarango wood from the Hawai-
ian Islands. Nearly all of the rooms
on the second floor are to be finished
in cherry, every bit of which is to
be daintily covered with white enamel.
The family bath room on the second
floor is most beautiful with italian
marbles secured by Mr.. Merritt at
Portland during the exposition. A great
roof garden will surmount the build
ing and from this the view of noun
tains in all directions and the sur
rounding country is superb.
Model Dutch Kitchen
In the basement are additional SER
wants quarters and the heating and
ventilating apparatus as installed by
Huff of Los Angeles and the most
complete and up-to-date manufactured.
Across the south end of the basement
extends a model kitchen with beamed
ceilings, monster fireplace and old
fashioned Dutch oven. This room will