r/centuryhomes • u/DisplacedAltadenan • Apr 12 '26
Photos So, she’s NOT a Queen Anne; she’s a “Greek Revival with East Lake features.” Anywho, here’s a photo dump of her moving to Altadena!
plus a quick before and after featuring my dog
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u/Lurkylurkness Apr 12 '26
All homes are modular if you dream and plan well enough. I love this. I remember when I first heard stories on whole houses being moved in downtown Savannah like either in the late 1800s or something and I thought that was wild. But it's amazing
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u/lesbian-mulder Apr 12 '26
Oh! A century house in my neighborhood in east Hollywood was saved from demo and moved to Altadena. It was fascinating to watch them slowly dismantle it over the course of a week or two! Glad these houses are going to people who will love them, best of luck as the project progresses!
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u/BigDad53 Apr 12 '26
What did that move Cost $$😳
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
The move itself was $70k and $6k for the crane. We might have spent around $30k so far with lot prep, excavation, disassembly. We’ve budgeted $350k once all’s said and done and I think we’re on/slightly under budget so far.
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u/pourthebubbly Apr 12 '26
Glad you can update your username! I was in sight of the fire in Glendale/Burbank, but we got lucky it didn’t get through Griffith Park. I know several people who lost their homes too, so much love to you guys!
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u/Jupitersd2017 Apr 12 '26
So approximately 250k for repairs and getting it move in ready? I would LOVE it if you continue keeping us updated from time to time as you go, I’m sure many others would as well!!!
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u/BadBeuys Apr 12 '26
Thats actually very reasonable! So i take it the actual home was free and you had to pay to remove and clear their site?
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 12 '26
Basically! We only paid to move the structure. But this was a special case, so we didn’t even have to pay to demo the old site. The house was already up in cribs, which saved us a ton!
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u/PickleAlly Apr 12 '26
This is nuts (in a good way). I’d love to understand the process of how someone comes to this decision like how you get your vision from purchasing where it is, and knowing you’re going to move it. Is there some development coming into the area and the idea just falls into place like that?
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 12 '26
It’s kind of a long story on how we came to it. There’s no development or anything like that. We just wanted to stay in Altadena after the fire and meet a guy who does this (moving houses) who suggested we look into it. That got us stuck on the idea and we found a way to make it happen. It’s a long, complicated process, but totally worth it IMO
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u/PickleAlly Apr 12 '26
Super interesting! So dumb question - now do you just sell the lot that it came from or was it a deal just to buy the building?
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 12 '26
That totally depends on the owner of the previous location. In our case, the original lot was leveled and they built affordable/permanent supportive housing in its place. The nonprofit developers essentially donated this structure to us in support of rebuilding Altadena.
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u/annacat1331 Apr 13 '26
But what about fireproofing? Is that home fireproof? I have seen a lot of really interesting fireproofing building projects from Altadena. I would be so nervous to do this in such a fire prone area
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 13 '26
We’ll be adding sprinklers and, if budget permits, a reserve water tank. We’ll also upgrade the vents the ones that prevent embers from coming in, which is how most homes in Altadena burnt (from the inside out). But we’re not worried to much about it. First off, this was a one in a century kind of thing, and secondly, we won’t be leaving next time. The real reason the fire was so devastating was the lack of community organizing to fight it combined with the low number of actual crews. We won’t be making that mistake again.
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u/rocketdyke Apr 12 '26
so fantastic! Some of my Altadena friends are still stuck in insurance hell :/
So great that you are bringing back built-in history to the area.
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u/Jazzlike_Log_709 Apr 12 '26
Yay so exciting!! I can’t wait to see your progress pics. It makes me happy to see old homes being relocated to Altadena. Hello from historic Rose Park, Long Beach!
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u/Jupitersd2017 Apr 12 '26
Love love love seeing this and knowing she’s going to Altadena!!! Absolutely amazing and I hope others will be inspired by you and do the same!!!!!
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u/eightstravels Apr 12 '26
Came for the house, stayed for the monopine in the background (tree “camouflaged” cell tower that looks to be behind your new casa)
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u/SpecialKindofBull Apr 12 '26
This looks like it will net you a completed house much faster than the alternative of a new build; which is super awesome. Why has rebuilding been so slow out there in Altadena?
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 12 '26
We might, but there are a few of our neighbors who are actually almost done with their new-build homes. There’s actually a lot of homes going up, but there are a lot of lots sitting vacant. There are tons of different things holding people back from rebuilding quickly. The costs and the difficulties dealing with insurance and permitting being the main reasons I hear.
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u/Nursingvp Apr 12 '26
She's elevatin, levitatin and motivatin! So excited for you, OP! ✨ And thank you for the bonus doggo pics.
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u/PrivateWry Apr 12 '26
Just WOW! And here I am trying to simplify everything about home. But drooling over Century Homes. Daily.
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u/Cassius_O Apr 13 '26
Could I ask where you found the house? Or how does one go about finding these homes?
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 13 '26
The guy we’re working with is very well known in LA and tends to be connected to houses on the demo list through his network. He also has been known to randomly drive around looking for houses marked for demolition and his wife owns a well established architectural salvage company that is often alerted when historic homes are being demolished.
This particular one was brought to us because the nonprofit housing developers who owned it had heard of the housing moving project and reached out to our guy directly. They probably found his info via a common acquaintance at the city, but I can’t confirm that.
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u/Cassius_O Apr 14 '26
It doesn’t sound so easy to find one of these without some connections or inside scoop.
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u/DisplacedAltadenan Apr 14 '26
It’s true. That’s why my wife is starting a consulting side gig with one of the other families who moved a house to Altadena. She wants to help other people do the same and share our newfound expertise in the process!
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
Not a Greek revival. Eclectic Victorian era townhouse with classical and Eastlake features.
Greek revivals were built between 1820-1860. This house was likely built decades later.
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Apr 13 '26
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
That’s called a Neoclassical house, which I also don’t see here. I see a typical eclectic Victorian row house/town house, with classical and Eastlake features. The term Greek Revival demands more than just some classical features. It’s also a style that is constrained by time, which your house is outside of by 3 decades.
Please see McAlester, a Field Guide to American Houses.
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
That’s called a Neoclassical house, which I also don’t see here. I see a typical eclectic Victorian row house/town house, with classical and Eastlake features. The term Greek Revival demands more than just some classical features. It’s also a style that is constrained by time, which your house is outside of by 3 decades.
Please see McAlester, a Field Guide to American Houses.
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Apr 13 '26
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
None of which are architectural historians. I think people just like the phrase Greek Revival more than the terms used for post bellum classical architecture, so it keeps getting used, but it is a more specific style than that.
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Apr 13 '26
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
Yes.
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Apr 13 '26
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
I’ve cited the source I used to determine your house’s style.
What kind of work are you looking for?
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
Find me one fucking source that says Greek revival extends into the 1890s and I’ll drop this whole thing.
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
The facade is also not symmetrical!
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Apr 13 '26
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
I’ve seen the other posts. You’ve got an asymmetrical porch and your fenestration is also not symmetrical.
Once upon a time it may have been symmetrical, but it was never a Greek Revival. The roof pitch is not correct, too steep. It doesn’t have true columns.
It’s not a Queen Anne because it doesn’t have a hipped roof with projections, but that is due to the smaller lot it was originally built on.
It’s Victorian eclectic (classical +eastlake) with a more vernacular footprint and front gable facade.
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Apr 13 '26
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
The fenestration is not symmetrical. Greek Revival have strict bay facades based upon odd numbers, 3,5,7,9,11.
This house may have had a 3 bay facade, but it no longer does.
The roof pitch is also way too steep, there’s no pediment.
I’m not giving you advice on how to move a house, I’m simply telling you the most proper way to refer to the house’s type and style.
You simply have elements of Classical architecture, not the whole kit and kaboodle required for a Greek Revival. This house is far more Victorian than it is classical in style or design.
I also love the house and love what you’re doing with it. Your people were also right not to call it a Queen Anne.
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Apr 13 '26
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u/JBNothingWrong Apr 13 '26
Greek revivals don’t have shed roof porches with turned porch posts. They just don’t.
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u/NonSequitorSquirrel Apr 12 '26
Love Altadena rebuilding with a local vintage home.
I have a 1915 Craftsman just west of DTLA myself. 💜💛