The Bungalows of Myrtle Court

Back at the turn of the 20th century when the concept first materialized, the idea of a bungalow court was rather simple: Build four or more small houses around a central courtyard and rent them to singles or small families needing short term housing. 

Most of these courts were built from the time period shortly after the turn of the century up until the time of the Depression. Credit for the concept is hard to pin down, but Sylvanus Marston was the first to build a bungalow court in Pasadena in 1909.

The typical arrangement of the bungalows was for two to face the street and the remainder facing sideways towards a central courtyard. This housing style is found primarily in cities throughout Southern California as a shared courtyard made little sense in areas with cold winters although some do exist there. Because this arrangement of buildings had an increased population density compared to a single-family dwelling, it was favored by developers as well as the renters who lived there.

Myrtle Court, located on Myrtle Avenue between Foothill Boulevard and Hillcrest Boulevard, is an example of this housing style, although it differs in one respect: There is a single family dwelling located in the center of the courtyard. The reason? The house was built in 1908, while the bungalows were not constructed until 1921. It is thought that Myrtle Court was only the second bungalow court built in Monrovia, the first being Harding Court on Foothill Boulevard, which was built in 1920.

The house built in the center of the courtyard is in the Craftsman style, while the eleven bungalows were built in the Prairie style. The bungalows are actually duplexes, with one bedroom and one bathroom in each. The exception is one building that is a single (no separate bedroom). According to the owners, “the place was a wreck” when they purchased it in 1979. Bare light bulbs hanging from the ceilings and fist holes in the walls didn’t help first impressions.

Initially, the plan was to flip the property after three years, but as the tenants moving in became more suitable, the owners slowly began to fall in love with their “home.” The Myrtle Court annual Halloween party and golf tournaments were soon to follow.

An initial remodel of two of the units soon proved to be a mistake. Research on the bungalow court concept plus guidance from the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group soon put them on the correct path toward restoration. But it would be a long 25 years later before all the inherited, deferred maintenance was complete, including upgrades such as central air conditioning.

The Whittier earthquake of 1987 caused significant chimney and foundation damage to the main house, but the repair left the building structurally sounder without any outward change in appearance. Having the property as one of three Myrtle homes featured on an HGTV Restore America program in 2001 reinforced for the owners the belief that they were on the right path to saving Myrtle Court.

The recent addition of a rock wall on the street side of the property presented a unique challenge. Securing a talented rock mason and stones with a vintage look consumed two years from start to finish. The completed project, however, gives the impression that the wall was an original part of the design. In the near future plans call for a pair of Craftsman-appropriate gates to frame the boundaries of the bungalows on the street.

A special thanks goes to city historian Steve Baker and owners Cleve and Gloria Crudgington who supplied information on Myrtle Court.