A set of imposing iron gates flanks S. San Rafael Avenue in Pasadena, California.
Beyond the gates, a palm-tree-lined driveway winds through a lush green yard. “It’s a park,” real estate agent Rita Whitney told Homes.com in an interview.
“You go up a kind of rambling driveway until you get up to the motor court, where there's a Renaissance-style fountain,” she added. Behind the fountain: a nearly 100-year-old Italian Revival estate.
The six-bedroom, 11-bathroom home is known as the Frederick G. Adamson Estate, named for the Californian industrialist who commissioned the home in 1927. It was designed by Gordon Kaufmann, an architect known for his work on projects such as the Hoover Dam and the Los Angeles Times building.
Now, the almost 11,000-square-foot property is on the market, according to a listing on Homes.com. It’s asking $12 million.
“It's just a very, very, very different experience,” Whitney, who holds the listing, said of the property. “Think Wayne Manor.”
It's a home from the 'golden era of architecture'
One of the biggest selling points, according to Whitney, is the original details that remain intact at the home.
The property dates to a “golden era of architecture,” she said, noting features like lathe-and-plaster walls, clay-tile rooflines, a concrete staircase and period light fixtures.
That attention to detail stands in contrast to homes built today in the Los Angeles area that are more “about the spectacle.”
“It was an era of craftsmanship and materials,” Whitney explained. “If you would come to this house…you would walk in and think you were in Europe, walking the same path Michelangelo walked, type of feeling.”
The challenge of relisting a home — and finding the right kind of buyer
It’s not the first time the home has come to market, though, creating a challenge of sorts for Whitney.
The estate hit the market last year, after the owner’s husband passed away. At that time, it hadn’t been cleaned up well enough to hit the market, according to Whitney. Since then, it has been reorganized and prepared for sale, but not without some cost.
“$12 million is undervaluing this property,” Whitney said. “If you told me this house was on the market for $50 million, I'd believe you. I wouldn't argue. The only reason that it's not, is it was marketed before.”
Now, Whitney’s challenge is finding the “special buyer” willing to take on the regal property.
“This is not just a purchase of a primary residence. This is a major investment and opportunity,” she said. “You’re buying this house because you love this architecture. You don't just love the location, which you are going to love, and the view and the setting and everything, but you love the architecture of this house. Basically, even if you want to live casually, you do have a sense of formalness to you.”
While it may take time to identify that buyer — one who appreciates the architecture, has the means to care for the 2.7-acre grounds and has $12 million — Whitney is confident that person is out there.
“It’s going to sell,” she said. “There’s no question.”