A Pasadena courtyard estate that stands as a relic from the era when celebrated architects built imposing mansions for the wealthy who flocked to this cultural center is for sale.
The asking price is $10.8 million.
Commissioned by Montgomery Ward & Co. scion Charles H. Thorne in the late 1920s, the 10,082-square-foot Spanish Colonial Revival-style residence by noted architect Wallace Neff centers on a 9,162-square-foot main house. The interior boasts eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and a large fireplace in the living room.
Under a 20-foot beamed ceiling, the living room’s arched glass doors frame San Gabriel mountain and valley views. Those same vistas are visible from most spaces in the house, including the formal dining room.
The George H. Thorne Residence sits on a 1.5-acre-plus lot on a private gated lane across from the members-only Annandale Golf Club. Towering Italian stone pines surround the estate, which includes a 920-square-foot guest apartment with two bedrooms and one bathroom above the four-car garage.
Listing agent Carol Chua of Coldwell Banker Realty said the longtime owners “lovingly restored and treasured” their home of almost 50 years.
Glass front doors open onto the arcade courtyard. With its archways, flowering bougainvillea, and central fountain, the listing alleges that Mission San Juan Capistrano inspired the design.
Thick walls and Spanish-style ornamentation, such as carved doors and stonework, decorative ironwork and light fixtures, and patterned tiles add character to the main home’s interior.
According to Chua, the house is “potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.”
Thorne was the second of five sons of Montgomery Ward’s co-founder. He served as the Chicago-based mail-order giant’s treasurer and became president in 1903. He retired as chairman of the board in 1921.
Seven years later, Thorne moved to Pasadena and developed a relationship with Occidental College as a trustee. His donations helped expand the school. A $150,000 cash gift he committed in 1936 led to the construction of the Myron Hunt-designed Belle Wilber Thorne Hall, named after Thorne’s late wife.
Thorne died at Huntington Memorial Hospital in 1948 at 79.
