This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Mills View Is One of Monrovia's Premier Mansions

This Victorian mansion stands today as one of the city's most storied homes.

When completed near the end of 1887, this elegant five-bedroom, two-bathroom home of approximately 3,200 square feet, designed in the popular Eastlake style by architect Luther R. Blair, sat on a high foundation surrounded by five acres of land on Banana Avenue (now Hillcrest Boulevard). 

It was a fitting wedding present for Milton Monroe, the son of William N. Monroe--after whom the town of Monrovia was named--and his bride, Mary N. Thomas. The house itself was a gift from the groom’s parents, while the surrounding land was given to the couple by the bride’s parents.

The couple was married in May 1887, and construction of the house started that same month, finishing a mere seven months later. The house was one of 195 buildings erected in the new town of Monrovia that year.

Find out what's happening in Monroviawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Unfortunately, while the house has survived, the marriage did not, and the couple divorced sometime later. (Milton died soon after in a tragic railroad accident that occurred on Dec. 24, 1899, in Pomona when a wheel under the train engine broke turning a curve.  He was only 33.)

The house was then purchased by Col. John H. Mills and his wife, Elizabeth Cook Mills, in 1893. It is from them that the house acquired its present name, “Mills View,” because it was possible to see Catalina Island on a clear day from the third story of the house. 

Find out what's happening in Monroviawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Prior to arriving in Monrovia, Col. Mills had been one of the most distinguished public servants of the time in the state of Nevada but had left public life and retired to Monrovia. However, within three months after moving into the home, he was dead, stricken by a sudden case of heart failure. His wife lived until 1905, and because the Mills had no children, the house passed by inheritance to Miss Margaret Cook Jaycox, the niece of Mrs. Mills.

When Melrose Avenue was extended past Hillcrest in the 1920s, Mills View was rotated 90 degrees to face the new street and interestingly retained its former house number, 329. Remnants of the Mills View garden still exist in the backyard of the 1925 Chicago brick bungalow across the street from Mills View.

Although residence records are somewhat clouded, it appears that there have been nine or 10 owners of the home up to the present. As is apparent from front views of the house, its Victorian appearance has been a favorite of film companies, having been involved in more than 20 film productions since 1980, including the feature cult film House in 1986 and a Picket Fences episode in 1992.

Third graders from nearby Mayflower Elementary School have for years been making an annual pilgrimage to Mills View as part of their study of vintage Monrovian houses (see the Patch article, June 12). The current homeowners delight in bringing the Victorian era to light for the youngsters, introducing their attentive guests to such period items as chamber pots and the Widow’s Walk.

Mills View is one of the 125 landmarked buildings in Monrovia.  It was the second structure so designated, becoming a city landmark on June 4, 1996. It has been on the MOHPG Mother’s Day Home Tour three times, most recently in 2010.

A special thanks to Monrovia City Historian Steve Baker for his carefully researched history of Mills View and to current homeowners Sabin Gray and Bryan Gerber for providing additional information and photos.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?