The Frank W. Burr House

Early in 1889, Frank W. Burr made the four-day trip to Monrovia from a farming community near Chicago to determine if it would be wise to move his family to the just-developing area.  Satisfied that making such a move was prudent, Burr returned to Illinois and, in October, 1889, made another long and tiresome journey west, this time bringing his wife, five children, and an 18 year-old orphan with him.

The family took up temporary residence in a spacious Victorian home located on Melrose Avenue, just north of White Oak Avenue (Foothill Boulevard) and behind what is now known as the Aztec Hotel (the Stewart House still exists at that location).  The Burrs remained here for four years, paying a monthly rent of $12, until a permanent residence could be constructed for them.

The Burr House was built in 1893 at a cost of $2,800.  However, it lacked many of the conveniences we take for granted today, such as electricity, central air and heating, and toilets.  (The original outhouse still remains at the back of the property!)  The land on which the house was built consisted of six lots facing Myrtle Avenue and two lots facing Encinitas Avenue, with much of it planted in orange trees.  The house itself was built entirely of redwood, and it remained in the hands of the Burr family until 1975.

The current owners purchased the house in 1979 and began a three-and-one-half year restoration to return the house to its former elegance. Adding to the challenge of the restoration was the owners’ decision to live in the house during the lengthy process of restoration. One major change made to the original design of the house was the conversion of the attic space to a master suite complete with sauna, thus greatly enlarging the house’s square footage.  The home presently has 18 rooms with four and one half bathrooms in approximately 4700 square feet of living space.  Because there was no garage on the property, the owners added a carriage house (1500 square feet) in a style appropriate to the design of the house.

The owners have taken great pains to hide from sight many of the modern trappings found in homes today.  It takes a bit of sleuthing just to find a phone or locate the kitchen’s microwave oven.  Because of this and because the furnishings throughout the house are appropriate to the age of the home, Hollywood has been noticeably partial to filming here, with approximately 75 movies and commercials shot at the house since 1979.  It is perhaps best known as the location for one episode from the movie, The Twilight Zone.

For those intrigued by the information presented here, the opportunity to view the insides is just around the corner. The Burr House will be one of the five Victorians featured on the 2011 Mother’s Day Home Tour on Sunday, May 8, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.  The owners will be on hand to share photographs, pictures, and other Burr family memorabilia.  Complete ticket information and pictures of all the homes on the tour can be found by visiting the website of the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group at www.mohpg.org.

A special thanks to the current owners, Ramon and Mary Ann Otero, for their assistance in presenting this history of the Burr House.