Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 12, 2011

16

HOMES AND PROPERTY

 Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 12, 2011 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes and gardens and the people whoe create them Story and Photos By Chris Bertrand 


The north Monrovia home that was 
once the residence of author, Upton 
Sinclair, came on the market recently. 
Though he wrote dozens of novels, nonfiction 
and drama, Sinclair was best 
known for The Jungle, his 1906 meatpacking 
industry exposé, and his book 
Oil! which was the subject of a recent 
movie.

The Spanish Colonial style, 2380 
square foot home with separate guest 
home and other outbuildings, was originally 
designed by Frederick H. Wallis for 
ironwork and hotel tycoon, Louie B. Vollmer. The home was registered 
in both the US National Register of Historic Places and 
as a US National Historic Landmark in 1971. 

The home passed to Sinclair as second owner, who owned it 
between 1942 and 1965, and wrote many of his later works at the 
residence. Sinclair is said to have remarked it was the “perfect 
peace to write in ... a garden path to walk up and down while I 
planned the next paragraph.” 

Sinclair built a new garage during his ownership, on the south 
side of the home, as his wife was reputedly concerned about Sinclair 
negotiating a tight turn in the old driveway. The original 
garage, on the northeast corner of the property, is now converted 
to a stunning guest house. 

Sinclair constructed another concrete structure in the back 
yard, a fireproof vault, for his and others’ manuscripts and valuable 
papers, many of which went to the University of Indiana, 
when The Huntington rejected their purchase back in the 60’s, 
according to today’s owner. Today, “the vault” begs for a wine 
cellar and tasting room.

The historic home is so “perfect”, it almost feels like a movie 
set. Yet it is wonderfully comfortable. There is something about 
the ambiance of the home that exudes warmth and relaxation 
and welcome amid the gorgeous ball and ribbon molding, vintage 
fixtures and Batchelder tiled baths. Certainly the stunning 
color palette plays an integral part. The original Honduran mahogany 
pocket doors, set into intricately carved and arched door 
casings, are truly awe inspiring.

Noted Monrovia contractor, Vicki Novell, of the Design 
Group, purchased the 1923 home after it had been boarded up 
and fenced after the Sierra Madre earthquake in 1991. Her ensuing 
project of meticulously restoring the home to its former 
glory earned Novell an award from the California Preservation 
Council.

During that restoration, a new kitchen, electrical and plumbing 
services were installed. Yet the innate essence, the soul of 
this magnificent, (though not huge) home was carefully guarded 
and lovingly preserved.

The home self-ventilates through a beautifully shaded side 
patio which protects the living spaces from the southern sun 
exposure. French doors from the dining room make it a perfect 
extension of the living and entertaining space.

The back yard could easily host a meditation or yoga class, 
with a gurgling fountain and peaceful aura. The current owner’s 
avocation is Southern California native gardening. In the past 
few years, the landscape has incorporated much of the finest low 
water landscape around. 

In addition to its landmark status, the Upton Sinclair home 
also currently holds Mills Act status, a renewable tax reduction 
vehicle, which significantly reduces the property tax rate, in deference 
to the responsibilities of maintaining a historic home.

Vicki Novell, the contractor who restored the home commented, 
“The house had been boarded up a long time because 
of the Sierra Madre earthquake. Due to the damage, its previous 
owners had people doing exploratory work on repairing the 
fireproof “poured in place” concrete house, and decided they 
wanted to bulldoze it.” 

Due to its landmark status, a lawsuit ensued, and the owners 
put it up for sale. It sat as an eyesore, fenced, for a time. Novell 
purchased the property and reattached the structure to the 
foundation, then started to repair and restore the damage, much 
of which was a result of the exploratory phase after the earthquake. 
“We had engineers onsite constantly. We tried to keep it 
(the home’s restoration) looking within the historical era,” said 
Novell.

Novell found the exquisite iron work grille with the original 
owners’ V initial incorporated into the ironwork. “We were 
lucky, and found it in the weeds in the back yard.” 

Another find were those magnificent mahogany pocket doors. 
“They were non-functional and buried in the walls. Thank goodness 
they were broken and locked inside the wall!” Now they 
glide effortlessly to open or close the two rooms. 

All the dentil moldings were poured in place castings, some of 
which were destroyed during the exploratory phase of the damage 
estimate. “Some were broken and others were missing,” Novell 
said. “We had to make some new onsite. It was an education 
and learning experience.”

A job well done. The initial open house had historic home lovers 
drooling over the stunning and gracious home. One worked 
for the Department of Agriculture, commenting “We likely 
wouldn’t have had a Department of Agriculture without Upton 
Sinclair. I just had to see this house!”

464 N. Myrtle in Monrovia is listed at $1,500,000 by Cecilia Farnum 
of Century 21 Adams and Barnes. visit the home’s website 
at www.UptonSinclairHouse.com or call Farnum at626-688-
6668. For more information on the restoring contractor, visit 
www.VickiNovell.com or call 626-757-7400.


SOCAL GAS OFFERS SAFETY TIPS 

FOLLOWING 8.9 EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN

LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2011 – Following yesterday’s devastating 8.9-magnitude 
earthquake that hit the northeast part of Japan, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) 
is reminding customers that advance preparation is critical in getting ready for the next 
major earthquake. 

SoCalGas offers these safety tips to help reduce the chance of injuries or property damage 
from the next quake:

Before an earthquake:

• Securely strap water heaters to prevent them from moving or toppling over. The 
water heater should be fastened securely to the wall studs in two places -- the upper and 
lower one-third of the tank -- with heavy bolts and metal straps. 

• Replace semi-rigid (aluminum or copper) gas appliance connectors with approved 
connectors made of corrugated metal. These are less likely to crack during an earthquake. 
Connectors and water heater strapping kits are available at most hardware and home 
improvement stores. 

• Know where the natural gas meter is located. Gas meters are commonly located 
above ground next to the home on the side, front or back, but may also be in a cabinet or 
underground. 

• Have a 12-inch or larger adjustable wrench handy to manually turn off the gas 
meter should it be necessary if a gas leak is suspected after an emergency. 

After an earthquake:

• Do not turn off the gas meter after an earthquake unless you smell gas, hear the 
sound of gas escaping or see other signs of a gas leak and only if it is safe to do so. Once the 
gas has been turned off, it may take SoCalGas several days to restore service, depending 
on the magnitude of the emergency. Do not attempt to turn the gas back on yourself.

• If there is an apparent gas leak, remain calm. Do not light a match, candle or 
cigarette, and do not turn electrical devices – not even a light switch -- on or off, or use 
any other device or equipment that may cause a spark. Note that gas leaking from a 
plastic pipe can cause static electricity which can ignite the gas. From a safe location, call 
SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 or 1-800-342-4545 in Spanish, 24 hours a day, seven days a 
week; or call 911.

• If a gas leak is suspected and it is safe to do so, turn the gas off at the meter. Using 
an adjustable wrench, make a quarter-turn of the valve, moving it from a vertical position 
to a horizontal position. This will shut off the flow of gas. (A diagram and instructions for 
turning off the gas meter are printed in the “Survival Guide” section of most telephone 
directory white pages and is also available at socalgas.com).

• If the gas is shut off at the meter, do not turn it back on without the help of 
SoCalGas. Gas service should not be restored until SoCalGas determines that the 
customer’s facilities, appliances or other gas equipment are safe.

For more natural gas safety information, visit SoCalGas’ website at socalgas.com/safety. 

THE PRESSURE 
COOKER

Phew! After more than four years of 
declining home sales, the numbers appear 
to be finally turning back upward, with 
closed sales and pending contracts at above-
normal increases. In particular, first-time 
buyers helped buoy the market by taking 
advantage of low prices and interest rates, as 
well as the $8,000 tax credit offered by the 
federal government. 

At least for now, home prices remain 
attractively low, and mortgage payments as 
they relate to income are very comfortable. 
All the information seems to point to 
the fact that home prices have actually 
overcorrected downward. What does that 
mean? It indicates that many markets may 
experience a price “snap back,” with values 
increasing a lot more than the historical 
average of 4% appreciation per year. 

Some factors may continue to make buyers 
cautious, mostly declines in retirement 
savings and a lukewarm economic recovery 
with unemployment hovering around 10% 
nationally. Now is not the time to hesitate, 
however, as mortgage interest rates are 
expected to rise in 2010. 

We can expect the momentum of home 
sales to continue, especially with the 
extension of the tax credit through April 
and the fact that qualification is no longer 
limited to just first-time buyers. Prices and 
interest rates will rise this year, so buyer 
confidence should be at an all-time high. 
The pressure cooker of pent-up demand is 
about to blow its top!

Luther Tsinoglou has just been named 
the top producing sales agent in Dickson 
Podley Realtor’s Sierra Madre office for 2009, 
making the top 10% at the company overall. 
Luther has been licensed and practicing real 
estate since 1992. He specializes in residential 
and income property in Southern California. 
Luther can be reached at his direct line (626) 
695-8650 or at luther@tsinoglou.com. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com