Bradley James Floyd Residence

2014 HERITAGE AWARD RECIPIENT

The Redlands Area Historical Society, Inc.
Heritage Award 2014

Bradley James Floyd Residence
407 La Verne
1924

Elwood and Drucy Vincent lived at 104 East Fern in the Altadena Tract, lots 39 and 40. In 1924 they had Garrett Huizing construct this home on the southerly 40 feet of lots 39 and 40. They never lived in the home and used it as a rental. John and Alice Colenbrande owned the home from 1943 to 1946. The city directory listed John Colenbrande as a builder of trailers. Their two children, Alvin (a student and part time clerk at Safeway) and daughter, Mildred (who was a teller at Bank of America) also lived in the home. A 1966 building permit lists Frederick L. Gilson as owner. City directories show Reverend Gilson there until 1973. County sales history lists Nancy C. Morris and Thomas G. Jaharis as owners in 1977 and then in 1984 Nancy Morris and Bradley J. Floyd.

This Pueblo Spanish Revival style home has a flat roof with stucco siding. The stucco has a raised edge decoration with a half round parapet in the center of the building along the top of the roof line. The southwest corner contains a two sash window divided vertically and separated by an upright bar. This is a common window opening that opens in with flat board trim. The panes are vertically long with a decorative pattern of long thin vertical panes on each side and at the top and bottom smaller panes. These common windows have red tile hoods with decorative brackets. Above the hood of this window and on the roof line are more red tiles. To the north is a slender one sash window with a half round decoration at the top. The northwest portion of the home contains the north facing front door and the open cement patio. The door is similar to the common windows with glass panes. At the top and centered are two horseshoes bent into the shape of a heart or horseheads. The windows further to the north are three two sash windows. Above the tile hood and on the roof line are more red tiles. The north side has five more windows of different sizes one faces west the others north. A stucco chimney with a triangular top and opening is also on the north side. The east portion of the home contains the new addition with a four sided bay topped with red tile and brackets, a pair of multi paned French doors open onto the small patio.

Bradley Floyd was born in Redlands and loved to hunt, fish, and ride horses (he was a cowboy), but his passion was restoring and building homes. As a profession he worked on water treatment plants. The Floyd family are longtime residents of this area. Bradley’s parents owned an antique store named “The Gathering” in the former Mutual Orange Distributors Packing House near the Krikorian Theater. The house was put in a Trust in June 2006 upon marrying his second wife, Kay Kemper. They owned the little Victorian house at 417 La Verne (next door) and lived there while Bradley remodeled and added a master bedroom and bath to the back of the pueblo. At the same time they were also building, with the help of his brothers, sisters, and friends, a 2 ½ story 23,000 square foot log cabin in Big Bear. He saw the cabin completed a week before he passed away. Bradley was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) when he was 55 years old. Kay cared for him by herself for two years until his death on October 3, 2010.

The present owner, Kay Kemper (Floyd) worked for the County of San Bernardino as a Right Away Agent arranging the purchase of properties for county development. She did this for 30 years. Her father was in the Air Force and when she was young he was stationed in Communist Yugoslavia and then, two years in Portugal. Kay’s first language was Serbian. Growing up she attended 35 different schools. She has two grown sons from her first marriage. When she met Bradley Floyd, he was the love of her life and they enjoyed working on the houses together. Presently she is involved in caring for her 90 year old mother in Highland and two sweet dogs, Bradley’s Reba Rose and Maxine. She recently refinished the oak floors in the living room and has other projects planned for the future.

The Redlands Area Historical Society is pleased to give this award to Kay Kemper for the time and love both she and Bradley gave to this home.

Research by: Karen Flippen

Presented
16 June 2014