Charles Plummer House – 2025

This 1890 Victorian home stands as a testament to Redlands’ early agricultural and architectural heritage. Charles Eastman Plummer, a citrus grower, supervised the home’s construction and operated the grove surrounding this home as well as another on West Colton Avenue per the Redlands Daily Facts. He lived here with his wife, Retta W. Plummer, daughter Marion Retta Plummer, possibly featured in the 1897 Illustrated Redlands publication in front of this very home and son Stanley Welch Plummer.

Architectural features include prominent eave returns, cross gable roof with a dormer, decorative fish-scale and shingle siding accents, angular bay window, and a front porch with a classic “haint blue” ceiling. The home also boasts a beautiful stained-glass window. Looking inside you will find two small metal rods inside of the stained glass, which were reportedly added to secure the feature when the home was moved to a new location on the same property. The descendants of previous owners claim the home has been moved closer to Fern Avenue. After careful analysis of the Illustrated Redlands photograph which was re- published in F. C. Hoogstraat’s Redlands Souvenir in 1898, the home has an expansive front yard, which you do not see today. Although Hoogstraat was an amateur photographer, many of the photos in his 1898 publication were copies of those from Illustrated Redlands (1897). It was typical, at this time, for citrus growers to place their homes inside their groves, rather than curbside. To further corroborate a move, the Redlands Area Historical Society reprinted Hoogstraat’s publication by combining both his 1898 and 1903 editions of Redlands Souvenir in 2015 with new comments added. On page 46, facing this photo of the house, a paragraph reads:

“The C. E. Plummer residence, located at 1049 West Fern Avenue, was featured in Illustrated Redlands published in 1897. . .  Around 1955 it was moved from an orange grove to make way for the tennis courts at Cope Middle School.”

The home itself has two other indications that point to a move, first, the home does not include a basement or cellar (typical for the time period) and second, the home’s entire foundation has been replaced with no evidence of the original.

Among the home’s owners was Percy B. Keys, who worked over 35 years in the citrus industry, most notably as a field manager for the Mission Fruit Company on Barton Road. A highlight of his life beyond citrus was his participation in the 1905 inauguration parade of President Theodore Roosevelt, where he rode on horseback as part of a group of cowboys per the Redlands Daily Facts. Keys would later build a new home at 604 West Fern Avenue and sell 1049 West Fern Avenue with its citrus grove to James Sawyer Leonard, great-great-grandfather of the current researcher, Zach Smith.

James Leonard himself operated an apple ranch in Oak Glen before acquiring the 8.5-acre property now known as 1049 West Fern Avenue along with an accompanying 3 acres per the San Bernardino County Map Books. He was a graduate of Redlands High School (Class of 1913) and the University of Redlands (Class of 1917). James Leonard lived in the home with his wife Clara Mae Weber Leonard, and three sons Dick, Bob, and Don. All three sons would become veterans who served in World War II and made it home safely to Redlands.

James Leonard came from a distinguished lineage. James’ father, Frank Albert Leonard, served as a Superior Court judge in San Bernardino County and was Redlands’ first city attorney, holding the position for 24 years. James’ grandfather, Judge Ira Leonard, was known as a Civil War-era judge in Missouri and served as a defense attorney for Billy the Kid in one of his trials.

While 1049 West Fern Avenue no longer sits on a 11.5-acre citrus grove, the home stands strong for future generations and offers a glimpse back in time to early life in Redlands. Its beautiful presence speaks to the legacy of those who built, lived in, and preserved it.

In addition to its distinctive architectural features and well-preserved character, the home also carries a rich history of ownership that reflects the passage of time. As Previously stated, the home was first owned by Charles Eastman Plummer from 1891 to 1907, followed by W.A. Sherrill from 1907 to 1920. Percy B. and Jesie Keys held ownership from 1920 to 1927, after which James S. Leonard owned it from 1927 to 1945. K.N. and Amalia H. Matthews took possession from 1945 until at least 1958. From 1958 there is a gap of 17 years in ownership due to incomplete records at the San Bernardino County Recorder’s office although, we know it passed to Betty Wheeler during this period. The known ownership picks up again when it was acquired by the Donald and Michelle Nance Family from Betty Wheeler in 1975. The Nance Family owned it until 1994. Since then, Pam and Ken Alford have been the current owners.

The Redlands Area Historical Society is pleased to present Ken and Pam Alford with the 2025 Heritage Award for 1049 West Fern Avenue. Ken and Pam have lovingly cared for 1049 W Fern Ave through fresh exterior paint, bringing back a claw foot tub, building a small pond, gazebo, and adding 8 trees to the property.

Research by Zach Smith, presented on June 11, 2025.