1984 HERITAGE AWARD RECIPIENT
The Redlands Area Historical Society, Inc.
Heritage Award 1984
Ellen A. Roberts (“Villa Lucia”) Home
924 South Center Street
1904
The Citrograph reported in October 1904, “Mrs. E. A. Roberts will build a fine new residence at the corner of Walnut Avenue and Center Street. It is to be two story with nine rooms and costing $5,000.” The home was built by R.C. Cunningham, Redlands’ most prominent builder at the time. Within nine months Mrs. Roberts outgrew this home and began the building of the home next door at 926 South Center. Subsequent owners have included John P. Conduit and in the 1930’s – 1940’s M. Hall McAllister. McAllister Street in San Francisco was named for his family. Since 1967, John and Beverly Dean have owned the property.
This two story classic-box styled home was a popular style of architecture for this period in Redlands. In reaction to the Queen Anne style of protruding parts, the classic-box retracted into an orderly package with flush planes to better fit the “site constraints of city lots. The classic-box at 924 South Center has a horizontal band separating its first and second stories. The two stories are also contrasted by the first story being overlapping siding and the second story shingled. A cut granite foundation visually and structurally supports the open veranda that wraps around the west and south sides of the house. Seven Corinthian columns and a ballustrade offer interest around the veranda. Bay windows, from the living room on the first floor and¬ the master bedroom on the second floor protrude on the side of the house seen from the street. Another bay window is seen down the driveway at the northside of the house. This one is capped by a porch and ballustrade. Bracketing supports boxed cornice eaves along the roof lines of the house. The house itself is crowned by a broad peaked roof that includes a hipped center dormer.
The Redlands Area Historical Society is proud to honor this example of Redlands’ heritage and to commend the stewardship of the present owners.
