George and Grace Mullen Home

2015 HERITAGE AWARD RECIPIENT

The Redlands Area Historical Society, Inc.
 Heritage Award 2015

George and Grace Mullen Home
107 Garden Hill Drive
1917

Welcome to 107 Garden Hill Drive. This stately home is first recognized as the home of Grace Stewart Mullen, founder and managing director of the REDLANDS COMMUNITY MUSIC ASSOCIATION and the REDLANDS BOWL, launched in 1924. “Without Vision, A People Perish” was the credo of Mrs. Mullen and is chiseled in the stone above the Roman arch of the Redlands Bowl stage. Mrs. Mullen dreamed of presenting professional quality classically based performing arts programs to the whole community free of charge. Over 8 million people have enjoyed a broad array of programs, including ballets, symphonies, operas, and culturally diverse music and dance performances. As a result of her substantial contributions to music and community, Mrs. Mullen shot Redlands to international recognition of the finest kind and is often referred to as “First Lady” of Redlands!

Grace and her husband, George a local public accountant and auditor, first submitted an application for a building permit in 1917 and built the 3,062 sq. ft. home for $5,000. They are first listed in the 1919 city directory at “h n s garden ct 3 e of garden”, which translates to: householder on the north side of garden ct 3 houses east of garden…very interesting! From there it takes even more twists and turns much like the street itself. In 1921 it is listed as 7 Garden Ct and in 1923 listed as 107 Garden Ct. In 1952 the street was renamed to Garden Hill Drive which it is still known as today – a fitting change given the meandering style of the street. The early monuments to the neighborhood still stand in their unbroken glory.

In 1929 George and Grace moved to a home on Cypress then to Buena Vista in 1950. Mrs. Mullen was with us in Redlands until 1967. Her mark on our town remains as strong as it ever was and her legacy lives on.

Other notable persons residing here and gracing this foyer include the Humphrey Family until 1950. Mr. Humphrey eventually became the Vice President of the Crafton Orange Growers Association. The Edward Dibble family lived there from 1952-1967. Mr. Dibble was a local civil engineer and served as the Secretary of the San Bernardino Valley Conservation District. He is also credited with adding a first floor bathroom to the home. The Richard Mulligan family raised four daughters here and resided in the home for approximately 40 years until the current owners, Leonard and Candace Quinn, better known as Bruce and Candy, bought the home in 2012. During a visit to an open house here in the cold months of 2011-2012, Candy said the home spoke to her, and she felt the presence of Mrs. Mullen’s spirt. There was no looking back. As their love for historical properties runs deep, the couple had to make it their own.

Along with all of these notable residents comes a home with many notable attributes itself. The home would classify as a two story Mission revival or early Californian. The home’s defining characteristics are a smooth stucco finish, a multitude of archways inside and out, and an ever so slight pitch to the barrel tile roof. It is simplistic in style and well balanced. The enclosed sun room at the front of the house obscures this a bit. The porch entry is highlighted by two fabulous Roman archways welcoming you to enjoy the hand crafted door with sidelights and its very own arch above. The wood used to craft it is some of the most detailed marble of grain to be witnessed. Many of the windows are grouped in threes, but noticeably the arched windows centered on the second floor are a matched pair. Another pair to be gazed upon are the massive trees, a Pine and a Redwood, flanking the front yard and seemingly dwarfing the house. The rear of the home also overlooks a heavily wooded area and lush foliage lending to a very natural setting.

Since purchasing the home, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn have worked tirelessly to bring it to today’s standards while still preserving the integrity of the home. Major projects include a whole house rewire, including the garage and basement with a new 200 amp main and sub panel. A fresh coat of stucco wraps the home protecting it from the elements and keeping with the traditional coloring of the original style. Extensive iron and copper work adorn the home for aesthetic and safety reasons. Inside the home upstairs are some genuine items including matching glass door handles with the exception of the glass double French doors which feature a lavender hued glass handle, identifying this as a special room possibly for music or a working space. The second story also features two master bedrooms, one with a walk in closet and both with private en-suite baths. Each master bedroom has a walk out single French door to the massive terrace offering up a peaceful view of the Garden Hill subdivision. One of the master baths has been remodeled with a retro-feel highlighted with a claw foot tub and pull chain flushing mechanism. The highlight of this bathroom is looking out the pair of arched windows visible from the terrace and down below.

Back on the ground floor are other details worth recognition. The centerpiece of the formal living room is the fireplace with original tiles and detailing surrounded by extensive wood work and topped with a grand mantle making a very traditional statement. One of the two entries to the kitchen is flanked by two traditional archways on either side of the Roman archway. This area was most likely a butler’s pantry and now functions as small office space for Mr. and Mrs. Quinn. The couple has added large wooden beams to the ceiling in the kitchen for a touch of the Mission detail. Many other projects remain to honor this address. As one of the oldest and most notable homes of 13 grand homes that occupy Garden Hill Drive, she still certainly holds her own.

The Redlands Area Historical society would like to recognize Bruce and Candy Quinn for their continued efforts to restore and preserve the home at 107 Garden Hill Drive.

Researched by: Jill Huntsinger

Presented
22 June 2015