A unique piece of Los Angeles history has hit the market for $2 million. Built in 1888, Esperanza House, a Queen Anne Victorian residence encompassing approximately 2,670 square feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms on a half-acre, is located at 5315 Mount Royal Drive in Eagle Rock. The home is an architectural reminder of Southern California’s great land boom and the agricultural pioneers who helped shape the region. Laurie Stanford Turner of Coldwell Banker Realty in Pasadena holds the listing.
“This home is so much more than the recognizable part of Eagle Rock’s architectural landscape many locals affectionately call ‘The Purple House on the Hill,’” said Turner, a sixth-generation Californian and descendant of railroad magnate Leland Stanford, the namesake of Stanford University. “It’s a remarkable piece of Los Angeles history. When you consider that this home was standing long before Eagle Rock became a city, you begin to appreciate just how extraordinary it is. Properties with this kind of architectural character and connection to Southern California’s earliest families rarely come along. It’s an opportunity to become part of a story that began nearly 140 years ago.”
Located in what is now known as the Mount Royal Landmark District, Esperanza House, named for the Spanish word for hope and originally known as Hickson House, recalls a period before Eagle Rock was transformed from an agricultural valley to a residential community. It was built during a period when Southern California was experiencing rapid population growth and economic expansion. It was not until almost two decades after the residence was built that the first streetcar reached Eagle Rock in 1906. The home was 23 years old when the city incorporated in 1911.
“Esperanza” was built for James and Mary Hickson, early Eagle Rock landowners and farmers whose holdings reportedly extended from the San Rafael Hills south toward present-day Colorado Boulevard. The residence is a surviving connection to an era when agriculture, rather than residential subdivisions, defined much of the surrounding landscape. Its Queen Anne Victorian style is indicative of the elaborate and eclectic architectural tastes of the late 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution, advances in transportation and the growing availability of manufactured building materials influenced residential design throughout the nation.
The last known owner of the home was Leonora Pierotti Thomas, granddaughter of Attilio Pierotti, whose family was among the first settlers of the Fullerton and Placentia area. A meaningful contributor to Southern California’s agricultural development, Attilio was involved in the development of organized citrus packing, shipping and marketing. He also played an important role in obtaining water rights and shaping early water distribution policies. Her father, Clifford Thomas, and maternal grandfather, Hugh Thomas, were owners of Thomas Vineyards, the first and oldest winery in California, which was located in Rancho Cucamonga and is no longer in operation.
To view the property, contact Laurie Stanford Turner at 626-483-5269 or [email protected].
About Coldwell Banker Realty
Coldwell Banker Realty is one of the top brokerages in Southern California and operates 61 offices with approximately 4,159 affiliated agents. Real estate agents affiliated with the company are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the company. Coldwell Banker Realty is a part of Compass International Holdings (NYSE: COMP), a global real estate services company with a presence in every major U.S. city and in approximately 120 countries and territories. For more information, visit ColdwellBankerHomes.com. CalDRE #00616212.
