Blog: The Pinney House: An Old - and New - Model for Living

This week, a World War II veteran and former resident visited the equally venerable Pinney House, seeking a look back into his childhood years. The Pinney House, now over 125 years old, is the quintessential Victorian landmark of Sierra Madre.  It has had many lives from hotel to sanitarium to apartments, always hosting a pantheon of residents. One former resident reminisced about the quirky “Blue Whale” painting in the hallway during the flower power generation. Our former mayor, Josh Moran, was a resident a decade ago. The long arm of politics stretches back as well to 1908 when the city’s founders formed the Board of Trade and met in its ballroom to create the City of Sierra Madre. 

Jim Duggan was just a youngster when his family moved to the Pinney House in 1930. Then it was the “Happy Family Hotel” owned by a young couple named the Howlands.  Adele Howland was a forward thinking psychologist who practiced at the house. Her book, “Why Grow Old?” is still in print.

Apparently many families rented rooms there during the depression.  As I gave Jim a tour, it struck me that while so much has changed, some things come back around for a new look. During that time in the 30’s when the world was in shock, people gathered in community.  Today, as we crawl out of the recession many of our lives and assumptions about what is important have irretrievably changed. There is a renewed need for connection. We draw comfort in friendship and community.

Last year, when our property, the Pinney House, did not sell, we began to lease out the suites.  Many of the suites are not full apartments, as we had removed some of the kitchens to refurbish the grandeur of the rooms. This necessitated an arrangement more like a boarding house (except without the cook), where people share a kitchen with one or two others.

Today several rooms have been recreated: the dining room, parlor, library, conservatory and front porch are “common” rooms, meaning that all tenants have access and use of the rooms, as well as the gardens. 

When we put out the advertisements, we had hoped this would prove attractive to single working professionals who want their own private space, but also welcome the opportunity to interact with others on occasion and enjoy the magnificence of a large “home.” And, in particular, this one, which is one of the few remaining examples of exalted Victorian architecture.

What developed was beyond our hope.  Those who answered our call have now jelled into a sort of community. It includes working professionals and two-generation families. Ages have ranged from 20’s to 80’s. It turns out that, when there is no expectation of a social occasion, people just sort of find themselves in conversation in the hallway or kitchen or front porch, and that leads to wonderful spontaneous gatherings where everyone brings a bit to the table and learns more about one another.

The community veranda where neighbors drop by or the family table where politics, passions, and philosophies mix seems long gone. Or so it seemed. It’s interesting to see how our ideas of living in community evolve.

Postscript: When we refurbished the house, we found many things in the walls, one of which was a wooden sign that read Dr. Adele Howland Brain and Nerve Specialist.  When we Googled Dr. Howland, we found she was a noted psychiatrist that wrote two books on Mental Spiritualism, which are now archived in the UC Berkeley library.  We had no idea how Dr. Howland was associated with the Pinney House and now we know thanks to a veteran who chanced by to renew a childhood memory. 

For more information, www.pinneyhouse.com