We’ve found the 1954 Palmer & Krisel subdivision of
Bartley Grove Estates in West Whittier, California. Listed in the Krisel
Archives at the Getty Museum as being located in Downey, Bartley Grove Estates
lies within unincorporated Los Angeles County between the Cities of Whittier and
Downey, utilizing Whittier as a mailing address. This made it tricky for us to
track down, but after an extensive search we found it and here’s the first
home we’ve seen for sale in it.
This is a 1954, 1,254 square-foot home squeezing in three
(originally four!) bedrooms and two bathrooms plus a two-car garage all on a
tidy 5,400 square-foot lot with an asking price of $390,000. This home features
a couple of unique design quirks in addition to the usual Krisel hallmarks. The
garage features an off-centered white clapboard siding breaking the standard
board and batten façade, while the corner window to the left of the front door
was a feature that many other southern California mid-century builders used.
Its rare (but not unseen) for Krisel homes to have this feature, along with the
double, slightly off-center roofline of where the garage intersects with the
dwelling portion of the home. The most surprising Krisel feature not seen in
this home (and the entire subdivision for that matter) is a fireplace – usually
a living room staple.
There’s not many pictures of the home online so there’s not
much to describe, but inside there’s quite a few Krisel traits. Like many of
his Southern California homes, there’s no direct access between the home and
the garage. The open, vaulted beamed ceilings are still intact, as are the
clerestory windows at the east and west ends of the home and the walls of glass in the living areas at the back of the home. The fourth bedroom has been annexed by the living area; however
the trusses are still in place creating an interesting added architectural
feature.
The kitchen appears to have been updated in the mid to late
1990s, and there’s some fun retro teal carpeting throughout the home. Who knows
what condition the bedrooms and baths are in as there’s no pictures. The
laundry, most likely originally in the kitchen, has been moved to the garage, while the backyard appears lush and grassy.
The listing agent doesn’t seem to be aware of the architectural signifigance of
this home, and has humorously noted it as a ‘traditional.’ That just means more mid-mod
for the rest of us!
There’s not many photos, but you can check out the Redfin
listing here: 11015
Abbotsford Rd
Or Zillow here: 11015
Abbotsford Rd
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