The Spinks Craftsman House, 2006

A pair of repolished Greene & Greene gems

* Pasadena house sits on nearly 1.5 acres. Its meadow-like setting affords privacy.

April 02, 2006

By Gayle Pollard-Terry, Times Staff Writer

Charles
Greene, the chief designer of the Greene & Greene firm, needed a
break. So in 1909 he took his family back to London, where he and his
wife had honeymooned, according to "Greene & Greene Masterworks,"
by Bruce Smith and Alexander Vertikoff. During his respite, his
brother, Henry, stepped in to fill the void.

While Charles
visited England, Henry completed the Spinks Craftsman house for retired
Judge William Ward Spinks and his wife, Margaret B.S. Clapham Spinks.
They had recently moved from Victoria, Canada, because the judge had
accepted the presidency of the Pasadena Hotel Co.

The Spinks House cost a princely $11,000 at a time when few homes cost more than $2,000 to build.

As
in their other homes, Henry Greene continued to use a variety of woods,
such as Port Orford cedar and redwood, to make the Spinks home
compatible with nature. Henry — known for his linear designs — gave
the home a rectangular shape.

The Spinks House sits atop a slope
on a nearly 1.5-acre property in the Oak Knoll neighborhood. Its
meadow-like setting provides privacy. Isabelle Greene, granddaughter of
Henry Greene, restored and redesigned some of the gardens in 1989. It
has extensive terraces and porches, as well as a balcony.

About this house: Despite the wear and tear of nearly a century, the house has been maintained over many years.

Asking price: $5.35 million

Size: The house has seven bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms in 5,046 square feet.

Features: Built-ins, hinged skylights and three fireplaces. There is a view of the mountains from the rear of the property.

Where: Pasadena