Pasadena Heritage defines its mission as protector of historic resources

Whether it’s the Old Pasadena Walking Tour, the annual Craftsman Weekend or its educational programs, Pasadena Heritage defines its mission  simply: “To identify, preserve and protect the historic, architectural and cultural resources of the city of Pasadena through advocacy, education and oral histories.”
The nonprofit organization is one of the oldest historic preservation groups in Southern California and the second largest in California. It has more than 2,000 members.
Pasadena Heritage works to protect Pasadena’s architectural and cultural resources; advocates for endangered buildings; offers tours, workshops, lecture and other educational programs; and provides consultation and referral services for members, according to its Website (pasadenaheritage.org). Its three goals, Awareness, Assistance and Action, have been dubbed the three A’s of preservation and have been adopted by many other groups over the years.
Pasadena Heritage has played a leading role in such preservation efforts as saving Old Pasadena (the city’s oldest commercial district, once derelict and now one of the greatest downtown revitalization success stories in the country), the Colorado Street Bridge, the Huntington Hotel, the 710 Freeway and the historic houses in its path, the Civic Center and the Blacker House.
The Craftsman Weekend, a three-day event held in October, focuses on the American Arts & Crafts movement and its expression in Pasadena. It is the largest and most comprehensive salute to the Arts & Crafts movement in the Western United States. Activities include lectures, restoration workshops, a house tour, and exhibits of antique and fine reproduction furnishings of this popular period in the arts and architecture.
The Craftsman Movement (also known as the American Arts & Crafts Movement) emerged in the early 20th century in the United States as an outgrowth of the English Arts & Crafts Movement. Its hallmark is a philosophy of honest, simple design expressed in hand-made creations by skilled craftsmen.
While the movement flowered throughout the U.S., Pasadena became a particularly strong center for Craftsman-style design including architecture, art, and ceramics. International recognition of Craftsman expression in Pasadena has been accorded to the work of architects Charles and Henry Greene, tilemaker Ernest Batchelder, artists Elmer and Marion Wachtel and writer/photographer Helen Lukens Gaut, among others.
Pasadena Heritage has nominated more than 200 buildings to the National Register of Historic Places and holds more than 67 preservation easements.
Through its revolving Preservation Fund, Pasadena Heritage has completed several award-winning restoration and rehabilitation projects, including the Easton House, Gartz Court and the Charlotte Perkins Gilman House.
Through the Pasadena Heritage Oral History Project, the personal histories of long-time residents are recorded, transcribed and published.The project seeks to broaden the understanding of community life from a variety of perspectives and document the experiences and memories of Pasadenans from all walks of life.

Old Pasadena Walking Tour

Tours of Pasadena’s historic Old Pasadena are offered quarterly by Pasadena Heritage on the first Saturday of the month. The dates for 2010 are Feb. 6, May 1, Aug. 7 and Nov. 6.
Old Pasadena, with its fascinating array of historic buildings, is a National Register Historic District and is one of the best examples of downtown revitalization in the country.
Tours are between 9 and 11:15 a.m. and tickets are $10 per person. Reservations are required. To reserve, call (626) 441-6333 or visit pasadenaheritage.org.