About My Old House
Built in 1923, these six Spanish style bungalows are arranged in a courtyard. They were designed to provide cozy housing for workers during the early 1920s, when oil was discovered near Long Beach, California.
Each bungalow has stucco siding, hardwood floors, built-in cabinets and shelves, and other traditional bungalow features.
Favorite Details
Originally only one house sat on the land. The owner, Mrs. Brown, became widowed while still in her 40s, so she decided to build a collection of rental homes to help provide income. She hired architect Joseph Halstead Roberts and contractor Raymond P. Mussetter to develop the property. They gave each bungalow one bedroom, glass-front doors, and a practical, open floor plan.
Lessons Learned
Old houses take time, money, and patience. It's best to choose small projects and finish that project completely before moving on to the next. We've pecked away at the restoration one architectural feature at a time. Slowly, we've restored all the windows to working condition, stripped 100 years of paint, updated wiring and plumbing as needed, repaired the floors and built-ins.
If you don't love old houses, forget it. If you do...all the effort is worth the end result!
Jackie Craven, Architecture Guide, says:
Mrs. Brown's Court Apartments in Long Beach, California can be rented furnished or unfurnished. Learn about their history at www.brownscourtapartments.com.
Learn more about the style: Spanish Revival Bungalow
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