House Research
Residents are often drawn to South Pasadena because of the many historic homes in the city, but discovering the history of a home can be challenging. Below are some tools, tips, and resources you can use to begin your search.
Inventory of Historic Resources
Access a copy of the Inventory of Historic Resources online through the City of South Pasadena Planning Division. This document includes the properties that are formally designated on the State, National, and local registers.
Obtain original construction date and possibly the names of contractor, architect, and original owner on the building permit by contacting the City of South Pasadena’s Planning Division at (626) 403-7220.
For information on potential historic designation of all properties and neighborhoods in South Pasadena, visit our Historic Landmarks and Districts Map.
Los Angeles County Assessor Portal
Property description, date of construction, and Assessor's I.D. Number (AIN) are available through the Los Angeles County Assessor Portal.
Current homeowners may also access their property’s packet at the local LA County Assessor’s office (the El Monte location serves South Pasadena). The packets typically include permits, blueprints, or site plans that show the original building footprint that can be very interesting. Be sure to bring the AIN and documentation of homeowner status.
Find out who currently owns a property by emailing helpdesk@assessor.lacounty.gov (be sure to include the Assessor’s I.D. number and address of the property you’re investigating). You cannot obtain owner information by name via their website.
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
To trace the ownership history of a property (from 1850 on), contact the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk in-person, or for a fee by mail or online. They do not do requests by phone. When researching, you will need to have the name of either the grantee or grantor—there is no look-up by address.
South Pasadena City Directories
South Pasadena city directories may be able to show you who lived at the address beginning in 1893. Directories are typically organized alphabetically by surname, but some years (1929-1947; 1955; 1958; 1961; 1974) contain reverse look-ups allowing searching by address. All city directories held by the South Pasadena Public Library have been digitized, enabling some additional search functions. Directories dated 1893 to 1962 are available to view and search online at archive.org.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps may show the original structure of the property and layout of the street. The Sanborn Maps database (1867-1970) is available online at http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework (see “Sanborn”) with a LAPL card. They can also be accessed through the Pasadena Public Library at http://cityofpasadena.libguides.com/Databases (see “Sanborn”) with a valid PPL library card.
Local Newspapers
When previous owners’ names have been obtained, try searching newspapers for death notices, obituaries or news stories. The South Pasadena Public Library has digitized all issues of the local newspaper beginning in 1893, but it is best to first know the timeframe as the newspapers are not indexed in their entirety. The digitized Los Angeles Times can by searched for larger news stories, and is available online using a valid LAPL card. Search by keyword (name or street address) at http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework: The Los Angeles Times Historical Database 1881-1990.
Probate records can sometimes give you information about who inherited the house after the owner died. If the owner died in Los Angeles County, search county probate records at the Superior Court of California – County of Los Angeles Archives & Records Center at 222 N. Hill Street, Room 212, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Our digitized photo collection at https://www.flickr.com/photos/77906722@N06/ may provide images of the neighborhood or, in rare instances, your house. If, after searching diligently, you still don’t find anything, contact us with your query at localhistory@southpasadenaca.gov.
For additional questions, or for more in-depth research, please contact the Local History Librarian at localhistory@southpasadenaca.gov.