Shakespeare Club Could Be Designated Historic Monument – Pasadena Now

Pasadena’s City Council will continue a public hearing on Monday, June 13, on an application by the Shakespeare Club of Pasadena to designate their usual meeting place, the original Josephine P. Everett house at 171 South Grand Ave., as a Historic Monument in accordance with the Pasadena Municipal Code.

The public hearing could lead to the City Council formally adopting a resolution approving a Declaration of Historic Monument Designation for the property, which has been the Shakespeare Club’s home since 1971 after the club purchased and renovated the Everett House.

Built in 1928, the Everett House consisted of 8,580 square feet on a property that’s 40,749 square feet, according to Los Angeles county assessor records. Josephine P. Everett, who was a philanthropist, one of Pasadena’s foremost citizens, and a passionate patron of music, books, and American fine art, made the house a showplace for her extensive art collection, included a 120-seat performance conservatory she called the Music Room, and an upper level Library where she collected significant books including topics on women’s issues.

Everett made very significant contributions to the cultural development of Pasadena and the Southland. An instrumental supporter of the Pasadena Playhouse and the Hollywood Bowl and involved in many other community, civic, philanthropic, and arts organizations, Everett was, ironically, not a member of the Shakespeare Club.

In 2018, the Shakespeare Club sought an Architectural Landmark Designation for the house, and this was granted by the City of Pasadena. This time, the Historic Monument status is being sought in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Club’s occupancy of the Villa.

Ahead of Monday’s public hearing, Pasadena Heritage wrote the City Council to say they support the designation of the Everett House as a Historic Monument.

“We support Monument designation for the Shakespeare Club, and find it fitting designation for an architectural resource of its importance,” Pasadena Heritage said in the statement. “We congratulate the Shakespeare Club for its over 50 years of proud ownership and stewardship of the house.”

The public hearing and the City Council’s meeting on Monday will be by video-conference and can be accessed through Zoom, at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/161482446, or by calling (669) 900-6833 and using the MeetingID 161 482 446.

Members of the public may submit correspondence of any length prior to the start of the meeting to [email protected].

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