Bissell House

The Bissell House The Bissell House

The Pasadena area has an embarrassment of residential architecture riches, most notably the large number of Arts and Crafts and Mid-Century Modern homes tucked away on leafy streets across town. But here and there are restored homes that serve as reminders that in the early days of Pasadena, the Victorian style was queen. The Bissell House is a perfect example of this, having been built at the southern end of Millionaire’s Row in 1887.

The house, which is now a popular bed and breakfast, took its popular name from Anna Bissell McCay, the daughter of yet another magnate (in this case a vacuum magnate), who lived in the 3-story home from 1902 to the 1950s. Luckily the home stayed intact in the years since, and the owners of the B&B have renovated and restored it to its original Victorian glory.

Know Before You Go

The Bissell House Bed and Breakfast is located on the SW corner of Columbia Street and Orange Grove Ave. This is the signaled intersection that divides Pasadena from South Pasadena. As a result Orange Grove Avenue becomes Orange Grove Boulevard. As this can confuse some people, please note that the Bissell House is on the northernmost corner of South Pasadena with a front driveway entrance off Columbia Street and a rear exit on Orange Grove Avenue.

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