Commissioned in 1926 by William M. Prindle, a wealthy real estate developer from Duluth, Minnesota, and his wife Mina, this Andalusian Spanish Colonial Revival estate served exclusively as the couple's winter retreat during Pasadena's golden age as America's most fashionable seasonal colony for Midwestern industrialists. The residence occupies a prominent corner lot at Pinehurst and Hillcrest, one block from the Langham Hotel, in a neighborhood already distinguished by Greene & Greene's Craftsman masterworks. The design reflects the era's fascination with Moorish and Andalusian precedents, popularized through European travel and the rebuilding of Santa Barbara following its devastating 1925 earthquake.
Drawing direct inspiration from the Alhambra Palace in Granada, the 7,970-square-foot residence features massive stucco walls, Moorish arched loggias, and a series of interlocking courtyards that create the spatial complexity of an Andalusian villa. A baronial entry foyer rises to 25-foot carved wood ceilings, anchored by a sweeping staircase that commands the vertical space. French doors open from principal rooms to a central courtyard centered on a star fountain and surrounded by arched colonnades, while carved wood doors imported from Fez, Morocco lead to a walled garden with reflecting pool. The seven-bedroom, nine-bath residence includes three fireplaces, a library, copper plumbing, an elevator, and chauffeur's quarters, with additional construction completed in 1928.
