CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL RESOURCES INVENTORY DATABASE
City of Pasadena
 
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Resource Summary
169 S St John Ave
DPR523A - Primary [print]
State of California - The Resource Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
 
 
Survey #:
DOE #:
Primary #:  
HRI #:  
Trinomial:  
NRHP Status Code: 3S 
Other Listings:  
Review Code:    Reviewer:   
Date: -/-/-
 
 
*Resource Name or #:  
 
P1.  Other Identifier:  
 
*P2.  Location: not for publication   unrestricted
*a.  County Los Angeles 
and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as Necessary)
b.  USGS 7.5' Quad:   YEAR:   T   ; R   ;   of   of Sec   ;   B.M.
c.  Address: 169 S St John Ave City: Pasadena State: CA Zip Code: 91105
d.  UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources)   Zone:   ; -118.156809  mE/ 34.143397  mN
e.  Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate)
 
*P3a.  Description:  (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
Built by the Worldwide Church of God as part of its Pasadena campus of Ambassador College, the Ambassador Auditorium was intended to be used as a facility for religious services and also as a concert hall for public performances celebrating the performing arts. The auditorium was designed by the firm of Daniel, Mann, Johnson, and Mendenhall (DMJM), which had created a campus master plan in 1963 (in collaboration with landscape architect Garrett Eckbo) that merged the properties and gardens of several grand homes and mansions on South Orange Grove Boulevard (known as “Millionaire’s Row”), that had been acquired by the college since its establishment in 1947. Ambassador Auditorium was conceived in relationship with the Late Modern honeycomb forms of the 1967 Fine Arts and Science Halls (also designed by DMJM, and demolished in 2013) which flanked a plaza in front of the historic Hulett C. Merritt mansion. In this vein, the 1974 Ambassador Auditorium was envisioned as a Modern interpretation of a Greek temple (its architectural design was said to be somewhat similar to that of the Temple of ancient Israel) fronted by a reflecting pool, fountain and egret sculpture by David Wynne (installe din 1967). Its superior acoustics and sense of intimacy between the audience and performers resulted in Ambassador Auditorium becoming known worldwide as the "Carnegie Hall of the West”, with an international reputation as one of the most beautiful and esteemed concert halls ever built, and a significant cultural resource for Pasadena. Due to Ambassador College leadership changes, the concert series in Ambassador Auditorium ended in 1995, and Ambassador College closed in 1997. The property was purchased by Harvest Rock Church and Maranatha High School in 2004, and reopened for the HRock Church's services and Maranatha's programs, conferences, special events and performances.
 
*P3b.  Resource Attributes:  (List attributes and codes)  
 
*P4.  Resources Present:
Building Structure Object Site District Element of a District Other
 
P5a.  Photograph or Drawing (Photograph required for buildings, structures, and objects.)
P5b.
Description of Photo:
 
*P6.
Date Constructed/Age and Source:
Historic PreHistoric
Both Neither
Year Built: 1974 - Documented
 
*P7.
Owner and Address:
Name:  
Address:  
,  
 
*P8.
Recorded By:
 
*P9.
Date Recorded: -/-/-
 
*P10.
Survey Type:
Survey Title:
 
*P11.  Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none.")
 
*Attachments:
NONE Location Map Sketch Map Continuation Sheet
Building, Structure, and Ojbect Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record
Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record
Other:
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