A Live Tour of the Greene & Greene Designed Bungalow: The Thorsen House

by house resident Elias Myers

First published: August 28th, 2024

This live tour of a historic house was given during the 2024 Arts & Crafts In August Zoom schedule.

One of four “Ultimate Bungalows” designed by Greene & Greene, The Thorsen House was the historic home of William Randolph Thorsen and Caroline Canfield Thorsen (the younger sister of Nellie Canfield Blacker, owner of Pasadena’s Robert R. Blacker House) and now houses the Sigma Phi Society, who gives tours of the house. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a California State Historic Landmark. Featuring a dramatic brick wall, a double stairway, carefully-designed landscaping, hand-painted friezes, iridescent art-glass, and exotic woods, the Thorsen House is a fitting tribute to the Greene and Greene Architectural legacy. The live tour was given by resident Elias Myers.