This beautiful home has been under renovation for quite some time now, so I have eagerly been waiting to see it. I would have given 5 stars had the docents been more informative about the history of the home and had more stories to share.
The Hargitt House was built in 1891 by the D.D. Johnston family, shortly after, D.D's daughter Cora would marry Charles Frederick Hargitt. The two-story shiplap building is built of Redwood shipped from Northern California, floated ashore at Seal Beach and then hauled north along what is today Norwalk Boulevard. This home is an Eastlake Victorian style home with crossed gables.
The exterior design has not been changed from the original. The front and side bay gables are covered in "fish scale" shingles and ornamented with decorative scrollwork. The bay windows and two-story entrance porch are ornamented with spindle and bracket work. One of the original stained glass windows still remains as well as the original etched and stained glass work at the front door.
The semi-attached water tower has not been altered and still retains its original pipes. The stairs at the rear of the water tower building were added in 1930. read more