A 1910 residence saved from demolition becomes a symbol of post-fire community resilience

A 1910 Craftsman-style home that survived demolition twice now represents Altadena’s post-fire recovery. The Duntley-Blackburn Residence, originally built for realtor G.M. Duntley, was recently relocated to a fire-ravaged plot in Altadena as part of an ambitious historic preservation initiative, eight decades after its first life-saving move.

The home’s remarkable journey will be explored Friday, January 30 at seven p.m. at Altadena Main Library. Architectural historian Graham Larkin will speak on “Itinerant Craftsman: Lessons from the Duntley-Blackburn Residence” as part of the monthly Altadena Revealed Lecture Series.

The house’s earlier relocation became the stuff of Hollywood legend. In 1948, owner Alice Blackburn threw a party inside the home as it was being moved three miles from East Hollywood to Los Feliz to make way for the Hollywood Freeway. The guest list included celebrities Doris Day, Betty Hutton and Dorothy Lamour, who danced and drank inside by candlelight. Life magazine covered the event. When asked by Life magazine about the move, Blackburn said: “The view is nicer here. And anyway it was a very nice party.”

Interior designer Gwen Sukeena and mechanical engineer Jacques Laramee, who lost their home in Altadena in the Eaton Fire, are the recipients of the relocated residence. The couple moved to Altadena shortly before the fire. “It’s a little overwhelming right now. We’re very excited, but it’s been a long road to get here,” Sukeena said.

The relocation project, led by Omgivning Architecture & Interiors, has relocated multiple historic homes with many people on the interest list. The lecture explores that reviving building relocation at scale requires revised historic ordinances and streamlined permitting.

Altadena Revealed Lecture Series — Itinerant Craftsman: Lessons from the Duntley-Blackburn Residence will run on Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. Altadena Main Library, 600 E. Mariposa St., Altadena. For more information, call (626) 798-0833 or visit https://www.altadenalibrary.org/programs?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D194914346.