THE HOLT HOUSE

Clare Van Loon

COMMANDING A VIEW OF OLIVE AVENUE AND ALVARADO STREET, THE HOLT HOUSE HAS STOOD BOTH AS A MONUMENT TO THE IDEAL OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, AND AS A HALLMARK OF THE UNIQUE ARCHITECTURES THAT HAVE CHARACTERIZED REDLANDS EVER SINCE THE CITY’S INCEPTION.

 

 Remarkable edifice, which literally defies description, the house was built in 1903 by William F. Holt, the Missouri millionaire and visionary who also left his mark on much of the Imperial Valley.

 Born on a farm in Mercer County, Missouri, in 1864, Holt decided to strike out on his own at the age of 21, the same year he married Fannie Jones. Thirty-six years later, he sold his banking concerns in Missouri and Arizona and headed for Redlands.

 Once in Southern California, he applied his considerable business acumen to numerous enterprises. He began building the first railroad to the Imperial Valley, spurring the Southern Pacific Railroad to follow suit not long after. He also put together a telephone company and oversaw the completion of a telephone system throughout the Imperial Valley. He founded the towns of Holt, Brawley, and El Centro and established electric, gas and power companies in the Imperial Valley.

 Like the man who built it, the Holt House expresses its energy in many directions. Documents in the Smiley Library’s Heritage Room style the house as “a unique Moorish design with decorative stucco columns and arches.” The Redlands Area Historical Society, in 1978, noted “art nouveau lines throughout the house.” The City of Redlands website compares it with another noted Redlands residence: “The Holt House and the Burrage Mansion are fine examples of Mission Revival, a style that may be better represented in Redlands than any other city in Southern California.”

 Although much has changed over the years, several original features continue to grace the house. A porte-cochere, once used by guests arriving in carriages, still faces Alvarado Street. Much of the house’s hand-carved golden oak woodwork remains intact. Most unusual of all, the full-length basement boasts a bowling alley.

 The alley, a Brunswick Balke Collender, patented sometime around 1900, is a full sized, one lane affair made of maple. Former house owner Bill Crook (who during his tenure owned the original balls and pins) had the alley refinished; after that, he would not let anyone use it. The current owners of the house, who bought it fourteen years ago, do not use the bowling alley either. Possibly the time the lane saw its highest use was in Holt’s day, when he entertained other businessmen and potential investors.

 In spite of the many styles the Holt House reflects and the eclectic features it displays, the house was built by Holt for his wife, Fanny. He called it “Fanny’s dream house.” The home is clearly a labor of love and of enterprise, and embodies the American spirit from which Redlands emerged. It stands as a monument to all that is beautiful and unique about our fair city.