Introduction

The Western Justice Center Foundation Campus is located in four historic bungalows.
Built during 1925-1935 in Mediterranean Revival styles architecture, the site originally
formed part of the grounds of the Vista del Arroyo Hotel, a luxury resort that flourished
in Pasadena during the early 20th century. The hotel fell victim to the Great Depression
and, as it faced bankruptcy, was taken over by the U.S. Government in 1943 for use as an
army hospital treating injured soldiers returning from the Pacific war front. In 1949, the
General Services Administration took over, and then came abandonment and years of
neglect until the late 70's when the distinguished Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for
the Ninth Circuit requested transformation of the hotel into a new courthouse. The tower
was restored in 1985 as a courthouse for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Judicial
Circuit.  WJCF joined with the City of Pasadena to acquire four of the bungalows and

raised $500,000. The City of Pasadena purchased the site and structures

from the federal General Services Administration (GSA) and leased them to WJCF on a

long-term basis for charitable purposes related to conflict resolution, law and justice. 

The Center's four buildings, modestly called bungalows, range in size from 3,000 to
13,000 square feet. They were designed by the noted architectural firm of Marston and
Maybury. The Center has undertaken a multi-million dollar capital campaign to restore
these buildings with great attention to historic detail. This campus-like complex
constitutes a Western landmark that is listed in the National Registry of Historic
Places.