Crank House
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Fair Oaks Ranch House
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| Location | 2186 Crary St. Altadena, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°10′21″N 118°06′20″W / 34.17250°N 118.10556°WCoordinates: 34°10′21″N 118°06′20″W / 34.17250°N 118.10556°W |
| Built | 1882 |
| Architectural style | Victorian architecture |
| NRHP Reference # | 97000751 |
| Added to NRHP | July 23, 1997 |
Crank House, also known as Fair Oaks Ranch, is an 1882 Victorian style residence in Altadena, Los Angeles County, California. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 for its association with the early settlement of Altadena. (site #97000751). The house has notably featured in films such as Matilda (film) (Trunchbull's House), Scream 2 (Omega Beta Zeta Sorority House) and Catch Me If You Can (Roger Strong's House).
The Crank House sits on land, the Fair Oaks Ranch, once owned by Eliza Griffin Johnston, the widow of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston. Following the death of her husband at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, Eliza and her children came to Southern California at the urging of her brother, Dr. John S. Griffin. Griffin had large land holdings in the Los Angeles area and was a business partner of Benjamin D. Wilson in Rancho San Pascual. Wilson was a local land speculator, politician, and also the maternal grandfather of General George S. Patton. Dr. Griffin sold Eliza Griffin Johnston the property for $1,000.
Eliza Griffin Johnston named her ranch "Fair Oaks", after her native city in Virginia and also for the stands of Coast live oaks—Quercus agrifloia in the area. When Eliza's son, Albert II, was killed in a steamship boiler explosion at Wilmington, California in 1864, she left California and returned to Virginia.
The ranch was taken over by Benjamin Eaton, father of Frederick Eaton. Benjamin Eaton subdivided the ranch. The southern portion was bought by the Ellises.
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