Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals
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Vista del Arroyo Hotel and Bungalows
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Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals, June 2010
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| Location | 125 S. Grand Ave., Pasadena, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°8′39″N 118°9′43″W / 34.14417°N 118.16194°WCoordinates: 34°8′39″N 118°9′43″W / 34.14417°N 118.16194°W |
| Area | 13 acres (5.3 ha) |
| Built | 1920 |
| Architect | Marston & Van Pelt,et al. |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 81000157 |
| Added to NRHP | April 02, 1981 |
The Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals is an historic building originally constructed as a Spanish Colonial Revival style resort known as the Vista del Arroyo Hotel and Bungalows located at Pasadena in Los Angeles County, California. During World War II, it served as the McCornack General Hospital, and was thereafter in use as a general-purpose federal government building for several decades. It now serves as a courthouse of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Set on the crest of a steep hill overlooking the Arroyo Seco River, the Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals Building towers over its setting and dominates the view from across the Arroyo. Originally built as a hotel during the late stages of Pasadena's great resort hotel age, the main building was constructed in two sections—the two-story north wing, in 1920, and the six-story bell tower with flanking wings, in 1930.
The site's resort history dates to 1882, when Emma C. Bangs opened the original La Vista del Arroyo Hotel, a two-story, wood-frame building, and series of small cottages. In 1919, hotel tycoon Daniel M. Linnard, associated with such elegant Pasadena hotels as the Huntington and Green, purchased La Vista del Arroyo with the vision of developing the property into an opulent resort. Linnard commissioned the noted architectural firm of Marston & Van Pelt to design a large, two-story Spanish Colonial Revival hotel to replace the original structure. Once the popularity of the Vista had been established, select guests also built bungalows on the property.
In 1926, Linnard sold the resort to former business partner H.O. Comstock. Comstock hired architect George H. Wiemeyer to redesign the hotel and add a grand six-story addition that consisted of a central bell tower and flanking wings set at an angle. The new Vista opened in 1931 with iridescent color, entertainment, and social gaiety. In 1936, Linnard repurchased the property and hired landscape architect Verner S. Anderson to improve the hotel's grounds by designing formal gardens and adding fountains, tennis courts, and a swimming pool.
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