Power station that once sent tourists to the top of the Altadena mountains by train & funicular; now a Mennonite thrift shop.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 9, 1977

Built in 1905, this impressive brick building once housed the transformers that powered the interurban and trolley cars for Pasadena. It also provided power for the Mount Lowe Railway, the scenic mountain railroad that brought tourists up into the mountains above Altadena from 1893 – 1938.

+Read about the history of the Mount Lowe Railway @ LAist

+See stomach-churning vintage photos of Mount Lowe Railway @ waterandpower.org

For the last couple decades, the building has been used by various businesses; it’s currently a non-profit thrift store run by the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference. But it has retained so much of its physical integrity and charm, with all the exposed roofing/beams and brickwork. There are even traces of its original function in stenciled letters on the ceilings, marking the location of the original disconnecting switches for various trolleys.

PS: the videos in this post feature the Etan Does LA debut of my dad, Ben Rosenbloom!

Recommended Reading

+Pacific Electric Substation No. 8 @ NRHP website

+Read about the Pacific Electric Pasadena Local Lines @ Electric Railway Historical Association website