Regents Park Princess Homes | 1955
44th Street and Calle Feliz
In collaboration with Ackerman & Rich Development, Ralph Haver took what he learned in the
Princess Homes of Northwood and applied them to this neighborhood on the eastern fringe of Arcadia.
"Luxurious Living in the Shadow of Camelback Mountain: At a Price you can Afford! The Location with a Future!" boasted vintage advertising. Redwood fencing, double-wide carports with entryway direct into the kitchen area, and free decorator service by Lou Regester Furniture were selling points. In 1955, homes started at $13,200 for roughly 1400 square feet. In 2020 the homes can fetch more than $600,000.
View more of this Princess home on our home tour in 2019 here.
A vertical six-paned floor-to-ceiling window wall is commonly found in the carport area, often with a door nearby. This feature was marketed as a "cathedral window". Like
Haver's Town and Country homes, the peak of the gable is not supported by a beam. In order to complete the remodel above, the contractor was required to install the new beam visible here.
Some of the end gables feature clerestory windows similar to those found in
Starlite Vista, only this time in more private areas of the home.
We're guessing that this louvered accessory is a window shade for the west-facing clerestories.
Celadon colored tile and porcelain are priceless features in any midcentury historic home.
This home on Calle Tuberia is famous for hosting
spectacular yet
controversial Christmas light displays. We're not certain where these other non-Princess model homes fit into the overall narrative. According to advertisements there were 18 plans to choose from, so perhaps these are examples of those not shown in the illustration. We do know that the second half of Regents Park, west across 44th Street, looks very little like this neighborhood.
These two homes on the eastern periphery are still within the boundaries of Regents Park, but are substantially larger and more custom. Their provenance is unknown.
Several alterations have eroded Regents Park's casual modern architecture. It's been said that you can transform a Haver Home into just about anything you want, as this case study aptly proves.