An Arts and Crafts-style home for a family of craftsmen
By Carolyn Whetzel
“There is something special about any house that is lived in over a long period by a single family,” former Redlands newspaper owner and publisher Frank E. Moore wrote in one of his “With a Grain of Salt” columns.
That 1983 column traced the history of the two-story Craftsman-style bungalow that has been home to the Hardy clan for more than 80 years.
Clarence W. Hardy, who taught industrial arts at Redlands High School for over 40 years and his wife Alice acquired the house in 1939 from her uncle, William Thomas Bill, founder of Redlands Federal Bank and co-founder of Mutual Orange Distributors.
Interior of the Hardy home
Now home to Bill and Sue Hardy, the house is one of four featured on the Redlands YMCA’s first “virtual” Holiday Home Tour, Dec. 5 and Dec. 6.
Built in 1910, the house’s exterior and interior architectural details mirror those of homes built during the Arts and Crafts era. There’s the low-pitched roof with triple gables, painted wood shingles, stone foundation and front porch with stone piers. The wide glass-paneled front door opens to the public spaces, featuring oak trimmed doorways, beamed ceilings, oak floors, a large fireplace with tile surround and several stained-glass windows. Light fixtures and hardware throughout are original to the home. And there is an elevator.
Bill and Sue bought the property from the Clarence and Alice Hardy estate of Bill’s grandparents in 1981.
Since then, the couple has fully restored the home, improved the landscaping, remodeled the kitchen twice — most recently in 2006 — and added a family room and master suite in 1991. All changes maintain the period details of the house.
The Hardys furnishings include several Stickley pieces and citrus-themed art. Bill followed in his father’s footsteps as manager of the Redlands Foothill Groves Packinghouse and owned a company that exported citrus and other fresh produce to Asian markets.
Bill’s father crafted the grandfather clock in the family room, one of five he made for family members as Christmas gifts. He also crafted the collection of miniature wood clocks on display in the living room. Sue’s dad created the miniature wood model of the house.
Bill’s craftsman skills are found throughout, such as the wood trimming around the family room windows. Then there are the unique boxes he crafts from homegrown fruits and vegetables.
“This is a craftsman family,” Sue said.
In all there are three bedrooms, two and a quarter baths, but only the public spaces of the home will be on view.
In 1987, the Redlands City Council designated the Hardy home a historic resource. The Redlands Area Historical Society named it a Heritage home in 1988.
The Hardy home tour is sponsored by Lynn Whitmer and Shirley Harry, Century 21 Lois Lauer Realty, and Burgeson's Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.
53rd annual YMCA Home Tour
When: Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6
Home tour tickets: $20 in advance and $25 after Nov. 30. Tickets are on sale now at ymcahometour.org.
41st annual boutique: The Redlands Y’s Holiday Boutique features more than 40 vendors offering curated handcrafted creations. This year, with many returning past participants, the boutique will showcase 40 plus vendors. A preview is available on Facebook @RedlandsHolidayBoutique. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Y gymnasium.
The pantry: Will not be held this year.
Legal Aid Clinic: To donate to the YMCA’s Legal Aid Clinic, the beneficiary of these events, visit ymcahometour.org or text HomeTour to 91999.
For more information: Visit ymcahometour.org or call the Redlands Y (909) 798-9622.