13634 Mar Vista was originally owned by Hiram Gibbs, the brother-in-law of Aquila Pickering. Pickering was noted for his founding of the Pickering Land and Water Company in 1887 in an effort to establish a “Quaker Colony.”
The main residence served as a refuge for early Quaker settlers migrating to the Whittier area in the late 1800’s. It was here that Whittier Williams was born within the on-site barn (now converted to a guest house) on January 10, 1888. The structure is therefore regarded as the first known birthplace of a “Whittier Quaker” in what would become the City of Whittier in 1898.
The main residence was also the center of a large property that would have been associated with one of the early Whittier farms/ranches in the community.
Shortly before 1900, a North Carolinian Quaker, Dr. Quincy Adams Rollin Holton, purchased the home and lived there for over forty years. In 1945, Albert and Marjorie Haendiges purchased the property from the estate of Charlie Holton. The Haendiges family subsequently lived in the home for over 60 years. This property has become known as the Holton-Haendiges Residence and Barn/Guest House.
Over the years, the main residence and converted barn have become distinctive visual features not only within their immediate neighborhood, but within the City of Whittier, as they are two of the oldest remaining buildings within the community that have not been moved since their original construction in the late 1880’s.
Local designation date is September 13, 2005
SOURCES: The information above has been obtained from the original local designation documents and edits from the Whittier Historic Neighborhood Association. It may also include ongoing current ownership input.