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Come along, Jo-Jo. It's time to take a few visitors on the tour.
Return with us now to those enchanted days of yesteryear.....
The Busch estate was located on Pasadena's famous Orange Grove Boulevard.
The fountain at the base of the hut still operates 97 years later.
Mr. Adolphus Busch contemplates his masterpiece of tranquility.
The Old Mill may be viewed from N.E. corner of Stoneridge Dr. & Madeline Dr.
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In the early part of the twentieth century (about 1905), ADOLPHUS BUSCH (yes, the original name on the ANHEUSER-BUSCH beer
bottles) lived on a spacious estate in PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.
His home was spectacular, overlooking the floor of a very special canyon, the ARROYO SECO. The entire property was a large
tract of land that bordered Bellefontaine St. on the northern end to Madeline Dr. on the southern end. The Arroyo Seco lies
west of S. Arroyo Blvd. The Old Mill (star on the map) may still be viewed near the gate at 485 Madeline Drive.
Mr. Busch had an idea to beautify his estate which consisted of a large section of the ARROYO. He constructed some of the
most beautiful gardens ever seen in California.
When offered to the City for use as a public park in 1938, the Busch family's offer was turned down by Pasadena's Board of
Directors. The entire Busch Gardens acreage was then turned over to developers to build private homes. So, unfortunately,
most of what you are seeing does not exist today, but restoring the beauty of the past is now in process in the lower Arroyo
Seco.
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Here is the present day view of the original Old Mill, now a private residence. Built originally as a playhouse for his daughter,
the OLD MILL is a replica of an image from a GRIMM's Fairy Tale, "She Rode a Cockhorse to Banbury Cross" which Mr. Busch had
seen as a child in the care of his British 'nanny'.
Today, the waterwheel needs repairs but everything else is all that a storybook residence should be, complete with the original
stone walkways, terraced gardens and several images of the seven dwarfs peeking out from the foliage.
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Please remember, this is the original Busch Gardens. It is the predecessor to present day Busch Gardens properties in Tampa,
Florida and Williamsburg, Virginia. "The Adventures of Robin Hood" the 1938 movie, starring Errol Flynn portraying Robin Hood
was filmed here in Pasadena's Original Busch Gardens. Nearby, in 1770, Father Crespi held the first Easter Sunrise Service
in the Arroyo Seco under a beautiful oak tree known as the Cathedral Oak. More of the historic ARROYO SECO may be seen by
clicking on the link above, "MORE ARROYO IMAGES".
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The property was quite special in its day. Many years later, a commercial location was constructed in Van Nuys CA right next
to the Anheuser-Busch brewery. It was a major tourist attraction, complete with an aviary, boat rides, free beer and a monorail
tour of the brewery facility. The above image is a recreation of the Anheuser-Busch logo first appearing in a floral display
in the 1904 Busch Gardens in Pasadena. It has been recently re-constructed at Busch Gardens, Tampa Florida. Its creator Mr.
Joe Parr, Landscape Superintendent at Tampa's Busch Gardens, designed it from an image on a vintage postcard circa 1904 as
seen above. An adjacent placard indicates its origin as "Pasadena California".
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Pictured above is the dramatic GRECIAN PERGOLA, located just north of the entrance to the lower Busch Gardens. Still existing
today, the columns and rooftop have been integrated into a spectacular patio of a private home which was designed to blend
the pergola into its architecture. In its original park setting, the Grecian Pergola was one of many outstanding structures.
Another great parksite, equally famous, is Flushing Meadows (NY), the location of The New York World's Fair 1964-1965. Details
of the historic archives of The Fair are now available to the general public after 38 years since The Fair opened, April 22,
1964. Click on the center link above for an unforgettable journey back to The Fair!
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The extraordinary "RUSTIC BRIDGE" and stone grotto shown above, is still in perfect condition and is maintained by private
property owners at Busch Garden Lane, Pasadena. To learn more about this hisoric district, click on the link to "More Arroyo
Images" above. You'll be transported to images and descriptions of the Arroyo Seco, Colorado Street Bridge and many photos
of the Arroyo Seco region, then and now. In addition, you'll see restorations of many Arroyo treasures now in process by a
small volunteer group, "THE ARROYO BRIGADE".
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The above photo clearly shows an amazing architectural masterpiece. Now part of a private residence, the Grecian Pergola
was located near the main entrance to the lower Bush Gardens. In 1953, a modern home was built on the site where the Pergola
was located. It was built with the intention to preserve the original structure and integrate it into a cleverly designed
outdoor patio as part of the new house.
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The original RUSTIC BRIDGE, grotto, stairways and exotic foliage exists today as part
of a private home. Careful maintenance over the years has preserved its original appearance as seen by visitors to Busch Gardens
at the turn of the century. It is located in the Busch Gardens area known as the "lower gardens". In the image above, South
Pasadena Mayor Dorothy Cohen visits the RUSTIC BRIDGE on a guided tour of the area. More of the original photos of this magical
place will appear here in the future. The preservation of records of Pasadena's historic past is an ongoing effort by members
of the PASADENA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, one of our city's most effective volunteer organizations. To learn more, click on the
link above: "FENYES MANSION". A new CD-ROM depicting images of The Original Busch Gardens is now available. It is derived
from several personal collections owned by Pasadena residents depicting early 20th Century postcards and photos of the Original
Busch Gardens. In addition, recent restoration photos, discovery of stone walkways and staircases and historic photos dating
to 1904 make up a total of 554 high resolution images. A copy is available for $11.00, including postage and handling.
All proceeds will be donated to the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Arroyo Brigade to continue preservation efforts in the
Lower Arroyo Seco. Check, money order or PayPal are all acceptable for your payment. =====> Ray Dashner 866 S. Arroyo Blvd.,
Pasadena, CA 91105
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draydar@earthlink.net
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