El Chaparral By Christina Surrano Photographs by Mike Baxter, Baxter Imaging Tucked behind Lafayette Boulevard, the Burgess Lateral irrigation ditch and towering oleander hedges lays a hidden touchstone of beautifully preserved Arcadia heritage. El Chaparral, one of the early Arcadia rural estate homes, sprung from the enchanted hearts of John J. (Jack) and Henrietta Louis after a visit by train from Chicago to the newly opened Camelback Inn in 1936. Three months later, Mr. and Mrs. Louis bought two adjoining 12-acre lots, for what their granddaughter discovered to be about $40,000, and commissioned the very same architect responsible for the charming Camelback Inn to design their 5,635 square-foot winter residence. At that time, resorts were springing up around the valley, attracting affluent families seeking sunshine and respite from dreary winters. The large Arcadia citrus farms were being parceled off and sold, creating opportunities for the well off to have quaint farmsteads on which to enjoy rural life and entertain. The name El Chaparral, and the roadrunner logo that accompanies it, may have been inspired by Henrietta Louis’ nickname, “Hen,” by her close family and friends. A chaparral hen is another name for a roadrunner. Mr. and Mrs. Louis spent their winters at El Chaparral with their three children who attended the Judson School during those months. The towering and dramatic eucalyptus trees that line Arcadia Drive, just south of Lafayette, were planted by Mr. Louis with the help of his son, Herbert. El Chaparral has been home to the Louis’ granddaughter, Carrie Louis Hulburd, and her husband Jon and their five children since 1991. Jon recalls how they came to be there. “We had just moved out from Manhattan, where I was a lawyer, to a cute little house in Continued on page 12

Two pigs, Hamlet and Kirby, roam the grounds of the Hulburd's property.