Lookout Cottage
In 1888, Peter Gano, a civil engineer and skilled craftsman from Pasadena, began constructing a stunning Queen Anne-style cottage on Avalon’s southern hillside, overlooking Avalon Bay. First called Lookout Cottage, the home is also known as the Holly Hill House.
Mr. Gano fell in love with the island while helping to establish its first fresh water system. Originally named “Lookout Cottage,” the home was built almost entirely by Gano himself. To discover who assisted him, look up to the weather vane atop the red cupola of the home—it’s shaped like a running horse.
The horse weather vane honors Mr. Gano’s assistant, Mercury, a large white horse retired from the circus due to poor eyesight. Mercury hauled lumber up the steep hill using a sturdy wagon and a pulley-and-slide system. The challenging two-year project was completed in 1890, and the Holly Hill House became one of Avalon’s oldest homes.
Mr. Gano enjoyed his Lookout Cottage into the 1920s. Due to his declining health, he sold the house in 1921 and returned to Pasadena, hopefully with Mercury.
The new owners renamed the home Holly Hill House because of the abundant holly plants on the hillside, but “Lookout Cot” remains above the entrance. In 1964, an electrical issue caused the cupola to burn down, though the rest of the home was unharmed. A subsequent owner restored the home in 1971, and on October 8, 1983, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Karen and Mark Engman purchased the home in 2011, becoming the properties fifth owners.The Engman's did a complete restoration, keeping all elements of historical significance. The Holly Hill House was featured on Open House TV in 2021, with Karen Engman offering a complete tour of the home.
