The Villa del Sol d'Oro in Sierra Madre, California was built in 1928 as the home of Dr. Barlow and his family. Dr. Barlow hired architect Wallace Neff to design a two-thirds scale replica of an Italian villa. In recent years, the Villa has hosted many community events and weddings. Regular maintenance keeps the historic Villa in good condition.

1. Friends of the VillaFriends of the Villa
A PUBLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY

2. In the Beginning...
Above: Dr. Barlow with his dog
standing at the front door of the
Villa in the 1920s.
Below: The Villa del Sol d’Oro
in the late 1920s after
construction was completed.
When the Barlows moved to Sierra Madre in 1924, they
purchased the 13-acre property at 675 Highland Avenue from a widow who
had owned the property for almost 20 years. The Barlow family lived in a
large wooden house which stood next to the area where the tennis courts
used to be. When asked about it, Mrs. Barlow said: “It was a lovely old house
surrounded by a porch on the second f loor. We loved it there, but the servant
quarters were not adequate so we built the present building.”
Dr. Barlow hired Wallace Neff, a
well-known architect in the city of Los
Angeles to design his dream house on the
property.
Mr. and Mrs. Barlow and their
three children lived in the existing wooden
house until the Villa del Sol d’ Oro was
completed in 1928.

3. Couples Say “I Do”Couples Say “I Do”
WEDDING MOMENTS CAPTURED IN THE VILLAWEDDING MOMENTS CAPTURED IN THE VILLA
celebrating such an important moment with our closest family and
friends in the historic Villa where I shared great high school
memories,” said Monica. “Our guests were in awe of the Villa and
commented that they felt like they were in Italy.”
The Villa del Sol d’ Oro in
Sierra Madre is the perfect setting
for weddings and receptions. In the
year of 2014, the Villa was the
location for 29 weddings. Alumnae
are encouraged to return to Alverno
for their weddings with an incentive
of receiving a discount on the
booking fee. Monica Flores Roman
’99, and current member of Alverno’s
Board of Trustees, and her new
husband Ric Roman celebrated their
wedding day in the Villa on May 24,
2014. The happy couple enjoyed
holding their reception in the Villa at
Alverno. “As an alumna and Board
member of Alverno High School, it
was an unforgettable experience

4. Keeping the Villa Beautiful
Regularly scheduled maintenance keeps the Villa del Sol d’ Oro
in working condition and looking beautiful.
In 2014, the Villa was the location of a major filming project
where the entire first floor was re-painted with the exception of the round
hall. The kitchen received a facelift as well. “They installed faux cabinets
making it look much warmer than it did,” said Cindy McLoughlin,
Facilities Manager at Alverno. Another enhancement included as part of
the filming project was the addition of gravel at the bottom of the stairs
off of the terrace to the south of the Villa. The new gravel walkway is a
popular location for many couples taking pictures at their weddings.
In 2013 the flagstone walkway was replaced in the enclosed
north lawn. “It was very uneven and loose and the new walkway adds to
the beauty of that area,” said Ms. McLoughlin.
In 2012 the awning was replaced outside the service porch and
back door to the northeast of the Villa. Wistaria is now growing over the
awning and looks beautiful. “With the world’s largest Wistaria vine
growing in our city, we thought it would be a nice addition to the beauty
and significance of the Villa as a historical landmark,” said Ms.
McLoughlin.
In addition to these improvements, ongoing regular maintenance
includes having the floors waxed, the windows cleaned, and the furnac-
es serviced.

5. Villa del Sol d’ Oro
COMMUNITY EVENTS
The Villa del Sol d’ Oro is the location for many events in the
community every year. With a capacity of 300 people, the Villa is a
preferred location for many organizations in the area. Annually,
Alverno High School invites a number of groups to use the Villa for
their events free of charge.
The “Friends of the Sierra Madre Library” in the City of Sierra
Madre celebrates their annual wine tasting event in the Villa with
approximately 300 people from the Sierra Madre community in
attendance. Their most recent event was held on Friday, February 20,
2015. “I have been attending the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library’s
Wine Tasting event at the Villa for more than 20 consecutive years,”
said Sue Behrens ‘78, Administrative Assistant to the Head of School
at Alverno High School. “The first year I went, I was so excited to be
able to explore the many rooms I never had access to when I was a
student at Alverno in the 70’s!”
The Villa is also the location of events for people in
surrounding communities, including Immaculate Heart High School in
Los Angeles which recently held their Father/Daughter picnic in and
around the Villa.
Above: Pictures courtesy of the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library

6. Fun Fact # 1
Did you know that the Villa
del Sol d’ Oro is a two-thirds
scale replica of the Villa
Collazzi near Florence, Italy
rumored to have been
designed by Michelangelo?
Did You Know?
Fun Facts About the Villa
Fun Fact # 2
Did you know that
Pasadena architect Wallace Neff,
who designed the Villa del Sol d’
Oro, was the grandson of printing
tycoon Andrew McNally of the
Rand-McNally Corporation?
Fun Fact # 3
Did you know that Dr. Barlow
and his wife Marion Brooks
Barlow moved to California from
New York in 1895 after Dr. Barlow
contracted tuberculosis? It was
believed that the sunny climate
would help alleviate the
effects of the disease. Fun Fact # 4
Did you know that the
13-acre property where the
Villa del Sol d’ Oro now sits was
once an orange orchard?

7. friends of the villa
Membership Circle
Please consider joining the “Friends of the Villa” Membership Circle.
Your membership will help establish an ongoing fund dedicated to
the restoration and maintenance of this cherished historical landmark.
Your membership includes gratis tickets to “Friends of the Villa”
events, “Friends of the Villa” newsletter, and prominent
acknowledgement in the Villa.
Suggested one-time minimum donation of $100.00.
If you are interested in joining “Friends of the Villa”, please
contact Wendy Finch-Burk in the Development Office at
wfinch@alverno-hs.org or at (626) 355-3463 ext. 227.

8. Photos courtesy of Capra Photography and Alverno High School
Alverno High School