Pomona Court and Apartments

314-320 North Pomona and 200-204 East Whiting avenues, Fullerton, California

The bungalow court first appeared in Southern California in the city of Pasadena in 1909, and was a response to a tight housing market after the First World War. This low-density, multi-unit residential building type appeared throughout California, and became very popular in Hollywood as temporary housing for movie industry employees. 

The Pomona Court and Apartments were built in Fullerton in 1922-1923 by the Fullerton Improvement Company. The architect of the bungalow units, Frank Keith Benchley, was one of Orange County's earliest licensed architects. He designed them in the Craftsman style, very popular at the time. The U-shaped plan of the Pomona Court has four attached single-story units on each side, and a two-story, four-unit building at the far end. Typical of the type is the shared courtyard and garden at the center. According to Fullerton Heritage, Pomona Court is one of eight extant bungalow courts in Orange County. The Pomona Court and Apartments were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. 

Photo: Local History Room Fullerton Public Library