California note
Phillips Mansion keeps Pomona's Spadra story standing
Phillips Mansion sits in what used to be Spadra, giving Pomona a visible link to an older ranch, stage-road, and early-town layer.
Pomona has fairgrounds, colleges, freeways, and busy commercial streets. Phillips Mansion tells a quieter older story. It stands in what was once Spadra, a settlement in the Pomona Valley before modern Pomona filled in around it.
Louis and Esther Phillips lived in the mansion after it was completed in 1875. The house had touches that would have felt grand for the valley at the time. It had gas lighting, tall ceilings, thick walls, fireplaces, and cherry and maple woodwork. The original property was part of a much larger ranch.
The building has had a rough road. It was divided into apartments, later sat empty, and was damaged by earthquakes. The Historical Society of Pomona Valley bought it in 1966 to keep it from being torn down. Pomona also lists it among the city’s historic properties.
Older California is not always tucked into a pretty main street. Sometimes it is one old house along a busy road, holding onto the memory of a place name that mostly vanished from the map.
Where to see it
Phillips Mansion, 2640 Pomona Boulevard. Tours are limited, so check the historical society schedule first.
Sources
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Reviewed July 2, 2026
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