Visitors of last spring’s Pasadena Showcase House of Design will recognize the Bauer Estate and Gardens. This 1928 Monterey Colonial-style mansion and carriage house on 5 acres belonged to the late TV writer Stephen J. Cannell.
Now, it’s on the market for $22 million.
If the property meets the asking price, it could surpass the City of Roses’ most expensive home ever sold. That 1928 mansion on the western ridge of the Arroyo Seco, famously featured in the 1960s “Batman” TV series and a 1997 Showcase House, sold off-market in July for $20.5 million.
The Bauer Estate is just east of that property, halfway between Caltech and Lacy Park.
Records show Cannell and his wife, Marcia, bought it in 1988 for an undisclosed amount, making them only the second owners.
In 1990, the couple expanded the residence to its current size. It now spans 15,553 square feet and has five bedrooms,13 bathrooms and 10 wood-burning fireplaces.
The property has since been renovated thanks to its closeup as the 60th Showcase House.
Designers descended on the property to reimagine its interiors and grounds, while preserving the estate’s early 20th-century grandeur as envisioned by architect Reginald D. Johnson.
Johnson and Peter Hall, who worked on the Gamble House, designed and built the property for Harry and Alice Bauer. Harry Bauer was the CEO of Southern California Edison, and his wife served on the board of the Los Angeles County Arboretum.
The Bauers turned the acres that surround their home over to Katherine Bashford, a pioneering female landscape architect, to cultivate.
Together, the home and its setting have been designated by the city a contributor to its Historic Designed Gardens study and its proposed historic district within the National Register of Historic Places.
A walk through the park-like grounds today reveals expansive lawns, paths through mature oak trees, tropical plantings, rose gardens, vegetable gardens, Mediterranean terraces and water features.
The main terrace overlooks the original Venetian-style pool, spa (added in the 1980s) and the pool house, which has changing areas, while a canopy of trees frames the north-south tennis court and tennis court pavilion below.
Approaching the estate is just as grand. A sweeping circular drive leads to a concealed motor court with garage space for 10 cars. The carriage house features a living area, a kitchenette and an upstairs bedroom and bathroom.
At the main home’s entrance, a garden features a fountain and symmetrical plantings.
The main house opens into the soaring entry hall anchored by a sweeping staircase and offers a glimpse of the hand-painted scenic mural in the upstairs gallery hall.
At the heart of the home is the kitchen, which boasts top-of-the-line appliances, custom-paneled units and two islands. One offers workspace and storage, while the other provides seating in addition to the adjoining breakfast nook.
The kitchen opens to the family room, anchored by a brick fireplace flanked by bookcases. There’s also a butler’s pantry with 1920s-era countertops and updated original cabinetry.
Highlights of the primary suite include pass-through bookcases, separating the bedroom from the sitting area directly accessible to the terrace. A remodeled bathroom and walk-in closet add to the revamped suite.
Other standouts include a formal dining room, a bar, a library and a large step-down living room. Office space includes a “Gentleman’s Study” that Carmine Sabatella of South Pasadena-based Carmine’s Design and Decor based on Cannell’s life’s work.
Cannell was a writer, creator and producer of more than 50 television series, many of them crime dramas such as “The Rockford Files,” “The A-Team” and “21 Jump Street.”
Later in his career, he shifted to crime novels.
Cannell died in October 2010 at 69 and was followed in 2024 by his widow.
Ted Clark and Heather Lillard of Compass share the listing.
This is the prolific writer’s second home to hit the market this year. Over the summer, Cannell’s Laguna Beach home listed and sold for $20 million.