To spot the Hulett C. Merritt mansion, just look ahead for a grand estate set behind a lush, colorful sunken garden bursting with flowers, hedges, and a central reflecting pool surrounded by greenery and stone steps.
Now, as you stand in front of this magnificent spot, take a deep breath-the air here carries whispers of money, mystery, and a dash of good old Pasadena drama. Imagine it’s the early 1900s: Pasadena’s Millionaires’ Row is in its heyday, and you’d need an invitation-or a large bank account-to even set foot near this four-acre kingdom. This was Villa Merritt Ollivier, home to the iron ore tycoon Hulett C. Merritt himself. Now, Hulett wasn’t just rich-he was head-of-US-Steel, buried-in-cash rich. And he wanted his mansion to show it, building this 17,000 square foot palace for over a million dollars. If you listen closely, you might almost hear the clinking of champagne glasses at one of his legendary soirées.
The Merritt estate became TV famous too, starring in the flashy opening scenes of “The Millionaire” back in the 1950s. A perfect fit, right? After Hulett’s death, the mansion got new life as “Ambassador Hall,” when it was enveloped by Ambassador College. They even closed off part of the street and built modernist classroom wings, which must have made the stately old home feel like the oldest kid at a college reunion.
Picture strolling through the sunken gardens-lush lawns, endless flowerbeds, and the soft crunch of gravel underfoot. Decades later, the college closed, the modern wings vanished, and the mansion waited in silence, a little lonely, until it was offered to new owners in 2015. Millionaires’ Row has quieted now, but the Merritt mansion-whether an event hall or a hidden refuge-still keeps its air of secrets and sunlight, just waiting for someone to step into its story.
