Harry Jang, AIA, Residence (1963)

I was finally able to see this residence after admiring it from the street over the last ten years during walks with my family and dog. It's a fantastic home and is now for sale. It's located on a gentle hill in South Land Park Terrace.

I once shared a van ride to the airport with Mr. Jang's widow - she noticed my home was close to her old home and we both requested we take a little detour and drive past it. She wistfully said "My husband designed this home" as we admired it from the outside.

Built in 1963, this home takes full advantage of the hillside upon which it is built. The lower part of the home has an amazing cinder block carport, a backyard, and a separate in-law quarter (which I would use as a game room).

Inside, there are tons of original details (cabinetry hardware, hanging glass pendants, wood paneling, and built-ins) that have remained. These are exactly the sort of thing that I look for when I purchase an MCM home. I prefer original, untouched homes; when "updates" occur, these details are lost.

Harry Jang was a Sacramento architect born in nearby Courtland. He received a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley in 1949 and became an architect in 1956. Per his obituary in the Sacramento Bee,

"One of 12 children of Louise Jo and Choy Jang, he was a 1939 graduate of Courtland High School who attended Sacramento Junior College before being drafted into the Army on the eve of World War II.

He switched to the Army Air Forces, was trained as a navigator, became a first lieutenant and was assigned to the 306th Bomb Group. As a crew member on B-17s, he survived 35 combat missions over Europe. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross. He worked as an architect for the state Department of Rehabilitation."

I would buy this home in a heartbeat if I didn't already have two local MCM homes already! Someone is going to get an awesome home. Please, oh please: don't let it be a flipper who messes it up!

For more information and pix, please see this detail report and the MLS listing.