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Home Of Stuffing Visionary Mrs. Cubbison Could Become Historical Landmark
The Spanish Colonial Revival home once owned by Mrs. Cubbison—of turkey stuffing fame—may become a historical landmark.
The house in question is located at 3820 San Rafael Drive in Mt. Washington. Sophie Cubbison—creator of popular stuffing Mrs. Cubbison's Dressing—designed and built the home with her husband, Harry Cubbinson, in 1936, contracting John C. Davis for the build. She called the home Casa de Mi Sueño, which means "My Dream Home," and it's been nominated to become a historic landmark, Eastsider L.A. reports.
According to the application, Cubbison—who was a descendant of the Californian Ortega family from San Diego County—took her design inspiration from Mexican adobes she saw as a child.
The two-story home is unusual, with an asymmetrical design, custom tile flooring and circular fireplaces, the application states. Some original design features meant to resemble adobe homes were lost during remodels by subsequent owners. Remodels occurred in 2004 and 2008, which resulted in the loss of some of the original tile work in the kitchen, as well as changes to the roof. In 2012, the roof was replaced to match historic photos. (The photos above are from a 2012 real estate listing.) The home was also mentioned in David Gebhard and Robert Winter's Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles, according to Curbed LA.
Cubbison was best known as the creator of Mrs. Cubbison's Dressing, a popular stuffing that people still enjoy today, among other food products. Her cooking was influenced by her German father and her Mexican mother. She attended California Polytechnic University in SLO, majoring in home econ. She graduated in 1912, and married baker Harry Cubbison four years later. He founded his own cracker company, and Sophia invented a stuffing mix using the crumbs from a Melba toast the company sold. This became wildly popular, and Cubbison frequently appeared on TV to talk about cooking and baking.
After Harry's death, Cubbison sold the home and it changed hands several times. Cubbison moved to Lincoln Heights to be close to her bakery, eventually remarrying, though keeping her Cubbison name. She died in 1982 at the age of 92.
The City Planning Department recommended that the Cultural Heritage Commission consider the nomination, and the next hearing is slated for November 19 at 10 a.m. at City Hall.
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