The Glendale Historical Society’s 2013 Home Tour, to be held Sunday, Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature five distinctive pre-1920s houses located in one of Glendale’s earliest and most architecturally diverse neighborhoods: Casa Verdugo.

One of the highlights of this year’s tour is a 1907 Mission Revival house designed by noted Los Angeles architect Charles E. Shattuck that was home to the famous Casa Verdugo restaurant. In later years, it was the residence of author Johnston McCulley, creator of Zorro.

The other homes on the tour include a circa 1906 Neo-Classical Revival and a 1911 Craftsman, a 1915 Craftsman and a 1917 Craftsman.

The 2013 Home Tour is sponsored by G&C Properties, The Spot Gourmet and The Walt Disney Company.

In the early decades of the 20th century, the Casa Verdugo restaurant was a must-see destination for Los Angeles residents and tourists alike. Situated at the foot of the Verdugo Mountains and surrounded by citrus and pepper trees, the restaurant offered guests a taste of the romanticized Old California of Spanish colonial days.

Operated by Piedad Yorba Sowl and her husband Charles, the Casa Verdugo restaurant was established in 1905 in an old adobe near the northern terminus of the Red Car line at the top of Brand Boulevard in Glendale. In 1910, the restaurant moved to a location nearby (the house featured in this year’s tour) where guests enjoyed tamale and enchilada dishes and were entertained with traditional Spanish songs and dances.

Four other fine examples of pre-1920 Glendale homes will be featured on the tour, and all are in walking distance of one another.

In addition to touring the homes, guests will be invited to relive the Casa Verdugo restaurant’s al fresco dining experience on the broad verandas that wrap the exterior of the house and in the backyard. The Border Grill Truck will be present throughout the day serving a taco lunch for $12 (beverage included).

Advance tickets (through Sept. 24) are $22 for TGHS members and $32 for the general public. After Sept. 24, tickets are $27 for members and $37 for the public. Tickets may be purchased online at www.GlendaleHistorical.org or in person at the Glendale Arts box office at The Americana at Brand concierge desk. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the tour at the historic Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd. in Glendale.

The Glendale Historical Society will also present “Casa Verdugo: Glendale’s Red Car Suburb” on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1320 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, which is located in the Casa Verdugo neighborhood. This free talk will include an overview of the history of the area, the Casa Verdugo Restaurant, and the Pacific Electric Railway (Red Car) line, which ran on Brand in front of the church.

For further information, contact events@glendalehistorical.org or call (818) 242-7447.