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ROTH’S HOUSE
Roth’s mansion soon became a backdrop for a lot of the bands early promotional photos. Just imagine being dirt poor like the Van Halen’s were, and hooking up with someone like Roth, who lived in a mansion.
Pictures of the home are available for purchase through the Library of Congress.
10 bedrooms, 8 baths – Property Taxes per year – Around $26,000
Total value for property: $2,256,623 (it was $2,157,904 in 2009)
Recording date: 10/27/2009
Year built: 1921
Effective year built: 1926
Dave apparently outright bought the home on December 30th, 1991 for $1,350,000 according to online records.
LIBRARY - J.E. Tilt House, 455 Bradford Street, Pasadena, Los Angeles County, CA – From the Library of Congress.
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(1984) Two years ago Roth's wad of cash had grown to the point where he could invest in a place of his own. His choice was the estate set on three prime acres of Pasadena. ("The Huntington library was not available," quips the Roth-child.)
On the grounds are a 30-meter swimming pool, a tiled hot tub with a see-through front, carefully tended shrubs and lawns ornamented with carved marble benches. The whole shebang—originally developed by an oil executive—is surrounded by imposing walls, wrought iron gates and a greeting sign bearing the legend, "There is nothing here worth dying for. No trespassing." Another menacing sign indoors, near a video surveillance monitor, proclaims in bold red letters, "If you are found here after dark, you will be found here in the morning." His defense of such measures? "I like to feel safe when I am at home." The house is adorned with stained glass windows, fine wood cabinetry and expensive furnishings. Roth characterizes the decor as "Mediterranean-Mexican," but the overall effect is something like a modest San Simeon, and the house looks as if it's worth the reported price.
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the house is a historical landmark.
JE Tilt was a millionaire back around 1900. Tilt was one of the thousands of young men who came to Chicago as it recovered from the fire of 1871 because they saw potential in the recovering city. The move was fortuitous. After a stint as a superintendent, Tilt decided to start his own shoe making enterprise and opened a small manufacturing plant. Although Chicago’s meat industry provided vast amounts of animal hides for tanning, what hogs, sheep and cattle didn’t provide was top quality leather. After being treated with chemicals and dried, the “heavy leather” wouldn’t do for fine high-priced goods, but it worked perfectly well for lower-cost shoes and work boots. Tilt, along with a few other Chicago-based shoemakers saw potential in the low-grade leather, and with over 200 tanneries in the city the processed hides were often within blocks of their factories, and readily accessible. He later made boots for the military.
Dave's parents divorced, Dave stuck with his dad, and from what I've researched, his dad let him live there. Nathan owned the property, and guessing by online documents, he sold the house outright to Dave in 1991.
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