A Fiery End for Wayne Manor? Not So Fast

"It turns out that the 1920s English baronial-style home gutted by flames was a few doors down tree-lined South San Rafael Avenue from the "real" manor occupied by Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. Although the 21-bedroom manor that burned Wednesday had appeared frequently in film and television -- its credits include "Topper," "Rocky V" and "Murder, She Wrote" -- it was never featured in the Batman television series or more recent Batman films, according to city authorities."

"In a case of mistaken identity, the mansion that was destroyed had been referred to for decades as "Wayne manor" and "Batman's house." Pasadena officials, who were flooded with calls Thursday, raced to correct the record. Residents who were mourning the building's loss were further discomfited to learn that what they believed was Batman's lair was an impostor."

""I can't believe it," said distraught neighbor Tom Stearns, 48. "It was a magnificent structure. Monstrous. The fact that everyone thought it was Wayne manor just added to the allure. It had cachet." Stearns, a real estate investor, was one of a crowd of area residents who gathered outside the smoldering mansion's front gates Thursday to memorialize the building."

A fire destroyed a 1920s English baronial-style mansion in Pasadena that had been incorrectly identified as Wayne Manor from the Batman television series for decades. The 21-bedroom home, which actually appeared in films and shows like "Topper," "Rocky V," and "Murder, She Wrote," was located a few doors down from the genuine mansion used in Batman productions. City officials and neighbors initially believed the burned structure was Batman's iconic residence, leading to widespread confusion. Pasadena authorities quickly corrected the record after receiving numerous calls. Residents gathered to mourn the loss of the architecturally significant building, which had gained cultural cachet from its mistaken association with Batman.

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