[citation needed] Hotel Green, designed by Los Angeles-based architect Frederick Roehrig in 1893, was the first of the three buildings.

Construction on a hotel was initiated in 1887 by developer Edward C. Webster, between Raymond Avenue and the Santa Fe Railroad tracks.

[5]: 12  During its time, the Hotel Green became a "social and cultural center for Pasadena," where it hosted society events such as receptions for significant visitors,[5] and painting exhibitions.

[5]: 12  The new building, to become known as "Castle Green," was on a full city block but was "set back from the streets, which provided ample space for a garden.

It incorporated an earlier building constructed in 1887, the Wooster Block, which had been part of the original site of the California Institute of Technology.