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Hollywood’s first 50 years, until the freeway changed history — and defined the future


Elvira and Brad Pitt’s Haunted House
Briarcliff Manor, built in 1911, is connected to at least one mysterious death: a man who drowned in the heart-shaped pool.
Oct 31


What Is Going on With Frank Lloyd Wright’s Freeman House?
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Freeman House is the smallest of his four textile-block homes in Los Angeles, yet it is the greatest preservation failure. How did this happen?
Sep 22


4900 Los Feliz Boulevard: Italian Villa on a Hill
Built in 1912, the 21-room mansion was originally the marital home of Edna Letts and Malcolm McNaghten.
Aug 31


5163 Franklin: House of Good Fortune
The Los Feliz home radiates good vibes — thanks to a girl born on Friday the 13th.
Jun 14


6937 Vanland: Hollywood Castle’s Fairytale History
This storybook castle in the Hollywood Hills has its very own fairytale: Often associated with Roland E. Hill, the architect of...
Feb 18


Rudolph Schindler’s Druckman House
Modernist architect Rudolph Schindler achieved the ultimate in utilitarianism at 2764 Outpost Drive.
Feb 8


Welcome to Los Feliz Manor
Los Feliz Manor opened its doors in 1929 as “a home of beauty and refinement”--and it hasn't changed! See inside the Art Deco masterpiece.
Jul 31, 2024


Chateau Rossmore, Mauretania Apartments, Jack Haley -- and the Truth
The iconic apartment buildings on Rossmore Avenue share an interesting architectural past.
Jul 26, 2024


Father & Son Hollywoodland Homes
Like father, like son: Frederick and Roderick Burnham built neighboring hilltop homes in Hollywoodland in 1926.
Jul 23, 2024


Wolf’s Lair: Hollywood’s Famous Castle
Wolf’s Lair is a Hollywood storybook castle with quite a legendary tale.
Mar 6, 2024


Wattles Mansion: Hollywood’s Last Remaining Estate
Built in 1907, Wattles Mansion once boasted four themed gardens and was an original Hollywood tourist attraction.
Feb 26, 2024


Hollywood’s Hidden Storybook Cottage
Go inside the whimsical storybook cottage at 2244 Vista Del Mar Avenue in the Hollywood Hills.
Jan 10, 2024


Beachwood Canyon Artistic Apartments
In 1925, Hollywood pioneers John and Delia Hill built the Moorish apartment house at 2260 Beachwood Drive.
Dec 29, 2023


Slim Aarons’ Christmas Swim: Story Behind the Tree
Slim Aarons’ Christmas Swim is an iconic mid-century portrait that has grown even more popular in recent years, thank to social media.
Dec 25, 2023


Outpost Estates: Hillside Homes of Happiness
Go back in time to Charles E. Toberman's Hollywood hillside residential park in the late 1920s.
Dec 10, 2023


The Hoodoo House of Hollywood
Is this a house of evil destiny? The famous occupants of 2183 Argyle Avenue all seemed cursed in the early 1920s.
Oct 29, 2023


Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s Clark Mausoleum
Who are the four people inside the $500,000 marble crypt?
Oct 23, 2023


Tragic Tale of Hollywood’s First Art Director
Hollywood’s first art director is the architect behind a local masterpiece: Las Orquideas villas on Orchid Avenue, just east of the Magic...
Jan 2, 2023


Hollywood Center Motel’s Seedy Past
Over the past century, 6720 Sunset Boulevard has seen murder, prostitution, rockstars … but it all began with a wife-swapping scandal!...
Dec 7, 2022


Too Close for Comfort: Eugene O’Brien & Robert Vignola
Next-door neighbors are inescapable, especially when you’re both retired. The homes of Eugene O’Brien and Robert Vignola were in such...
Nov 30, 2022
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