Monday, May 2, 2011

#173: Storybook Houses of L.A.


Did you know that back in the early 1900's, storybook houses could be found all over L.A.? They were apparently all the rage, but since then only a few have been preserved.

I owe a big thank you t
o Barbara for emailing me about these hidden fairy tale houses.
Follow the breadcrumbs to go on a Storybook House hunt of your own..



Spaldena House (aka The Witch's House)

The Witch's House is on the corner of Carmelita and Walden Blvd in Beverly Hills. It features a moat, a cobweb doorway, about five "No Trespassing" signs, and (my favorite) a roof that looks like it's gonna cave in at any moment.

The House was built and designed by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver in 1921. It served as the offices and dressing rooms for a Culver City film studio until 1934 when the house was moved to Beverly Hills.

they're serious!

moat



The Hobbit's House

The Hobbit's House is located at 3819 Dunn Drive in Culver City. In the front is a pond filled with little turtles (there must have been at least ten in there). In 1996 it was declared Historic Cultural Monument #624. Way to go, Frodo!






There's a tree growing right through the roof!


This place is next door to the Hobbit's House


Storybook Houses in Los Feliz:




9 comments:

  1. Love them. So dreamy!

    www.curiositesesthetiques.com

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  2. you should see some of the houses in bullhead city and needles ca they look like these by accident.

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  3. The Witch's House is one of the Beverly Hills' unique sights. It gives the impression that Hansel & Gretel lived here! The house belongs to a real estate agent, Michael Libow and it's not open to the public.

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  4. Yes, I agree! That Michael is a lucky guy--wonder if he lives in it?

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  5. I grew up a few blocks from these homes. Long before hobbits existed, we called them the Egg House and the Mother Goose House. I met the man who worked on them (if you walked by them you would see him all the time working away, transforming funky teeny 1920's homes into these cute storybook cottages). Too bad there are no before and after pictures. His daughter also took me on a tour of the interiors when they were between tenants. The inside is as wonderful as out. Rumors were that Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin were once tenants. Also that Frank Sinatra's son was kept here when he was kidnapped.

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  6. Wow! Thanks for the info--that's crazy that Sinatra's son was kept there :0

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  7. On the corner of Commerce and Apperson in Tujunga here in L.A. is a house we call the Snow White house it is a storybook house at its finest!

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  8. There's also one on the corner of Sunset Canyon Dr. and Providencia in Burbank, CA

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