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Hollywood’s first 50 years, until the freeway changed the landscape forever


The Saga of Paul de Longpre’s Hollywood Estate
The French painter’s artistic home was the first Hollywood tourist attraction.
Oct 4, 2023


Pearl Park: Whitley & Franklin
“The prettiest spot in Hollywood” was at the corner of Franklin and Whitley avenues: Pearl Park. In 1916, Stephen Willis built the...
Apr 21, 2023


A Tale of Two Castles
A man’s home is his castle. But for Dr. A.G. Castles, his home was quite literally a castle: The eccentric art collector built a pair of...
Jan 25, 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


Newly-Discovered Whitley Heights Home
Among the dozens of Whitley Heights homes lost to the Hollywood Freeway was 6785 Whitley Terrace, which has remained a mystery—until the...
Dec 16, 2022


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


Paul Laszlo’s Schiff House
Doctor to the stars Hans Schiff built a shining example of International Style in Whitley Heights—by architect and interior designer Paul...
Nov 21, 2022


The Cahuenga Chalet
This L-shaped stunner was the longtime residence of silent film star J. Warren Kerrigan, best remembered for Sampson (1914) and The...
Nov 3, 2022


The House at the End of the Road
Carrie Jacobs-Bond’s home, The End of the Road, was the beginning of a new chapter. In 1916, the 54-year-old songwriter settled in...
Oct 5, 2022


Garden Court’s Primrose Path (1917-1984)
Anyone could live like a movie star at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard: the Garden Court Apartments. Opened in 1917 to accommodate players in...
Sep 29, 2022


The Saga of Janes House
On Hollywood Boulevard, there is one last vestige of residential architecture: the home of pioneering sisters Mabel, Carrie, and Grace...
Sep 25, 2022


From City to Sea
Not every Whitley Heights home in the freeway’s path was destroyed. A select few were relocated, both near (within the neighborhood) and...
Sep 13, 2022

Snow White’s Real-Life Fairytale Cottage
Before Adriana Caselotti voiced Snow White, she had her own fairytale cottage on Cahuenga Boulevard. In 1935, her father, singing teacher...
Sep 10, 2022


Jean Harlow & the Voice Coach
Although Jean Harlow didn’t live in Whitley Heights (despite rampant rumors to the contrary), her acting/voice coach Samuel Kayzer did,...
Sep 4, 2022


The First to Go (1925-1948)
As planning began for the Hollywood Freeway, many of the homes that stood in the way of progress were acquired by the state and then...
Sep 3, 2022


Where William Randolph Hearst Stashed His Mistress
Such a dramatic house may not be the most inconspicuous hiding spot for your mistress—but then again William Randolph Hearst was not a...
Sep 3, 2022


Hollywood’s First Tourist Attraction (1901-1927)
Before the Hollywood sign or Walk of Fame, the first tourist attraction in town was Paul de Longpre’s enchanting gardens on Cahuenga. In...
Sep 3, 2022


Harold Lloyd: Mystery Solved
One of the few homes rescued from the freeway’s path is a sprawling mansion with a mysterious connection to Harold Lloyd. The silent film...
Sep 3, 2022


‘Bride of Frankenstein’ House
This adorable doll house in the Hollywood Dell looks like it’s always been here—but until 1950, it was located just across Cahuenga...
Sep 3, 2022
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