Tirado-Lion-Peligri Residence, Gilbert Leong 1959

Tirado-Lion-Peligri Residence, Gilbert Leong 1959, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Mid-Century style designed by Gilbert Long c. 1959 for Dr. Miguel Tirado and his wife, actress . The Tirado family owned the house until it was sold this year.The two bedroom, 1.75 bath house was listed for sale in March 2013 for $947,000 and described in the listing as "elegant geometry of Asian- influenced home design in the 60s shines brilliantly. Simple wood beams & warm wood ceilings frame the outspread Living Room. Textured carpets evoke tatami mats. A massive fireplace anchors the room, keeping you grounded while your spirit is elevated by the panoramic view of mountains & city. Knotty wood paneling in Dining Room, wall of brick with another fireplace, wood floor & ceiling give this room a distinctively rustic feel. Built-in bookcases in Dining Room & Hallway add detail & functionality. Original kitchen & baths w/ generous spaces. Pool with spectacular views of San Gabriel mountains".

The new owners have plans to replace it with five, three-story single-family homes over the objection of neighbors. On December 5, 2013, the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission took under consideration the declaration of the house as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, a move that for now would prevent its demolition. The Tirado-Lion-Peligri Residence is located at 2925 Waverly Drive in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Lulu Hlaffer House, Rufus Buck, Architect 1924

Lulu Hlaffer House, Rufus Buck, Architect 1924, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Storybook Tudor Style residence designed for Lulu Hlaffer in 1924 by Architect Rufus Buck. The house was featured in "Day Dream Houses of Los Angeles", by Charles Jencks, c.1978, noting the "sinister, snaking timbers and creepy, upturned roof."

Located at 2574 Glendower Avenue in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Lulu Hlaffer House, Rufus Buck, Architect 1924

Lulu Hlaffer House, Rufus Buck, Architect 1924, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Storybook Tudor Style residence designed for Lulu Hlaffer in 1924 by Architect Rufus Buck. The house was featured in "Day Dream Houses of Los Angeles", by Charles Jencks, c.1978, noting the "sinister, snaking timbers and creepy, upturned roof."

Located at 2574 Glendower Avenue in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Haven of Rest Ministry, "The Good Ship Grace" c.1941

Haven of Rest Ministry, "The Good Ship Grace" c.1941, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

From the heights of success to the depths of despair, radio personality Paul Meyers hit bottom. In his desperaton, he asked Jesus Christ for help and at that moment was the beginning of the Haven of Rest Ministries. With his experience, he created a radio program with a quartet, speaker, pipe organ, vibra harp and some poetry. The Haven of Rest Ministry started at Radio Station KFI in Los Angeles, but with growing popularity, moved into its own quarters in Silver Lake, a ship-like studio complete with portholes, decks and an American flag, very much in keeping with the California Streamline/Modernist structures that were the rage of the day. These nautical symbols were a practical reminder of the mission of the ministry, that 'Jesus offers a safe haven!'

Today, the Haven is gone (to Riverside, CA), but the 'Good Ship Grace' remains, its structure completely intact, the grass neatly trimmed as in its heydey, a nostalgic reminder of a simpler time. Declared a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument (#897) in 2007.

'The Good Ship Grace' is located at 2432 Hyperion Avenue in Silver Lake.

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Cummings Estate c.1905

Cummings Estate c.1905, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The home of Wilbur Cummings, the oldest estate in Los Feliz, the Cummings Estate completed in 1905. Cummings was a Los Angeles businessman and real estate tycoon. He was the proprietor of Cummings Shoe Store, which was located at 110 South Spring Street. He died in 1937 and is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetary. His wife Minnie lived until 1957.

The 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath house in 4037 sq. ft. is currently (September 2013) on the market listed for sale for $3.3M and described in the listing as "Located deep within gated Laughlin Park, this historic estate has it all: security; celebrity-seclusion; 360-degree views; mature grounds; sunny exposure; extraordinary original fixtures and finishes throughout; grand scale; provenance and expansion potential. The celebrated enclave of Laughlin Park all began here".

Located at 2020 Cummings Lane in the gated Laughlin Park community within the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Cummings Estate c.1905

Cummings Estate c.1905, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The home of Wilbur Cummings, the oldest estate in Los Feliz, the Cummings Estate completed in 1905. Cummings was a Los Angeles businessman and real estate tycoon. He was the proprietor of Cummings Shoe Store, which was located at 110 South Spring Street. He died in 1937 and is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetary. His wife Minnie lived until 1957.

The 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath house in 4037 sq. ft. is currently (September 2013) on the market listed for sale for $3.3M and described in the listing as "Located deep within gated Laughlin Park, this historic estate has it all: security; celebrity-seclusion; 360-degree views; mature grounds; sunny exposure; extraordinary original fixtures and finishes throughout; grand scale; provenance and expansion potential. The celebrated enclave of Laughlin Park all began here".

Located at 2020 Cummings Lane in the gated Laughlin Park community within the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

INVERTING NEUTRA: Installation at the VDL Research House July 13-September 7th

INVERTING NEUTRA: Installation at the VDL Research House July 13-September 7th, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

INVERTING NEUTRA: Installation at the VDL Research House July 13-September 7th

Swan House, Lee + Mundwiler Architects 2010

Swan House, Lee + Mundwiler Architects 2010, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Designed by award-winning architects Lee + Mundwiler, this house features an open floor plan, natural wood floors, imported stone, polished concrete floors and walls, and finishes of the highest quality. The Santa Monica-based architectural firm with principal architects, Stephen Mundwiler and Cara Lee have won many awards, including an AIA National Honor Award and AIA California Merit Award for the design of the Central Park of the New Radiant City in Shenzan, China; an AIA National Housing Award for the design of the Coconut House in Los Angeles; and an AIA National Honor Award and AIA California Merit Award for the design of the Bundesplatz-Swiss Government Plaza in Bern Switzerland. The house was most recently listed for sale for $1,195,000. Located at 2955 Swan Place in Silver Lake.

Ferris House, Barbara Bestor, Architect 2006

Ferris House, Barbara Bestor, Architect 2006, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Silver Lake-based Architect Barbara Bestor designed this dramatic home in the Edendale Heights neighborhood of Silver Lake, replacing another architectural home designed by Architect Luis Castro in the 1970's. Situated at the crest of the hill, the home has commanding views of Silver Lake and the downtown Los Angeles skyline and features six bedrooms, six baths, three fireplaces, family room, two dens, library, and a swimming pool in over 6400 sq. feet. The home last sold in July 2007 for $3,350,000 to film producer Callum Greene; his credits include The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan, Made of Honor, Pacific Rim, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug; and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Ferris House is located at 2312 Baxter Street in Silver Lake.

Fatty Arbuckle House, Victor Sarteano, Builder c.1910

Fatty Arbuckle House, Victor Sarteano, Builder c.1910, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Informed neighbors tell me that the great actor-comedian Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (1887-1933) lived in the house while working for the Selig Polyscope Company and later Keystone Studios. In 1919, he would pick up and move to the Tulita Wilcox Miner House located in the fashionable West Adams neighborhood (located at 649 West Adams Boulevard).

He was one of the most popular stars of the silent screen era and one of its best paid actors; in 1920 he signed a deal with Paramount Pictures that paid him $1M a year; unheard of for the time. It all came to a crashing end the following year, 1921, in which he was accused by a San Francisco madam of raping and killing bit player Virginia Rappe. Although he was eventually acquitted, his career took a dive and he only worked occasionally thereafter. He died in his sleep of a heart attack at age 46 in 1933.

The house was originally built as a six room residence by Victor Sarteano in 1910. At some point in its evolution, it was enlarged and converted into an apartment house. Located at 1383 N. Lucile Avenue in what was originally called Childs Heights in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Ohara House, Richard Neutra, Architect 1959

Ohara House, Richard Neutra, Architect 1959, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The Ohara House, located at 2210 Neutra Place in Silver Lake is one of the most beautiful and best preserved of Richard Neutra's architectural compositions.

Halstead House, Ashton & Denney, Archtects 1927

Halstead House, Ashton & Denney, Archtects 1927, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Architects Ashton & Denny designed the Spanish Revival style home for Benjamin and Essie Halstead in 1928. The four bedroom, four-and one half bathroom residence in just under 5,000 sq. ft. is on the market (March 2013) and listed for sale for $5,195,000. In the listing, the house is described as "Spanish Colonial Revival exemplifies the 1920's detailing and craftsmanship that defined the era. The grand two story entry welcomes you into a living room offering a 25' cathedral ceiling, stone fireplacel and French doors opening to the veranda. There is a formal dining room, library, office, eat-in Chef's kitchen. The media/family room offers custom built-ins, high end projector and drop down screen. Both the family room and library open out to the courtyard. The Master Suite includes duel closets and romantic balcony off the bath. There are three additional bedrooms and a bath upstairs.Sited on over a half-acre lot atop a long gated driveway. Patios, outdoor fireplace, sparking pool and spa, fountains, cabana bath, lush landscaping and verdant ocean view vistas from viewing pad combine for seamless indoor/outdoor entertaining. Extensively renovated by current owner. All this and celebrity provenance make it a spectacular estate property".

Located at 2566 Aberdeen Avenue in the Los Feliz neighborhood ol Los Angeles.

Halstead House, Ashton & Denney, Archtects 1927

Halstead House, Ashton & Denney, Archtects 1927, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Architects Ashton & Denny designed the Spanish Revival style home for Benjamin and Essie Halstead in 1928. The four bedroom, four-and one half bathroom residence in just under 5,000 sq. ft. is on the market (March 2013) and listed for sale for $5,195,000. In the listing, the house is described as "Spanish Colonial Revival exemplifies the 1920's detailing and craftsmanship that defined the era. The grand two story entry welcomes you into a living room offering a 25' cathedral ceiling, stone fireplacel and French doors opening to the veranda. There is a formal dining room, library, office, eat-in Chef's kitchen. The media/family room offers custom built-ins, high end projector and drop down screen. Both the family room and library open out to the courtyard. The Master Suite includes duel closets and romantic balcony off the bath. There are three additional bedrooms and a bath upstairs.Sited on over a half-acre lot atop a long gated driveway. Patios, outdoor fireplace, sparking pool and spa, fountains, cabana bath, lush landscaping and verdant ocean view vistas from viewing pad combine for seamless indoor/outdoor entertaining. Extensively renovated by current owner. All this and celebrity provenance make it a spectacular estate property".

Located at 2566 Aberdeen Avenue in the Los Feliz neighborhood ol Los Angeles.

Austrian House, Raphael Soriano, Architect 1937; Chris Salay, Remodel 2006

Austrian House, Raphael Soriano, Architect 1937; Chris Salay, Remodel 2006, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The Austrian Spencer House by mid century pioneer Raphael Soriano is one of the last remaining homes built by the legendary architect. Together with Nuetra, Schindler and Koenig, Soriano helped to define mid century modern architecture. Nestled in the picturesque hills of Silverlake sits this rare opportunity to own a redefined work by one of the 20th century's seminal architects. Signature steel framed ribbon windows define an artistic entry. Two generously sized rooms with sweeping views, viewing deck completes the Master. Distinctive and extraordinary bathrooms include a teak sink, reclaimed wood wall and boffi fixtures. The modern, utilitarian kitchen is enhanced with views of downtown and expansive terraced gardens.
The house is on the market (March 2013) and listed for sale for $1,249,000. Located at 3056 Landa Street in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Ehrbar House, Merl Lee Barker, Barker & Ott 1927

Ehrbar House, Merl Lee Barker, Barker & Ott 1927, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Elegant French Normandy house originally designed by Merl Barker (1888-1970) of the architectural firm Barker & Ott. The firm also designed the Good Shepherd Catholic Church Beverly Hills 1930; the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (Hollywood 1921); and the Spanish Gothic chapel at Mt. Saint Mary's College in Brentwood (1939). The house has kept its original 1927 charm including a fabulous Great Room with stenciled French Gothic ceiling, gleaming hardwood floors, wood-burning fireplace, wrought iron ceremonial gates and exquisite period light fixtures. All systems have been updated including central air and heat, new slate roof, remodeled kitchen and family room.

The three bedroom, three bath house in 3,103 sq. ft. is currently (March 2013) available for lease for $4995.00 month. Give me a call if you would like to see it! Michael Locke, 323.533.3161.

3507 Fernwood Avenue, Steven Hill Design 1983

3507 Fernwood Avenue, Steven Hill Design 1983, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The late Steven Hill made his imprint on Silver Lake architecture with many of these distinctive stucco and glass block houses. 3507 Fernwood Avenue shows the builder at his best; the Streamline Moderne house with its cascading rectilinear and curvilinear details, complimented by a generous dose of glass brick is outstanding. Situated on a corner lot in the prestigious Moreno Highlands of Silver Lake, the house is reminiscent of the c.1937 William Kesling-designed Ulm House in Los Feliz.

The house is currently (February 2013) on the market and listed for sale for $1, 150,000 and described in the listing as "The house you've been waiting for: stunning modern in Silver Lake with pool and views in the Ivanhoe School District. A rare mix of spacious living areas, high ceilings, an open floor plan, and great outdoor space designed by architect Steven Hill. Streamline moderne influences throughout with curved cascading walls and glass brick.".

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Mocine Duplex, Farrell & Simpson, Architects 1951

Mocine Duplex, Farrell & Simpson, Architects 1951, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

I was delighted to "discover" the Mocine Duplex today, while taking photos for my upcoming book on the history of Silver Lake. Located within a stone's throw of the Neutra Colony, I thought at first it might actually be the work of Richard Neutra himself. With a little bit of research I was able to find out that the duplex was designed by a pair of architects with the appellation Farrell and Simpson; the team apparently worked in Richard Neutra's office in Silver Lake for a time.

Located at 2345 Cove Avenue in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Mike Valles Residence 2007

Mike Valles Residence 2007, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The contemporary home of Mike Valles, who along with his mother Lottie Valles founded the design firm Interior Illusions in 1999.

Located at 2359 Baxter Street in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Harry Hay House

Harry Hay House, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The house where Harry Hay lived in Silver Lake, beginning in the 1940s. Henry "Harry" Hay, Jr. (1912 – 2002) was one of the original gay rights activists who founded the Mattachine Society, the first sustained gay rights advocacy groups in the United States.

Hay was a Marxist and a long-time member of the Communist Party USA. He also co-founded the Los Angeles chapter of the Gay Liberation Front in 1969, and later, the Radical Faeries. He died on October 24, 2002, following a series of illnesses. His Silver Lake house, originally built in 1905 is located at 2328 Cove Avenue. The stair street at the foot of the house has been renamed the Mattachine Steps in his honor.

Joseph Skirboll Residence, Lucius A. Phillips, Architect 1924

Joseph Skirboll Residence, Lucius A. Phillips, Architect 1924, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Architect-builder Lucius A. Phillips designed the English Revival style house for Joseph Skriboll in 1924. By 1930 the house was being rented by Corneilius G. Willis, a transplant and mining engineer from Washington, D.C.

Located at 1966 North Edgemont Street in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Joseph Skirboll Residence, Lucius A. Phillips, Architect 1924

Joseph Skirboll Residence, Lucius A. Phillips, Architect 1924, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Architect-builder Lucius A. Phillips designed the English Revival style house for Joseph Skriboll in 1924. By 1930 the house was being rented by Corneilius G. Willis, a transplant and mining engineer from Washington, D.C.

Located at 1966 North Edgemont Street in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Bovard Administration Building, John & Donald Parkinson, Architects 1920-21

Bovard Administration Building, John & Donald Parkinson, Architects 1920-21, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The first Master Plan for the campus of the University of Southern California proposed in 1919 by Architect John Parkinson included a series of Italian Renaissance style buildings connected by a series of Romanesque style bridges that were to be built over the streets. Although the bridges were never realized, the Parkinsons completed a half dozen of these handsome edifices that defined the early architecture of the university.

The first of Parkinson's buildings to be completed was the George Finley Bovard Administration Building, in 1921. Described as 'northern Italian Romanesque style', the building's dominating feature is a square bell tower with eight heroic sculptures by John Caspar Lachne representing the 'Progress of Civilization'. The eight figures are of American Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, Roman orator and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero and Greek philosopher Plato, John Wesley, Founder of Methodism, and three leading Methodist clergymen: Bishop Matthew Simpson, Preacher and College President; Phillips Brooks, the Fifth Bishop of Massachusetts and 158th in succession in the American episcopate, and a Methodist pastor and chair of Philosophy at Boston University.
Website:www.parkinsonarchitecture.com

Judson Studios, Train & Williams Architects 1900-1909

Judson Studios, Train & Williams Architects 1900-1909, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The Judson Studios is one of the oldest surviving stained glass studios in America, founded in 1897. The original building was designed in 1900 by William Lees Judson, founder of the Los Angeles College of Fine Arts in an Islamic Revival style. After the roof was destroyed by a fire in 1910, Architects Train & Williams redesigned the studio in 1909. Designated a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 1969 (NO. 62). Located at 200 S. Avenue 66 in the Highland Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone of Los Angeles.

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Sessions House, Joseph Cather Newsom, Architect 1880

Sessions House, Joseph Cather Newsom, Architect 1880, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Designed for dairyman Charles Sessions by prominent architect Joseph Cather Newsom in 1880. One of the larges mansions and most imposing mansions on "Millionaire's Row". Located at 1330 Carroll Avenue in the Angelino Heights Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ). Declared a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 1967 (No. 52).

McClure House, Joseph Cather Newsom, Architect 1889

McClure House, Joseph Cather Newsom, Architect 1889, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The Victorian house was designed for W. McClure, a Director of the Garvanza Land Company, a developer in the region. The design has Queen Anne and Eastlake influences. Designated a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument (No. 107) in 1972. Located at 432 N. Avenue 66 in the Highland Park (Garvanza) Historic District of Los Angeles.

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