ARCHITECT | DESIGN | BUILD 12.19.2014 67
ENNIS HOUSE LOVELL HOUSE
ENNIS HOUSE
LOVELL HOUSE
LOVELL HOUSE
H i stor ic - C ult ur al Monum e n ts
LOVELL HOUSE
If you've ever visited a historic town in the U.S. or abroad, you've probably seen the proverbial
bronze plaque telling the story of a building's historic significance. Although the running joke is
that Los Angeles has no history, a tour of the county's older neighborhoods proves otherwise.
Angelino Heights, Hancock Park, West Adams and San Pedro, among others, are filled with
buildings and landmarks dating as far back as the late eighteenth century.
In a move to preserve its rich heritage, the city of Los Angeles enacted the Historic Cultural
Heritage Ordinance in 1962. The ordinance officially recognizes and protects some of the
city's most significant historical treasures. Today, there are more than 1,000 Historic-Cultural
Monuments throughout L.A. A proposed building, home or landmark must meet one of four
criteria in order to be considered a Historic-Cultural Monument. Here are two of our favorite
homes to have earned this designation.
The Ennis House
2655 Glendower Ave., Los Feliz
Historic-Cultural Monument No. 149
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built by his son, architect Lloyd Wright, the Ennis House
was created for businessman Charles Ennis and his wife in 1924. With its distinctive Mayan-style
façade and simple yet regal interior, the home is distinguished by its interlocking, ornamental
concrete blocks. At 6,200 square feet, it is the fourth and largest of Frank Lloyd Wright's
"textile block" designs. Movie buffs will recall seeing the home in Bladerunner, Mulholland
Drive, Rush Hour and in the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The Lovell House
4616 Dundee Dr., Los Angeles
Historic-Cultural Monument No. 123
Richard Neutra built this textbook example of the International Style in the late 1920s for
physician Philip Lovell. Considered the first steel-frame house built in the United States, the
home is notable for its geometric lines, clean exterior and plentiful use of factory-made window
assemblies. On the inside, the house takes cues from the Cubism movement, and in a nod to
Neutra's admiration for inventor and automobile pioneer Henry Ford, the architect installed two
Ford Model-A headlights in the stairwell. Film lovers will have seen the home in L.A. Confidential
and, more recently, in Beginners.
