Everyone in L.A. wishes they’d had the foresight to buy real estate here before California became synonymous with “most expensive homes on the planet.” That was the case 100 years ago, when Hollywood was a little-known rural winter retreat for rich Midwesterners.
Check out this entry on the L.A. Times cops and crime blog, The Daily Mirror. The blogger, Larry Harnisch, dug up the Home of the Week from a Times’ real estate section from 1908. Here’s his entry on 1824 N. Curson Ave. in Los Angeles.
This house, the Wattles Mansion, was built in 1907 for a wealthy Omaha banker. A nonprofit preservation group, Hollywood Heritage, began restoring the place in 1983. It’s now a city historic landmark and community garden and a popular place for weddings and events.
Wouldn’t you love to know how much the Wattleses paid to build this 49-acre custom estate in the Hollywood Hills in 1907? Too bad for the Wattles heirs that the property didn’t remain in the family.
There are homes for sale nearby, in case you’re interested:
1978 N. Curson Ave., Los Angeles
Price: $978,000
Four bedrooms, three baths
Notes: This home was last purchased in 1974 for $55,000. It came on the market in August for $1,220,000 and has been reduced four times.
2001 N. Curson Ave., Los Angeles
Price: $1,550,000
Three bedrooms, three baths
Notes: This mid-century modern house just came on the market. It was just purchased in late April for $1,215,000.
2058 N. Curson Ave., Los Angeles
Price: $1,675,000
Four bedrooms, 3.5 baths
Notes: This Kirk Rose-designed house was featured on MTV’s “Cribs,” which apparently is not much of a selling point, since it’s been on the market for nearly six months and reduced in price from $1,749,000.
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