Ennis House, 1923

Designed for Mabel and Charles Ennis in 1923 and completed in 1925, the Ennis House was Frank Lloyd wright's last Los Angeles-area textile block-style projects and the largest. Ennis lived in the house for only a few years before he died. His widow sold it in 1936. After passing through five owners, it was purchased by Augustus Oliver Brown, who lived in it for many years, opened it for tours and donated it for public use. For a time, it was called the Ennis-Brown House in his honor.

Sited on a hillside overlooking the city of Los Angeles, Wright's last and largest textile block house in Los Angeles commands attention even from the street below it. Its commanding presence has not been lost on the Hollywood film industry and it has starred in many films, including Blade Runner,

Black Rain and The House on Haunted Hill.

In Architectural Digest (October, 1979) Thomas Heinz writes: "Wright transforms cold industrial concrete to a warm decorative material used as a frame for interior features like windows and fireplaces as well as columns."

Ennis House is large (6,200 square feet), built on a hillside, a site that has caused it much trouble. the 1994 Northridge earthquake and 2005's heavy rainfall severely damaged its underpinnings. A retaining wall collapsed, and the Ennis House closed to the public. For a time its continued existence was in doubt, but as of mid-2001, it has a new owner who is committed to its restoration. When that's done, he has agreed to open it to the public for a minimum of 12 days per year.

Meanwhile, you can see some photos of it here. This page at the Los Angeles Conservancy has more photos, including a shocking-looking one that shows some of the most severe damage. The Conservancy will be working with the new owner to structure the public access opportunities.

2655 Glendower Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
Private residence, not open for tours