As a fan of the Storybook school of architecture, I enjoyed Erin McCarthy’s short history of the Spadena House in Beverly Hills in Mental Floss. This exemplar of Storybook architecture was designed by Oscar-nominated art director Harry Oliver in 1921 and built on the Willat studio lot in Culver City. It was used for office space and dressing rooms. It was later moved to the Corner of Walden and Carmelita in Beverly Hills and converted into a residence.
The house continues to be an attraction; between 3000 and 4000 kids visit the house every Halloween, and tour busses stop by “countless times per day,” Libow told LA Magazine. “I was told by a Starline tour guide that mine is the most requested and most visited non-celebrity house in all of the West Los Angeles!” The house will be around for generations to come: In 2013, it was designated a historic landmark by the City of Beverly Hills.
Image: The Spadena House in Beverly Hills, CA, after renovation, by Kafziel. CC BY 3.0
