FRANK LLOYDS WRIGHT'S FAMOUS CONCRETE BLOCK ENNIS HOUSE FOR SALE

Last June, Ennis House in the gated Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, built in 1924, went on the market for $15MM, and in February price was lowered to $10.495MM, now is listed at $7.495M.   There are two buildings, a main house and smaller chauffeur’s apartment, separated by a paved courtyard.

Ennis House is one of the first residences constructed from concrete block, which Wright transformed from cold industrial concrete to a warm decorative material.  This material is inexpensive, and can be ugly, but he transformed the interlocking pre-cast concrete block into very attractive designs based on ancient Mayan temples, sometimes referred to as Mayan Revivial Architecture. He used 16” modular blocks with geometric repeats.  This is his 4^th and largest concrete block construction.

There are 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths within 6000 living sq ft. in this historic offering.   Perched on a hill, panoramic sweeping views are of the canyon, ocean and city.   

Included are soaring wood-beamed ceilings, window-lined loggia framing the pool, flowing multi-tiered floor plan, prairie-style leaded art glass which graduates in intensity from darker at the top to lighter at the bottom, mitered windows and one of only four glass mosaic tile fireplaces, this one with a wisteria motif mosaic.

The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  The City of Los Angeles has declared the house a Cultural Heritage Monument and it has been designated a California State Landmark.  In 2008 the house was included as one of the top ten houses of all time in the Los Angeles Times.  The house was used for several Hollywood movies.

Approximately $10MM has been estimated for future preservation efforts.  The house had serious damage from earthquakes and rainstorms.  Even before its completion Ennis House had structural instability as blocks had cracked and lower sections of walls buckled under tension.  Air pollution was one cause of premature decay, and applying a protective coating caused additional problems.     

A FEMA grant was issued in 2006 to add a new structural support system, restoration or replacement of damaged blocks, windows, and a new roof and completed in 2007 at a cost of over $6MM.