Ennis house
N 34° 06.997 W 118° 17.626
11S E 380683 N 3775842
Featured in more movies than any other Wright house, the Ennis house epitomizes Frank Lloyd Wright in Hollywood.
Waymark Code: WMBXY
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2006
Views: 223
Ranging from the original "House on Haunted Hill" with Vincent Price when it was only in its thirties to the futuristic abode of Harrison Ford in "Bladerunner" and the layered virtual world of "Thirteenth Floor", the Ennis house is timeless, but not necessarily forever...
The south retaining wall, plagued for many years by deterioration of the textile blocks due to reaction of the on-site materials used in the concrete, was severely damaged by the 1994 Northridge earthquake and 2004 record winter rains. In March 2005, the Ennis house was “red-tagged” but later downgraded to “yellow-tag” status and was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of most endangered American places.
Variously called a mausoleum, a Mayan temple and a palace, it is without a doubt the most monumental of Wright’s “knit-block” experiments . The Ennis house was the last and largest of the four LA textile-block houses. Lloyd Wright supervised construction, prepared the working drawings, and designed the landscaping, mostly after FLlW returned to Wisconsin.
The Ennis family occupied the house until 1936. Frank Lloyd Wright’s works have not always been in such demand as they are today. The house passed through a series of owners over the next 32 years, until 1968, when according to Storrer, it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. August Brown, for $119,000, $31,000 less than the original cost of construction.
The Ennis House is currently owned by the Ennis House Foundation, which is providing for the needed restoration and its continued maintenance. The Ennis House has a new board and with the help of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the LA Conservancy and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, a plan has been developed to restore the house. The house is closed to the General Public until further notice.
Year Completed: 1923
Commissioned By: Ennis
Nearest City or Town: Hollywood (Los Angeles)
Public/Private: Public
Tours Available?: yes
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
There are no specific visit requirements, however telling about your visit is strongly encouraged. Additional photos of the building or house to add to the gallery are also nice, but not required. Pictures with a GPS or you in them is highly discouraged.