Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyingwedge
#2: It's hard to see, but if you follow the Baldwin Hills ridgeline north to south in the 1940s photo, there appears to be a building with an oil derrick to its right, just above a mostly triangular, northeast-facing shadow. I believe that building is this house:
- Photo by me
- Photo by me, looking south from Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
A house in the middle of an oilfield? It's practically pregnant with noir!
This house must predate the Inglewood Oilfield (1924), because who would build a house in the middle of all that? The house apparently lost its north chimney but looks lived in (note satellite dish and repaired cracks in brickwork); there's a porch on the west side, but I didn't get a good photo of that. You can also see the house from Kenneth Hahn SRA, or from La Cienega by the park entrance -- but keep your eyes on the road, please!
Does anyone know anything about that house? I've wondered about it since I was a kid -- and that was quite a while ago.
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I'm glad you brought this up too. I live not far from there at the Village Green and pass by the place almost daily always looking up at it and wondering...
The house is being offered as a filming location "Originally constructed in 1896, this unoccupied 5,400 sq. ft. brick craftsman masterpiece is a throwback to “Anywhere Rural America” and is situated on the
highest hill in a functioning 1,100 acre oil field."
"PROPERTY INQUIRIES CONTACT:
Please contact Liz Gosnell for additional photos, tours and
availability.
626-533-3730"
This video was shot there "At the historic Baldwin House"
http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/2/8/...-rodartes-muse
Keep in mind the that the Stocker Oil Fields were once owned or at least named after Clara Stocker, Lucky Baldwin's daughter who inherited and then sold off Rancho La Cienega o Paso de la Tijera bit by bit. It's possible she had a connection to the house.
It may have been owned by either Raymond Chandler or any of the L.A. Times Chandlers.
Photos and info are from here:
http://www.baldwinhillsoilhouse.com/index.html