Vintage SoCal: West Los Angeles bungalow enjoys a place in film development
This 1923 compound in West Los Angeles has a footnote in cinema history.
Among early residents were J. Stuart Blackton, a pioneering force in motion pictures, and his fourth wife, actress Evangeline Russell. Originally a journalist and illustrator, Blackton was drawn into the world of film after interviewing inventor Thomas Edison. The silent film producer and director co-founded Vitagraph Studios in 1897 and was an early adopter of stop-motion techniques and drawn animation.
Along with the entertainment industry, households also were evolving about the time the Craftsman house was being built. Refrigerators were starting to replace ice boxes, vacuum cleaners were catching on and Maytag had invented a washing machine with an agitator.
Today the property is made up of the 1,546-square-foot main house, a newer 475-square-foot guesthouse and a detached garage built in 2000.
The home’s covered front porch, deep eaves and single-story design are typical of Arts and Crafts architecture. However, the white-on-white exterior — rather than the traditional earth, brown and green paint tones often associated with the style — brings a more modern aesthetic.
The white and light color scheme continues inside, where the living and dining rooms open to one another. Maple floors further unify the spaces and continue in the bedrooms. A decorative fireplace flanked by built-ins creates a focal point in the living room.
Ceramic tile floor and white cabinetry brighten the kitchen. There are a total of four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
White picket fencing, an arbor, a gated driveway and mature landscaping add to the curb appeal.
The asking price of 2256 Pelham Ave. is $1.899 million. Bret Parsons of Compass and Suzanne Galvan of Keller Williams Beach Cities are the listing agents.
This occasional feature celebrates Southern California’s architectural heritage through residences built before 1960. Submit candidates for Vintage SoCal to lauren.beale2@latimes.com.
