Villa Carlotta (Los Angeles County) facts for kids
Villa Carlotta is the name of two important buildings in the Los Angeles area of California. Both buildings are special because of their history and unique designs.
Altadena Villa Carlotta
Quick facts for kids |
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Villa Carlotta
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View of the front of the house
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
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| Location | 234 E. Mendocino Street Altadena, California |
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| NRHP reference No. | 14000303 |
| Added to NRHP | June 17, 2014 |
The Altadena Villa Carlotta is a large, beautiful house. It is located at 234 East Mendocino Street in Altadena, California. This house is built in a style called Mission Revival. It is very big, about 7,000 square feet.
In 2014, this house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical building. It was finished in 1917. Villa Carlotta was one of the first houses in Altadena to have electricity built right into its original design.
A person named Francis Raymond Welles built this house. He hired a famous architect named Myron Hunt. Mr. Hunt made sure the house looked a bit like Mr. Welles' family home in France. That is why it has very high ceilings and tall windows.
Hollywood Villa Carlotta
The other Villa Carlotta is an apartment building. It has 50 apartments and is located at 5959 Franklin Avenue. This is in the Hollywood area of California. It was built in 1926. This building was made for the wife of a famous film producer, Thomas H. Ince.
This four-story building was designed by Arthur E. Harvey. He also designed another famous building nearby called the Château Élysée. In 1986, the Hollywood Villa Carlotta was named a Los Angeles historical cultural monument. This means it is a very important part of the city's history.
Many famous people have lived in this building. These include actor Edward G. Robinson and actress Marion Davies. Writer William Saroyan also lived there. Film producer David O. Selznick and architect William Neff were also residents. A famous writer named Louella Parsons wrote her gossip column from her apartment in the building.
A family trust owned the building from the 1950s until 2014. Then, an investment company called CGI Strategies bought it. The new owners wanted to fix up and improve the historic building. They worked hard to keep its original beauty and special features. They wanted to make sure the building could be enjoyed by everyone.
It took CGI Strategies two years to restore Villa Carlotta. They carefully painted the wooden beams and ceilings by hand. They also saved much of the original wood, stone, and marble. The company even hired the same contractor who built the Villa Carlotta in 1926. This contractor made and put in new outside awnings. In 2018, Villa Carlotta and CGI Strategies won an award for their excellent preservation work.
