A landmark Los Angeles residence designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is falling into serious disrepair, with concerns mounting that the neglected property has become a refuge for wildlife.
Built in 1939, the Sturges Home at 449 North Skyewiay Road in Brentwood Heights stands out as the only Usonian-style structure in Los Angeles.
Today, however, the celebrated architectural treasure sits empty and deteriorating, prompting fears that it could be lost through what preservationists describe as “demolition by neglect.”
“The house sits deteriorating, and has for several years been a major concern for its neighbors. Decay of the original redwood has been observed from the street for some time. The long span of the carport is warped and its distinctive pillars are rotting,” the Los Angeles Conservancy said.
“‘Demolition by neglect’ is a term used when a historic property deteriorates through deferred maintenance until it suffers permanent damage or becomes structurally unsafe,” the group added.
Residents living nearby have also reported spotting wild animals inside the decaying Frank Lloyd Wright home, KTLA reported.
The worsening condition of the Sturges Home has intensified anxiety over the future of one of Wright’s few Los Angeles works, a residence long regarded as an important piece of the city’s architectural heritage.
Measuring about 1,200 square feet, the Sturges Home includes a combined living and dining area, two bedrooms, one bathroom and a kitchen, along with a 21-foot deck that projects dramatically over the canyon.
Designed during the economic difficulties of the Great Depression, Wright’s Usonian homes focused on affordable and efficient style for middle-class families.
The original owners, George and Selma Sturges, were inspired by a January 1938 issue of “Architectural Forum” that was devoted to Wright’s work. The Sturges then asked Wright to commission their home and the building was completed the following year.
After the couple sold the house in 1951, it bounced between three different owners before actor Jack Larson and film director James Bridges bought it in 1967. Bridges passed away in 1993, but Larson continued to live in the home until his death in September 2015.
It is now owned by a non-profit organization called All Right Now Foundation and has been listed as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
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