The Jewel of Hancock Park

It seems somehow apt that we should salute the architect Paul Williams on the one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary of his birth, February 18, 1894, which also happens to fall within Black History Month. Born in Los Angeles, Williams was already considering a career in architecture by the time he was in high school. Though a teacher attempted to dissuade him, according to the Paul Williams Project, the young designer was not deterred.

He graduated from USC in 1914, was certified as a building contractor in 1915, licensed as an architect in 1921, and “opened his own practice and became the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1923.” Among his many awards, Williams was elected a Fellow of the AIA in 1957, and was posthumously awarded AIA’s 2017 Gold Medal, “the highest annual honor recognizing individuals whose work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.”

The landmarks of Williams’s career span the globe and are among some of L.A.’s most recognizable architectural icons: the Los Angeles County Courthouse, Hillside Memorial Park, the Westwood Medical Center, and the late great Ambassador Hotel and Perino’s restaurant, to name just a few. His appreciation for the comforts of the Southern California lifestyle – indoor-outdoor living, light-filled rooms, verdant landscaping, exceptional privacy – was matched by his grasp of classic design and love of beautifully crafted structures and fixtures. His designs ranged from Tudor and Regency to Spanish-style and mid-century modern.

Homes designed by Paul Williams are deeply treasured and rarely available for sale, so it is an enormous honor to represent the Hancock Park home designed for Edwin R. and Grace Ridgway. Overlooking the greens of the Wilshire Country Club, this majestic Hollywood Regency estate is offered for the first time, gorgeously updated to meet the demands of today’s gracious living and grand entertaining. From the generous interior spaces (what a kitchen!) to the formal rose garden, spacious terraces, pool and cabana, and tranquil garden paths, this residence is an architectural triumph and a once in a lifetime opportunity.