Greystone Mansion

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Doheny Estate/Greystone
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location: 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
Area: 46,000 sq ft (4,300 m²).
Built/Founded: 1928
Architect: Gordon Kaufmann, PJ Walker Company
Architectural style(s): Tudor
Added to NRHP: April 23, 1976
NRHP Reference#: 76000485[1]
Governing body: Local

Greystone Mansion also known as the Doheny Mansion is a Tudor-style house in Beverly Hills, California, designed by Gordon Kaufmann and completed in 1928. The house was a gift from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny to his son, Edward "Ned" Doheny Jr. and his family. Beverly Hills purchased the estate in 1965, in 1971 it became a city park, and in 1976 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The house and grounds are often used in film and television. The house's descending staircase is one of the most famous sets in Hollywood.

Contents

[edit] Description

Greystone is a 55-room Tudor-style mansion, 46,000 sq ft (4,300 m²), sitting on 16 acres of land. At the time it was built, it cost over $3 million, and was the most expensive home built in California up to that point. [2]

[edit] History

On February 16, 1929, four months after Ned Doheny, his wife Lucy and their five children moved into Greystone, Ned died in his bedroom in a murder-suicide with his secretary, Hugh Plunket.[3] The official story indicated Plunket murdered Ned either because of a "nervous disorder" or inflamed with anger over not receiving a raise. Others point out that Ned's gun was the murder weapon and that Ned was not buried in a Catholic cemetery with the rest of his family, indicating that he had committed suicide. Both men were involved in the trial of Ned's father in the Teapot Dome scandal.[4]

Ned’s widow Lucy remarried and lived in the house until 1955, at which time she sold the mansion and its grounds to Chicago industrialist Henry Crown, who rented the estate to movie studios.[2] In 1963, Crown planned to subdivide the property and demolish the mansion. Beverly Hills stopped the demolition by purchasing the mansion in 1965.[3] The estate became a city park on September 16, 1971 and on April 23, 1976 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[2] The city leased the mansion to the American Film Institute from 1965 to 1982 for $1 per year, hoping to get repair and upkeep work from the institute.[3]

[edit] Current Use

Greystone is now a public park, and is also used as a location for special events. The estate is popular as a filming location due to its beauty, manicured grounds and Beverly Hills location. Some productions contribute to the upkeep and renovation of the mansion. There Will Be Blood renovated the downstairs two lane bowling alley to include in the film.[3]

In addition to the numerous events that take place at Greystone, the mansion plays host each year to Catskills West, a theater arts and drama camp run by Beverly Hills Parks and Recreation, from mid June to early August. The camp presents a play in the pool area twice during the summer.

The mansion is also used for performances of the play The Manor written by Kathrine Bates, directed by Beverly Olevin and produced by Theatre 40 of Beverly Hills. The Manor takes place in a number of different rooms of the mansion. The audience is separated at certain times during the play to watch some scenes in a different order. The plot of the The Manor is a fictionalized account of the Doheny family, involving Doheny's involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal and his son's murder. The Manor has been performed at Greystone Mansion since 2002.

Greystone Manor is also the location of 'The Annual Hollywood Ball' where hundreds of celebrities gather each year for a grand fashion show, dinner and auction to raise money for the Pure Foundation, helping children in need around the globe. The million dollar gathering also includes live performances by leading artists.

[edit] Shot on Location

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
  2. ^ a b c Timme, Katherine, The History of Greystone, <http://www.greystonemansion.org/history.html>. Retrieved on 27 December 2007 
  3. ^ a b c d e Hobart, Christy (12-27-2007), “At Greystone, there will be 'Blood' -- and bowling”, Los Angeles Times: F1, F4, <http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-blood27dec27,1,6977925.story?ctrack=2&cset=true> 
  4. ^ Military Museum description of the Teapot Dome scandal

[edit] External links

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