'Goin' for Gold' Once Again - Page 2

Born in Fresno, Liebhardt was raised in Pasadena and San Marino, attending Curtis Wright technical school before signing up with the Navy to serve in World War II. He attended the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Denver upon completion of his wartime service.

After attending a lecture by Frank Lloyd Wright, Liebhardt's instructor shared his student's drawings with the master, who promptly invited him to visit Taliesin, commenting, "Come be with me before they ruin you."

In the 1950s, Liebhardt and his wife, Marianne, settled in La Jolla, where he worked for architect Lloyd Ruocco. Liebhardt then ventured out on his own, initially partnering with fellow Taliesin apprentice Loch Crane. Working with a number of San Diego-based architects, Liebhardt would eventually partner with Eugene Weston III, Don Goldman, and Bob Botton.

His firm designed luxury homes, including the DuPont residence, as well as large-scale commercial projects, such as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and the Marine Research Library at Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

To visit the North residence is to be transported. The home was "designed for the family as an 'upside-down house,' with the bedrooms below levels," Herrin says. "The upstairs part of the house was definitely created to maximize entertaining, and where people really spend their time. It was probably ahead of its time; I don't believe that's how they designed homes back then."

There are three bedrooms and a family room on the first level. You enter on the second level into a large living room warmed by a fireplace. Going up to the third level, you find a dining room, kitchen, and a breakfast room. A flex room, likely designed as the master bedroom, is currently utilized as an office with an adjoining bath, and looks out to views across the treetops. A three-car garage with direct access to the home features a dumbwaiter for convenience.

Over the last year, the home has been upgraded with a new roof, solar panels, electrical panel, and a new sewer line to the street.

"The home has a lot of historical integrity, not just the style but the architect," Herrin says. "We also have the original plans that come with the house. There's a lot of folklore about his [Lowell North] family in Point Loma; it's a very well-known house and family, and really is a moving piece of art."

To more fully appreciate this unique property, check out the virtual tour.

As we went to publication, we learned that 850 San Antonio Drive had gone into escrow. Back-up offers are still welcome.