Mourning an Ellwood Original - Page 2

Case Study House No. 16, a designated city landmark at 1811 Bel Air Road, is Ellwood's sole surviving design for the CSH program. A modern marvel of steel, glass, and concrete, the residence masterfully showcases Ellwood's genius for utilizing industrial materials as a solution for low-cost residential housing.

Adele Cygelman, author of a number of architectural books, including Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert, attended an estate sale at the Zimmerman house in December 2022, and commented that the house was in great shape at the time.

"It belonged to Sam and Hilda Rolfe," she says of the Zimmerman house. "Sam co-created 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' and 'Have Gun, Will Travel' TV series. Hilda passed away last year, and I assume their estate passed to a family trust member."

"I knew this would happen!" Cygelman added, referring to the home's demolition. "North Carmelina is one giant demo/construction zone. Honestly, nothing in Brentwood stands a chance unless the homeowner takes proactive measures."

On January 11, the Los Angeles Conservancy posted a demolition alert for the Ellwood home on their social media page, noting that it was "unclear what is motivating this demolition, as it is not for sale, and has not been transferred out of longtime ownership," and pressed for alternatives to demolition.

At the same time as architectural homes are being marketed as high-end, collectible art, others are being torn down to build new. Perhaps a Historic-Cultural Monument designation could have saved the Zimmerman house, or allowed the necessary time to delay demolition. Tragically, calls for preservation fell on deaf ears.

"Brentwood could use a historical society," Cygelman says. "To highlight these homes and make people understand what's there, not that they can compete with $15M Brentwood farmhouses."

Today, what's left of the Zimmerman house is only a memory.