11 Most Endangered

Ennis House

Year Listed: 2005
Location: Los Angeles , California
Current Status: Endangered
Threat: Deterioration, Natural Forces

Latest News

June 22, 2009: After years of working to stabilize and restore this Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, the Ennis House Foundation has placed the home on the market. A conservation easement has been placed on the property to protect it from demolition and guide future restoration and maintenance. The house is listed with Hilton & Hyland and Dilbeck Realtors in Los Angeles, with international marketing services by Christie's Great Estates. The Foundation seeks a preservation-minded buyer with the vision and resources to continue restoring the home. Read more.

View of damage at Ennis House in 2005.

Credit: National Trust for Historic Preservation

Significance

The grandest of Frank Lloyd Wright's "textile block" houses, the 1924 Ennis House combined the famed architect's longstanding interest in the sculptural qualities of concrete and his quest to design innovative buildings. Built of concrete blocks that incorporate material excavated at the building site, the house truly blends with its setting-but its unique design is so eye-catching that it has served as a backdrop for many fashion shoots and films, including 1974's Day of the Locust and 1982's Blade Runner. But time has not been kind to the landmark. A previous owner applied a sealant to the walls, trapping water inside that has rusted steel reinforcing bars and caused the blocks to crack and spall. In 1994, the Northridge earthquake led to the partial collapse of the south retaining wall, the chauffeur's quarters and the structural support for the dining room. Record rains in 2004 caused additional damage. The Ennis House was placed on the 11 Most Endangered list in 2005, which generated widespread publicity and support for saving the house.

Updates

The National Trust, in partnership with the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, reorganized the nonprofit that owns the house as the Ennis House Foundation in 2005. The Foundation spearheaded a major effort to stabilize the house, securing $6.5 million in funding from sources including FEMA and a $4.5 million construction loan from First Republic Bank guaranteed by Ron Burkle.

Construction lasted from mid-2006 to mid-2007 and included building a new structural frame to support the motor court, chauffeur's quarters, and part of the south wall, which had partially collapsed. The project also replaced the roof; repaired and restored interior woodwork, floors, ceilings, art-glass doors and windows, and a mosaic glass tile mural; painted the kitchen cabinetry in its original color; and cleaned interior concrete blocks. Nearly 3,000 of the home's 27,000 concrete blocks were repaired or replaced. Many of the blocks had eroded over time or were treated with waterproofing materials that inadvertently caused damage. As many of the original blocks as possible were repaired, and new replacement blocks were cast from molds made from the originals.

The Ennis House Foundation commissioned a historic structures report on the house, partially funded by a grant from the Parsons Foundation. Continued restoration of the house is estimated to cost between $5 million and $7 million. After serious consideration, the Foundation decided to place the house on the market to find an owner with the resources necessary to complete the restoration and ensure the long-term preservation of this architectural icon.