Rolling down the side streets of Beverly Hills can be a wonderfully enchanted, but horribly demoralizing, experience. With mansions the size of the White House, perfectly coiffed lawns and the smell of old money floating in the air, BH is truly that polarizing Less Than Zero-esque neighborhood that we've all grown to hate/love.
However, take a trip down good ol' Carmelita, stopping at the corner of Walden Drive, and you'll come across one of the most interesting things the 90210 has to offer: The Beverly Hills Witches House.
Designed by a Hollywood art director, and never intended to be occupied by an actual human being, the Witches House (aka the Spadena House) certainly looks out of place on the block. With a facade that's straight out of Hansel and Gretel, the house has lopsided roofs, stucco walls, oddly misshaped windows and a "Beware the Witch" sign around a moat. You can't say they weren't committed to the theme here.
It's actually pretty incredible that something like this exists on such valuable real estate, and kudos to whoever currently lives here. I can't imagine what the property (and moat?) taxes are to keep this thing up and running.
Plus, the neighbors...what the hell must they think of this? You work hard to buy that $5 million dollar mansion on a quite street, in an exclusive zip code and away from the normies of society, only to find out that your neighbor operates a goofy tourist trap that attracts the attention of the Hollywood bus tour every 30 mins. Dude living here must have the best sense of humor in the world, or maybe he hates rich people, or maybe it's an actual witch?
A real hit on Halloween, the Witches house is now recognized as Beverly Hills landmark #8. You can even see some photos from the inside of it here.
HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?
The house was built and designed by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver, who was a prolific set decorator in the 1920s.
Built in 1921, the house originally served as offices, dressing rooms and occasionally set piece for Willat Studios, before being bought by producer Ward Lascelle. Lascelle owned a plot of land in BH, so he opted to move the set piece as is, and turned the 3,500 square foot decoration into a functioning home.
Eventually the house would change hands in 1965 to the Green Family, who would keep it in tact until 1998 when real estate agent Michael Libow purchased it. Libow was a product of Beverly Hills, had loved the manor since he was a kid and was intent on keeping all of its witchy glory. Still the owner to this day, Mr. Libow upgraded the house a bit, but has kept good on his promise of keeping the aesthetic intact.
NOTE: It got the name the "Spadena House" because Ward's wife Lillian got the house in a divorce settlement, and would ultimately marry their servant, whose last name was Spadena. How's that for a legacy diss, Mr. Lucille?
