A 1920s Colonial Estate By Famed L.A. Architects Just Hit The Market For $6.8 Million

Before architects Sumner Spaulding and Walter Weber designed Santa Catalina Island's storied Catalina Casino, they created this residential gem in Los Feliz.

On the market for $6.8 million, the Colonial-style residence was built in 1928, the same year the design duo completed a separate project for silent film star Harold Lloyd. The actor's 45,000-square-foot, 44-room mansion in Beverly Hills is better known as Greenacres and is listed as a California Historical Landmark. While the seven-bed, seven-bath pad being highlighted today is relatively smaller in size, it's got just as much character within its walls.

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A Los Feliz residence built in 1928 by architects Spaulding and Weber just listed for $6.8 million

Measuring 6,408 square feet, the spread sits on just about half an acre of land behind a set of gates. To enter the home, a sunken courtyard brimming with greenery opens to the main front hall. Once inside, you'll find many of its original architectural details have been preserved including the plasterwork, crown moldings, hardwood floors, and built-ins. Most notably, the double staircases have remained intact, along with a dumb waiter. Though, the listing doesn't mention if the latter still works.

The Colonial-style home features a primary suite with its own balcony

Elsewhere, the first floor sports a light-filled living room with its own fireplace and original French doors that open to the backyard and frame the hilly views. This level also has a library, formal dining room, kitchen, and family room—all of which conveniently have outdoor access as well. Nearby, there's a one-bedroom suite, however, all of the other sleeping quarters are located upstairs, connected by an expansive arched hallway. The primary suite obviously reigns supreme with an updated bathroom and private balcony that overlooks the city.

When you're ready to step outside, you'll be greeted by a large swimming pool, an alfresco kitchen, a partially covered dining patio, and a cozy fireplace. Just don't forget to grab a bottle of your favorite vino from the temperature-controlled wine cellar in the basement.

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Konstantine Valissarakos of Nourmand & Associates and Rick Yohon of Sotheby's hold the listing together.

Click here to see all the photos of 3659 Shannon Road.  

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Indentured Servants In The U.S.

Indentured Servants first arrived in America in the decade following the settlement of Jamestown by the Virginia Company in 1607.

The idea of indentured servitude was born of a need for cheap labor. The earliest settlers soon realized that they had lots of land to care for, but no one to care for it. With passage to the Colonies expensive for all but the wealthy, the Virginia Company developed the system of indentured servitude to attract workers. Indentured servants became vital to the colonial economy.

The timing of the Virginia colony was ideal. The Thirty Year's War had left Europe's economy depressed, and many skilled and unskilled laborers were without work. A new life in the New World offered a glimmer of hope; this explains how one-half to two-thirds of the immigrants who came to the American colonies arrived as indentured servants.

Servants typically worked four to seven years in exchange for passage, room, board, lodging and freedom dues. While the life of an indentured servant was harsh and restrictive, it wasn't slavery. There were laws that protected some of their rights. But their life was not an easy one, and the punishments meted out to people who wronged were harsher than those for non-servants. An indentured servant's contract could be extended as punishment for breaking a law, such as running away, or in the case of female servants, becoming pregnant.

For those that survived the work and received their freedom package, many historians argue that they were better off than those new immigrants who came freely to the country. Their contract may have included at least 25 acres of land, a year's worth of corn, arms, a cow and new clothes. Some servants did rise to become part of the colonial elite, but for the majority of indentured servants that survived the treacherous journey by sea and the harsh conditions of life in the New World, satisfaction was a modest life as a freeman in a burgeoning colonial economy.

In 1619 the first black Africans came to Virginia. With no slave laws in place, they were initially treated as indentured servants, and given the same opportunities for freedom dues as whites. However, slave laws were soon passed – in Massachusetts in 1641 and Virginia in 1661 –and any small freedoms that might have existed for blacks were taken away.

As demands for labor grew, so did the cost of indentured servants. Many landowners also felt threatened by newly freed servants demand for land. The colonial elite realized the problems of indentured servitude. Landowners turned to African slaves as a more profitable and ever-renewable source of labor and the shift from indentured servants to racial slavery had begun.

Glendale Mansion Showcases Southern Colonial Exterior, Maximalist Interior Design

GLENDALE, Mo. – A home can eventually take on the personality of its owners over a lifetime. Every decision on the look and design imbues the home with an owner's temperament. A recently-built mansion in a St. Louis suburb reflects the spirit and passion of two different owners, showcasing grounded sensibilities with bold decision-making.

Built in 2019, 940 Hawbrook Road is considered an ongoing passion project. The first owner contacted Chicago-based architect Michael Abraham to design a home that would fit into the architectural fabric of the community and possess a timeless look.

The result is a 4,000-square foot modern take on Southern Colonial design. Gone are the more ornate trappings like pilasters and pediment doors and windows, but what remain are traditional features like a columned-portico and symmetrical front facade.

Local home builder Herring Development constructed the main residence and garage/guest house. The main home has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and two half-baths over four levels. The garage en-suite has an additional full-sized bedroom and bath.

The current owners are responsible for the maximalist design inside the residence. According to the "more is more" aphorism, no room is left untouched, as everything from wallpaper, carpets, drapes, and other fabrics are carefully chosen to celebrate both the grandiose and audacious.

The entry hall, containing the living room and dining area, is surrounded by hand-painted, customized Gracie wallpaper depicting the serene French countryside. The other rooms feature daring appointments from a who's who of interior design brands like Brunschwig & Fils, Cowtan & Tout, Colefax and Fowler, Scalamandre, Thibaut, and Phillip Jeffries. The wallpaper used in the study (called "desert cowboy") comes from Spoonflower, a textile collaborative.

See the full listing here.

Additional InformationRealtor: Stephanie Oliver, Dielmann Sotheby's International RealtyPhotography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media