Here you'll find material about the Old Mirage Salesman's architectural designs and constructions, both in Greater Hollywood and out in the Desert
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HARRY'S ADOBE & QUAINT ARCHITECTURE
Adobe de Rancho Ballona
Adobe de Borrego
Adobe de Borrego Under Construction
Van De Kamp Windmill
Van De Kamp Windmill
Tam O'Shanter
Arabian Nights Stage
Old Fort Oliver
Old Fort Oliver
Old Fort Oliver
| Spadena (Witch) House "The Spadena house in Beverly Hills is perhaps the ultimate example of Storybook Style, as well as its most literal link to the film industry. The house was designed by Harry Oliver in 1921 and constructed in Culver City to provide offices and dressing rooms for a movie studio. With its serpentine fascia boards and cartoonishly lopsided walls and roofs, the entire design is a cleverly-wrought caricature of dilapidated antiquity. The house appeared in a number of silent films of the era before being moved to Beverly Hills in 1934 and converted into a residence." | | Witch House - Willat Studios |
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| Betty Stohler atWitch House, 1989 | | Description of the Witch House From Kate Danley's journal, January 19, 2002:". . . what was truly the highlight of the whole trip and a place I recommend to everyone was "Witch's House." From the tour book "Designed in 1921 by Harry Oliver," this "Hansel and Gretel" style house was originally built in Culver City as offices for the Irwin C. Willat movie stuidio. Moved here in the early 1930's, it is now a private residence, 516 Walden Drive. It is a home straight out of a dream. It has a moat in front, a rickety bridge going to the teeny front door. The shingles are all catiwampus. Absolutley the most adorable home I have ever seen. |
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Harry's First Home
This is a photo of Harry's first home. He was born in this home in Hastings, Minnesota in 1888, and lived there for several years before he headed to California. My wife and I currently own and live in the home which we purchased in 1998 for it's historical value, appearance, and location.
John and Judy Bowles
| Harry's Bus Stop The bus stop at Varner Road and Harry Oliver Trail, 1000 Palms, Cal. As architecture goes it's pretty minimal, but at least Harry got a bus stop named after him . . . | | Harry's Trail . . . and a street! |
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HARRY OLIVER'S ARCHITECTURE 
"The Spadena house in Beverly Hills is perhaps the ultimate example of Storybook Style, as well as its most literal link to the film industry. The house was designed by Harry Oliver in 1921 and constructed in Culver City to provide offices and dressing rooms for a movie studio. With its serpentine fascia boards and cartoonishly lopsided walls and roofs, the entire design is a cleverly-wrought caricature of dilapidated antiquity. The house appeared in a number of silent films of the era before being moved to Beverly Hills in 1934 and converted into a residence." | | Witch House - Willat Studios
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| | Description of the Witch House
From Kate Danley's journal, January 19, 2002:". . . what was truly the highlight of the whole trip and a place I recommend to everyone was "Witch's House." From the tour book "Designed in 1921 by Harry Oliver," this "Hansel and Gretel" style house was originally built in Culver City as offices for the Irwin C. Willat movie stuidio. Moved here in the early 1930's, it is now a private residence, 516 Walden Drive. It is a home straight out of a dream. It has a moat in front, a rickety bridge going to the teeny front door. The shingles are all catiwampus. Absolutley the most adorable home I have ever seen. | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
The bus stop at Varner Road and Harry Oliver Trail, 1000 Palms, Cal. As architecture goes it's pretty minimal, but at least Harry got a bus stop named after him . . . | | Harry's Trail
. . . and a street! | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
