2400 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046 Worth around $2.7 million. The exact location of Harry Houdinis home or whether he even owned a home in Los Angeles Laurel Canyon has been as mysterious as the magician himself. But, what appears to be the case is Houdini became friends with a man named Ralph Walker (also referred to as Ralf) who built a large estate in 1915 at the corner of Laurel Canyon Blvd and Willow Glen Road. Walker was a department store magnate who spared no expense and oversaw construction of a magnificent , three-story, Mediterranean-style home on four acres. It had a grand masonry staircase that connected the lower grounds to the mansion and the grounds contained stone terraces, grottoes, walkways, fountains, and springs. Walker also built a four-bedroom guest house on the knoll across the street from the mansion. This guest home is probably where Houdini stayed when he visited the area in 1919 while making movies for the Famous Players-Lasky Corp (precursor to Paramount Studios). An elevator in the guest house went to a tunnel under the road, connecting the two properties. Due to Houdinis celebrated status at the time, Walkers property became known as Houdinis House. Shortly after Houdini died on Halloween 1926, his wife, Bess, and her manager, Edward Saint, lived in the guest house until Walkers death in 1935. Walkers mansion was then sold to a real estate broker, Charles Wilson, who reportedly leased it to an ex-con-turned-evangelist who used the mansion as a retreat for his followers. Wilson died in 1954 and the home was then purchased by Fania Pearson, who lived there until a brush fire swept through the canyon in 1959, destroying the mansion and leaving behind only the beautiful masonry work. The land sat this way for many years, occupied by vagrants and visits from Houdini fans. In 1997, the property was purchased by an antiques dealer, then three other owners had possession until Jose Luis Nazar purchased it in 2006. He is now renting out the home (the former chauffeurs cottage) and grounds as Houdini Park, where it is used for charity events, film shoots, weddings, and special occasions. See the grounds as they appear now (video). One thing confirmed is the tunnel between the homes really did exist, but was flooded and has not been used. Does the ghost of Houdini appear here? Some say yes and some say no, but its hard to believe he does -- especially when he failed to live up to his promise of contacting his wife, Bess, despite 10 years of trying. Ten years is long enough to wait for any man, Bess said during the last unsuccessful seance to contact Harry.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 16:32:14 +0000
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