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Desert Rat Scrap Book HARRY OLIVER'S ARCHITECTURE

Here you'll find material about the
Old Mirage Salesman's architectural designs
and constructions, both in Greater Hollywood
and out in the Desert

CLICK AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE

HARRY'S ADOBE & QUAINT ARCHITECTURE

Adobe de Rancho Ballona
Rancho.Ballona by Betty Stohler: 48k

Adobe de Borrego
Borrego Springs by Betty Stohler: 40k

Adobe de Borrego Under Construction
Borrego Adobe Under Construction: 240k

Van De Kamp Windmill
VDK Windmill by Betty Stohler: 46k

Van De Kamp Windmill
VDK Windmilll

Tam O'Shanter
Tam O'Shanter by Betty Stohler: 28k

Arabian Nights Stage
Arabian Nights Stage, Indio

Old Fort Oliver
Ft.Oliver by Betty Stohler: 53k

Old Fort Oliver
Fort Oliver

Old Fort Oliver
Fort Oliver

Spadena (Witch) House

Witch House Photo "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
Witch House by Betty Stohler: 40k

Betty Stohler at
Witch House, 1989
witchhouse: 123k

    

Description of the Witch House
witchhouse: 14k

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.

Harry's First Home
home: 61k

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

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

Harry's trail


. . . and a street!




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