Built in 1927 for $382,000 as the luxurious Hacienda Arms Apartments, this Italian Renaissance Revival masterpiece was designed by architect Charles Sherman Cobb to serve Hollywood's entertainment elite. The building initially attracted wealthy Hollywood families and motion picture stars including Marie Dressler, Loretta Young, and James Dunn. However, during the 1930s Depression era, it gained infamous notoriety as the 'House of Francis' - described as the most famous brothel in California, run by madam Lee Francis and frequented by stars like Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, and Spencer Tracy.
This palatial five-story structure was designed to resemble a classic Italian villa. The symmetrical building features a smooth cream-and-tan plaster facade with elaborate Renaissance and Venetian Gothic detailing crafted from cast stone. Its most striking feature is the grand double staircase leading from Sunset Boulevard to a terrace at the main entrance, both adorned with ornate cast stone balustrades. The building retains original antique Italian marble and stonework, decorative plaster edifices, and intricate wrought iron work, creating what the LA Conservancy's executive director described as 'like a European palace.'
