Henry Levy House Explained

Henry Levy House
Nrhp Type:cp
Nocat:yes
Partof:Henry T. Oxnard Historic District
Partof Refnum:99000109
Location:155 S. G Street, Oxnard, California, U.S.
Coordinates:34.202°N -119.1869°W
Built:1915
Architect:Homer W. Glidden[1]
Architecture:Bungalow/craftsman
Designated Nrhp Type:February 5, 1999

The Henry Levy House at 155 S. G Street is a historic American Craftsman home located in Oxnard, California.[2] The house has 18 rooms with five bedrooms and five bathrooms, a detached two-car garage, and a detached workshop in the rear. It is approximately and sits on three parcels of land totaling nearly .

History and historic designation

Achille Levy settled in Ventura County California from Mommenheim, Bas-Rhin, France in the early 1870s. His wife's brother, Henry Levy, came from Paris, France, and joined him in business, establishing a brokerage business before the turn of the century and became one of the outstanding grain and bean dealers in Southern California. They became major leaders in the growth of the City of Oxnard and its surrounding territories.[3] The Bank of A. Levy was co-founded by Achille and Henry.

The house, built by Henry Levy, is part of the Henry T. Oxnard Historic District in downtown Oxnard, California, a 70-acre area that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[4] In December 1982, it was listed as No. 74 on the list of Ventura County Historic Landmarks. Levy's brother, Achille Levy, built No. 75 on the list located at 201 S. D Street, just a few blocks away.[5] [6] Eight employees (cashiers, tellers, bookkeepers) of the Bank of A. Levy or of a Henry Levy company also owned houses in the district.[6]

The house is a hybrid of the Craftsman and Tudor styles of architecture. It was designed by Los Angeles architect Homer W. Glidden, who was also known for designing Upland, California's oldest civic building, the Old Carnegie Library in 1913, and the firehouse adjacent to it.[7]

The two fireplaces in the house are adorned with handcrafted tiles by Pasadena tile craftsman, Ernest Batchelder.[8] [9]

In the 1940s, a large master suite was added onto the second floor. In the early 2000s, the kitchen was remodeled and modernized, and a fence installed around the property. In 2020, a large koi pond was installed in the backyard.

Film location

In 1996, the television show Melrose Place filmed 3 episodes[10] at the house for its 5th season. The house was used as the Bel Air home of Dr. Dan Hathaway played by actor Greg Evigan.

In 1997 the house was used in the made-for-TV movie[11] What We Did That Night, also known as Murder at Devil's Glen, starring Ricky Schroder.

The show was the 23rd season finale episode of "Ghost Adventures" on Thanksgiving night, 2022. Homeowners Eric Andrist and Jeff Rizzo detailed how locked doors were caught flying open on their security cameras and provided a clip to the show of a creepy voice while host Zak Bagans was filming on the second floor. The episode also featured a neighboring house with a family who knew the Levy sisters, depicting them as racist.

Other

In 2017, the house was described in American Bungalow magazine and listed for sale at $1.45 million.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Homer Glidden profile. ArchInform.net.
  2. Web site: The Henry Levy House on Facebook . .
  3. Web site: "Henry Levy Dies at Home".
  4. Web site: Oxnard's Henry T. Oxnard Historic District. Oxnard.org.
  5. News: Williams . Kathleen . LANDMARKS COUNTY HISTORICAL SITES : A. Levy House Was a Family Center . 29 May 2021 . The Los Angeles Times . April 28, 1992.
  6. none. National Register of Historic Places Registration: Henry T. Oxnard Historic District. National Archives . Benny M. and Rosanne Moss . June 8, 1998 . June 13, 2021 . Includes photos from 1998, with #96 depicting Henry Levy House on page 179 of PDF document.
  7. Web site: Old Carnegie Library reference.
  8. Web site: So You've Got a Batchelder Fireplace? What does that Mean?.
  9. Web site: Pasadena Museum of History Batchelder Tile Registry.
  10. Web site: "Melrose Place" clips on YouTube. .
  11. Web site: "Murder at Devil's Glen" clips on Youtube. .
  12. News: The Henry Levy House. American Bungalow. June 13, 2021.