Reviews & Ratings for El Alisal

Cheeky but charming home of L.A.'s original bohemian.

by Kim Cooper

Hand-built of local river rock between 1898 and 1910, the home of eccentric Western writer/historian Charles Fletcher Lummis is a unique example of homegrown regional architecture. Stylistically, it melds Craftsman construction with Pueblo and Mission elements. Step inside and you'll forget the 110 Freeway traffic is hurtling by only a dozen yards away. Today the house serves as headquarters for the Historical Society of Southern California. Inside, there's a mini-museum dedicated to Lummis, a fascinating local character who was L.A.'s first librarian, city editor of the L.A. Times and founder of the nearby Southwest Museum. Check out great pictures of Lummis and his celebrated friends. Off the usual museum track, the charming house and surrounding gardens are rarely crowded.