Current Ownership of the Ennis House
The Ennis House, a Mayan Revival style mansion in the Los Feliz Hills of Los Angeles, is currently owned by Ron Burkle, an American billionaire businessman and investor known for his diversified holdings in finance, real estate, and industry. Burkle acquired the property in 2011 through his investment firm, and the purchase price was reported to be around $4.5 million after years of legal disputes and a prior failed sale attempt. The house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924 for Charles and Mabel Ennis, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains one of the most iconic residential commissions by the architect. The current ownership structure is tied to Burkle's private investment vehicles, with no public company directly listed as the titleholder, though the asset is managed as part of his broader portfolio of rare real estate and cultural investments Forbes.
Prior to Burkle's acquisition, the Ennis House had a complex ownership history that included a period of severe deterioration and multiple sale attempts. In 2009, a proposed sale to billionaire Ron Burkle fell through due to preservation requirements, and the property was later transferred to a trust connected to Burkle after he eventually completed the purchase. The house had been owned earlier by media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who leased it for use as a filming location, and by subsequent private owners who struggled with the high costs of maintenance. The current owner has invested in stabilization and restoration efforts to address structural issues, including the replacement of deteriorating textile block walls and the repair of the iconic Mayan-inspired ornamentation. The Ennis House Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the property, continues to work with the owner and public agencies to ensure the long-term conservation of the landmark Ennis House Foundation.
Historical Significance and Architectural Details
The Ennis House is widely regarded as one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most ambitious residential designs and a key example of his textile block construction system. Built in 1924, the house features elaborate Mayan-inspired motifs, interlocking precast concrete blocks, and a layout that integrates indoor and outdoor spaces across a hillside site. The property sits on approximately 1.5 acres in the Los Feliz neighborhood, with panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin and the Griffith Park area. The house has been used as a filming location for numerous movies and television series, including scenes from Blade Runner and several episodes of the original Star Trek series. Its architectural significance has been recognized by multiple preservation organizations, and it is frequently cited in studies of Wright's later career and his experiments with modular construction Wikipedia.
The design of the Ennis House reflects Frank Lloyd Wright's interest in organic architecture and his exploration of prefabricated building systems. The textile blocks, which were cast on site using a mixture of concrete and decorative patterns, were intended to create a unified aesthetic that echoed the surrounding landscape and the ancient Maya temples of the Yucatan Peninsula. The house includes 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and a total living area of approximately 6,200 square feet, with features such as a central hearth, a grand living room with a canopy ceiling, and a series of terraces that blend into the hillside. Over the decades, the house has undergone several phases of restoration, with major work completed in the 1980s and again in the 2000s to address structural cracking and water damage. The current owner has continued these efforts, working with architects and