El Alisal, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County

El Alisal

Charles Lummis built his house, El Alisal, between 1897 and 1910 on a 3-acre lot at the south end of the Arroyo Seco in northeast Los Angeles. Construction of the 4,000-square-foot Rustic American Craftsman stone house was done, by hand, by Lummls and a few Indian laborers. Lummis was an author, editor, poet, athlete, librarian, historian, archeologist, preservationist and advocate for Indians’ rights. He was the first City Editor of the Los Angeles Times. He founded the California History and Landmarks Club, focusing initially on the restoration of the Spanish Missions, and the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. Notable people who stayed in his guest houses included Clarence Darrow, Will Rogers, John Philip Sousa and John Muir. The Lummis House is a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Los Angeles, Los Angeles California
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt