Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
After the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire, the architectural heritage of the Pacific Palisades has been reduced to isolated fragments—scattering people, history, and communities. Among the rubble, historically significant chimneys have survived, some designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., Paul R. Williams, Richard Neutra, and Paul László. House Museum works to preserve these structures through documentation and relocation. Together, our goal is to save some of the surviving treasures that represent the evolution of Southern California architecture and design.
House Museum, in collaboration with Pacific Palisades Preservation Coalition including Los Angeles Conservancy, is producing an Artifact Catalogue. This digital database highlights the unique architectural heritage of the Pacific Palisades, from Mediterranean villas to Coastal New England homes dating back to the 1920s. We are collecting oral histories, material data, photographs, and videos captured throughout the community engagement process. All data is built from the State of California - Office of Historic Preservation - Historic Resources Inventory standard.
Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. (1890–1978)
Notable Buildings: John Sowden House, Hollywood Bowl Shells, Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Taggart House, Oasis Hotel, Samuel-Novarro House, Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Wayfarers Chapel, Will Weber House, Otto Bollman House, Claudette Colbert Residence
Paul R. Williams (1894–1980)
Notable Buildings: LAX Theme Building, 28th Street YMCA, Rene Faron Residence, Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills, Williams Residence, Los Angeles Superior Court, La Concha Motel, St. Jude Hospital, Memphis, First AME Church, Los Angeles, Beverly Sunset Medical Center
Richard Neutra (1892–1970)
Notable Buildings: Kaufmann Desert House, Lovell House, Jardinette Apartments, Van der Leeuw House, Laemmle Building, Scheyer House, Landfair Apartments, Neutra/Maxwell House, Stuart Bailey House, Case Study House #6, #13, #20A, #21A, Cyclorama Building, UCLA Lab School
Palisades Fire Memorial [Artifact Catalogue], 2025.
Phase II of Project Chimney is the creation of the Palisades Fire Memorial—a public installation built of salvaged fireplaces and chimneys. Working with local residents and public land stewards, the memorial invites the community to gather, while recalling bygone structures as a critical architectural guide for future rebuild trajectories. In order to resist complete erasure, we are working to relocate select structures. Salvaged freestanding chimneys will stand as beacons for future generations to remember the past. DONATE HERE.
ב | House Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Interested in contributing a vacant site or partnering with House? Please contact info [at] house.museum | |
"In my Father's house there are many dwelling places." John 14:2 |