John Sowden House
DETAILS:
Location: 5121 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Hours of Operation: Dependent on specific tour or event hosted at the Sowden House.
Parking: Street parking.
Cost: Dependent on specific tour or event hosted at the Sowden House.
Los Feliz (“FEE-lus”) was the first neighborhood I moved to in Los Angeles. During my time in the Happy Village, I lived less than a block away from the Sowden House without ever realizing it was there. Perched on a small hill off Los Feliz Boulevard and strategically obscured behind a blanket of well-manicured vegetation, the John Sowden House has always been shrouded in mystery. Rising into the sky like a Mayan ruin dreamt into creation by some forgotten nightmare, the Sowden House has never been without its own lore. Built for local artist; John Sowden in 1926 by Lloyd Wright (son of famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright), it gained national infamy in the late 1940s as the home of Dr. George Hodel who would become the main suspect in the Back Dahlia murder of 1947. While never formally charged, Hodel is believed to have perpetrated several other murders as well, and depending on which investigation you come across (most notably by Steven Hodel, George’s own son), some would suggest those murders occurred within the Sowden House. Conjecture aside, what is certain is that the haunting architecture will forever sear itself into your memory given the chance to see it for yourself.
These visits are unfortunately rare since there are no regular visitation hours or tours to speak of. Instead, you have to be on the lookout for the sporadic opportunity to reveal itself on various websites (such as the MAK Center for Art and Architecture listed below) or by using Google Alerts. Our break came in the form of an organization called homeLA that rented out the space (which you can do via the Sowden House’s official website) to host one of their performance projects. This event provided the perfect lens for a first-time experience at the Sowden House since the etherial nature in which all the dancers, musicians, and actors performed with allowed one to easily imagine what a private party might have looked like at any point throughout the house’s history, maybe even one that Dr. Hodel might have thrown himself.
You are immediately filled with anticipation as you ascend the winding staircase from the doorway to the main residence located on the second floor. Here you are greeted by its main feature; the grand courtyard and pool that the house builds itself around. The Mayan motif continues as displayed in the inner facade and columns. Each end of the courtyard reaches for heaven like twin temples and the long hallways that connects them together on both sides contain the house’s seven bedrooms and four bathrooms. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the master bathroom has a Koi pond for those much needed moments of Zen when you’re doing your business on the can. If you come across an opportunity to visit, don’t hesitate. Just don’t head down into the basement alone, dun-Dunn-DUNNN!
