Tyler House History

Written history as I know it, work-in-progress, stay tuned...

Helen D. and Theodore K. Tyler purchased the land on Woodhill Canyon Road in Studio City in 1949. At the time the surrounding hillside was somewhat bare and the city views to the north were clearly visible. Construction began in 1950 and a Certificate of Occupancy was granted on June 1, 1951.

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The approximately 1150 square foot (107sqm) home was designed for a family with two children and built-ins were designed for the upper bedroom.

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The home was sold to Thelma E. and Frank A. Grossen in 1954 and they owned it for twenty-one years. In 1963 the deck that extended outward to the street was enclosed. This increased the size of the home to 1433 sq ft (133sqm).

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The home was sold to Ray R. Thurston in 1975 and in 1976 he sold it to Geoffrey A. Tucker M.D.

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In 1977 the Tyler House was sold to Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams. Known as "The Two Garys", they created Hollywood's first major film festival, Filmex, and they dedicated many years to founding the American Cinemateque. They were leading forces in adventurous non-theatrical, non-commercial film exhibitions in the United States for more than two decades. The Two Garys lived the rest of their lives in the home, sadly dying one month apart in late 1992 from complications of AIDS.

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In May of 1993, the home was purchased by Peter Tangen. At some point during its past, there were several changes made to the house. The exterior redwood and several floor-to-ceiling pieces of glass were once painted black, the redwood was later sand-blasted to remove the paint. A steep stairway was added from the main floor to the large basement.