Dorothy Chandler Estate Listed at $13 Million Finds Buyer

A big piece of Los Angeles history made waves last week as the top home to go into contract.

The historic Dorothy Chandler Estate at 455 Lorraine Boulevard in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park topped a report of signed contracts from Douglas Elliman’s Eklund Gomes team. The Eklund Weekly Luxury Report Los Angeles, compiled by the team’s Marcy Roth, counts Los Angeles County homes listed in the Multiple Listing Service for $4 million or more.

The estate is currently asking $12.9 million, or $1,381 per square foot.

Built in 1913, the home was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, with its ties to Los Angeles Times owners Norman Chandler and Dorothy Buffum Chandler. The Chandlers, who bought the property in 1950, referred to the home as “Los Tiempos,” or The Times in Spanish.

Its other name as the “Western White House” comes from the parade of presidents — including Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon — along with diplomats and other high-profile individuals welcomed as guests at the estate. The Los Angeles Music Center, which includes the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, in Downtown Los Angeles was built with the help of fundraisers held at the Hancock Park residence.

Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California’s Shahryar Bastani and Beverly and Company’s Shiva Rafizadeh hold the listing.

Current sellers, Nigerian furniture manufacturer Robert Oshodin and his wife Mimie Oshodin, acquired the property for $9.5 million in 2014 to, according to property records. About two years later they marketed the home for $50 million following several renovations.

Fit for entertaining, the Beaux Arts-style home has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, music room, guest house and wine cellar. It sits on nearly 1 acre.

Last week’s second-largest home to go into contract, based on asking price, was 1150 Stone Canyon Road in Bel-Air.

The property, which sits above the Hotel Bel-Air, is priced at just under $8 million, or $1,525 per square foot. With an over 3-acre lot, it’s being marketed for its development possibility.

The lot currently holds an over 5,000-square-foot home with six beds and six baths.

Compass’ Sally Forster Jones holds the listing.

Records show the property owner is a trust tied to the artist Vivian Angelini.

Overall, Los Angeles County was mostly quiet last week when it came to dealmaking with a dozen homes entering into contract, equating to a little over $75 million in asking volume, according to the Eklund Gomes report. That’s off about 75 percent from the year-ago total volume.