photos by Joie de Vivre Photographie
Square Footage of
House: 10,000
Square Footage of
Living Space: 7,500
Number of Bedrooms : 22
Number of Bathroom : 7
He was born on December 6, 1864 in Newburgh, New York. William S. Hart, otherwise known as Bill, made his way to the wilds of the Midwest with his family, travelling through the Great Plains. For Bill, his childhood was a “great adventure” despite the family’s economic hardship.
Bill always dreamed of being an actor, and made a career as a stage actor in the late 1800’s. In 1890, he landed leading roles in plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Othello to name a few.
It was 100 years ago this year, that Bill, while in Cleveland, Ohio with the Cast of The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, went to watch a Western film. Everything was wrong with the film, according to Bill, and it was at this moment where he saw opportunity…opportunity to use his intimate knowledge of the West to make authentic Western films. Bill made more than 65 silent films, often working with his horse Fritz.
Bill had an 11-year career making movies before he decided to make his home in the Santa Clarita Valley. In 1921, he purchased a small ranch house and surrounding land in Newhall. Over the years, he used the ranch house, otherwise known as the Horseshoe Ranch, as a weekend getaway home. Eventually he acquired 230 acres of land and in 1925, built a custom home with the help of architect Arthur Kelly. The beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival Mansion sits atop the hill and was named “La Loma de los Vientos”…The Hill of the Winds. The name couldn’t be more fitting as a cool breeze flows through the property at any given time of the day.
The mansion served as Bill’s retirement home as well as the home for his younger sister, Mary Ellen. The 10,000 square foot custom built home has 7,500 square feet of living space, complete with 22 rooms and seven bathrooms. Bill’s mansion is filled with an impressive collection of western artwork, Native American artifacts, Navajo rugs, Hollywood memorabilia and beautiful furniture. Throughout the home you will see artwork from Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington, and Joe de Yong. Bill had a love of Native American culture and you can see that throughout his home.
Unique to the home is the formal dining room, where Bill would entertain many of his famous guests such as Wyatt Earp, Amelia Earheart and many more Hollywood film stars of his time. Included in the formal dining is the warming oven, a luxury item that helped heat the room as well as kept the food warm and the home smelling good. The original flooring in the dining room still boasts beauty and charm and consists of blocks of redwood, installed by hand, without nails or glue.
The mansion has two kitchens in the home, one large main kitchen downstairs and a smaller kitchen upstairs. The main kitchen downstairs includes the original ice box, which would require ice to be delivered by the Newhall Ice Company, still in business today.
Peruse up the spiral staircase to the second floor of the mansion, where you will find a huge multipurpose room where guests would be entertained. There, you will find a huge Alaskan Kodiak bear rug covering the floor, a gift given to Bill by Will Rogers. You will also find the quirt that was given to him by Wyatt Earp. The room also served as a media room, where guests could watch movies. The original projector sits at the back of the room with a drop down white screen to view these movies. The room also has many exhibits with additional personal furnishings as well as Bill’s collection of saddle and tack.
Quite the social butterfly, Bill often accommodated his visitors by inviting them to spend the night, where they would have the entire west wing to themselves, complete with a small kitchen.
Bill had turned over his first bedroom at the back of his home, giving it to his Great Danes. First hand written accounts state that Bill’s pony, Fritz, would also come into the room. Being very animal friendly, nearly ten years after living there, Bill added an additional bedroom (the only addition to the home) for himself, and gave the other room to the dogs.
Bill lived at his home until his death in 1946. In his will, he gave the property to the County of Los Angeles to be enjoyed by the public at no charge. Insights to Bill’s life are revealed throughout the mansion and, in 1962, Walt Disney donated a herd of American bison, where they roam the hillsides. All of Bill’s animals, including his many horses and dogs are buried on the property.
Guests may visit the Hart Mansion on 30-minute guided tours, which start on the hour and half hour during the Museum’s hours of operation. The tours are completely free – guests need only wait outside the front door of the Mansion until the next tour begins.
For more information regarding the William S. Hart Museum and Ranch, please call 661-254-4584 or visit www.hartmuseum.org.
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