Page 45 - carey-bunse_habs_ca2712

)

HARRY CAREY RANCH,
Ranch House (Building 5)
HABS No. CA- 2712-A (Page 7)
)
simpler single stoiy massing, rectangular plan, and low red roofs
) associated with the Spanish Colonial Revival style. 15
)
Western film star Harry Carey and his wife Olive had the house
constructed in a style that was consistent with the theme of Western
architecture that they had established on their property in the 1920s. The
main fac;ade of the home (east side) is dominated by an inset porch flanked
on either side by the gable ends of the two side wings of the U plan. The
long front porch, rear courtyard, adobe construction, Spanish tile roofing,
and exposed ceiling beams are typical of the revival of this type of
construction in California in the 1920s and 1930s. Although there have
not been any major permanent additions to the building, the Clougherty
family altered the house with several modifications. The most unusual
change was the addition of painted murals in all the major rooms of the
home, created by scenic artist Leslie A. Grimes, in the 1950s or 1960s.

) 2. Condition of fabric: The current condition of the main house (Building
() ~5) is good to fair. The Clougherty family and their employees have
consistently maintained the building. Its adobe construction has, however,
suffered some deterioration over the years and was probably damaged
C) further during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The interior and exterior
() walls, nearly all windows and doors, and the roof are largely unaltered.
C) The flooring, fireplaces and chimneys were altered in the 1950s or 1960s,
but remain in good condition, and the only non-original door is found in
the north wall at the kitchen entrance.

B. Description of Exterior:

1. Overall dimensions: This U-shaped residence measwes about 87'- O"
along the fac;ade, which includes the 45'- O" long porch, the width of the
south wing (20'- O") and the north wing (22'- O"). Each wing is about 56'-
0" long. A recessed uncovered porch is set into the north side of the
northern wing (see Sketch Plan).

C) 2. Foundations: The house appears to rest on a poured concrete perimeter

foundation, but because the interior floor levels are uneven, its exact
construction type is unknown. A small cellar is located under the kitchen
()
and is accessed by a trap door in the floor.
()
()
,-·--,
\__ ) 15 Harold Kirker, Old Forms on a New Land: California Architecture in Perspective (Niwot, CO: Roberts
C) Rinehart Publishers, 1991), 82-84; Cyril M. Harris, American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
() (New Y_ork, W.W. Norton and Company: 1998), 1_65, 272, 306-310.
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