Listed for $12.995 million, this Hancock Park residence was designed by master architect Gordon Kaufmann for Dr. Isaac Hampshur Jones, a pioneer in aviation medicine who created the standardized test used to determine the fitness of aspiring Army Air Corps pilots during World War I.
A combination of wood and Ashlar-cut stone from the Boise Stone Co. was used on the English Revival-style home’s arcadian exterior, according to the Kaufmann volume of “Master Architects of Southern California 1920-1940.” Some $250,000 worth of Indian teak was sourced to create the elaborate paneled interiors, which incorporated a pipe organ into the original design.
Among the 1925-built home’s distinctive details is a dramatic great room, complete with floor-to-ceiling paneling, hand-carved detailing and a massive bay window that takes in garden views. A pub room awash in stonework opens directly to the swimming pool. The upstairs office has a hidden door that leads to the primary bedroom suite, one of five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Outside, the half-acre property holds a lagoon-style swimming pool and two guest cottages. Lush gardens, koi ponds and a meandering stream fill out the grounds.
Jones and his wife, Emelie, lived at the house for six years before moving to Laughlin Park in Los Feliz, where they commissioned Kaufmann to design a smaller version of their first home, according to “Master Architects.” The Hancock Park residence was later owned by Hollywood film producer Irving Asher.
Kaufmann’s notable works include the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, the Hoover Dam and the Modern-style Los Angeles Times building in downtown Los Angeles.
Aaron Kirman of the Aaron Kirman Group at Compass holds the listing.