“It just… disappeared” 🏚️❓ In one of LA’s richest neighborhoods stands a crooked little house that shouldn’t be there. Locals whisper about its past, tourists line up for a photo—but the real story behind how it got there has never been fully explained. The full mystery is in the article below 👇
In the heart of Beverly Hills sits one of the most unusual and beloved homes in the area—a whimsical, spooky-looking cottage known as the “Witch’s House.” But this is no ordinary fairytale property. What makes this house so captivating isn’t just its crooked charm or storybook design—it’s the fact that, once upon a time, it mysteriously relocated.
Yes, you read that right. This house, built in the 1920s by Willat Studios, wasn’t always tucked away in Beverly Hills. Originally constructed as a set piece and office space for film production in Culver City, it was never meant to be permanent. When the studio wrapped up filming, the plan was to tear it down. But the house vanished—only to later resurface miles away, fully intact, in Beverly Hills.
The official story is that studio producer Ward Lascelles bought the house and was granted permission to rebuild it in its current location. But here’s where it gets strange: there’s no solid record of how the house was actually moved. The photos online show it partially disassembled, but the full details of its “flight” remain a mystery. It was as if the house simply picked itself up and relocated—a tale fitting for a structure now dubbed the “Witch’s House.”
The mystery deepens with stories from locals who remember a peculiar woman once living inside. Always dressed in black and rarely seen, she fueled rumors that the house was enchanted. Then, as quietly as she came, she vanished.
Later, the ex-wife of the original art director, Harry Oliver, took up residence in the house. She married her housekeeper, Mr. Spaden, which is how the property picked up a new nickname: “Spaden’s House.”
By the 1990s, the house had fallen into disrepair. Every potential buyer seemed more interested in demolishing it than preserving its magic—until Michael Libow stepped in. A Beverly Hills native, Libow had loved the house since childhood and paid $1.3 million to save it. He enlisted the help of Hollywood production designer Nelson Coates to restore it, keeping its original spirit alive while breathing new life into its creaky bones.
Thanks to their efforts, the Witch’s House is now protected as a historic landmark. Tourists flock to see it, and it’s one of the most iconic and sought-after homes in West Los Angeles.
All of this might never have happened if one man hadn’t believed in the magic of the past.
Have you ever come across a place that felt like it had a story of its own? Tell us about it in the comments!
