First Offering: The Hart-Jacobs Residence originally built in 1923, with masterful expansions and additions extending into the 21st century. Architects: Meyer & Holler (original design), and modern restoration / expansion by Gene Farkas, Principal Designer, StiLLLifE Construction. Hidden behind stately columns along Wilshire Boulevard lies Fremont Place, an historic enclave in the Hancock Park district known for its exclusivity and enduring tranquility. Developed in the early 1900s during Los Angeles' rapid expansion and the rise of the Hollywood film industry, Fremont Place quickly became a magnet for grandeur and architectural experimentation. In those early cinematic days, set designers emerged as unexpected tastemakers, borrowing from global styles to craft dreamlike aesthetics for the silver screen. Real estate developers took notice, and few translated that vision more deftly than architects Meyer and Holler, the creative minds behind Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian Theaters. Among their lesser-known, but no less impressive, projects was a Mediterranean-style villa commissioned by Ocean Park developer and hotelier George Hart as his personal residence. Drawing inspiration from the Uffizi Palace in Florence, the house was celebrated in the Los Angeles Times shortly after its construction for its craftsmanship and architectural detail. Though the Italian Renaissance Revival style is often said to have waned after the 1930s, the Hart Estate remains a grand exception. After decades of neglect and a couple of ownership changes, the property had deteriorated considerably though miraculously much of its original historic fabric remained intact. In 2003 general contractor and real estate developer David Jacobs acquired the estate and, in collaboration with Gene Farkas, launched a meticulous restoration. Inspired by the elaborate woodworking and detailing of Meyer and Holler's original design, Jacobs went beyond preservation, undertaking a transformative expansion of the home. What began as a 6,000-square-foot villa evolved into a 17,000-square-foot residential campus set on nearly one and a half acres. The expansion remained deeply faithful to the original architecture, with painstaking efforts to replicate antique light fixtures, woodwork, and period-accurate details. The result is a seamless blend of past and present home that supports both intimate daily living and grand-scale entertaining on a level more often seen in a consulate than in a private residence. The estate now includes formal living and dining rooms, an oversized eat-in, live-in kitchen, a grand ballroom, library, family room with bar, club room, and conservatory. Outbuildings include a guest house, a multi-car garage, a gate house, a tower retreat, a workshop, and a pool all impeccably maintained and thoughtfully integrated into the estate's historic character. The Hart-Jacobs Estate stands today not just as a home, but as a living testament to the enduring beauty of architectural revival and visionary stewardship.
