# Allen Siple

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Allen_Siple
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Allen_Siple.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Siple
> Source revision: 1353571380
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Allen George Siple** (July 9, 1900 – January 10, 1973) was an American architect, working in Southern California from the 1930s to 1960s.

## Early life

Siple was born on July 9, 1900 in [Otsego, Michigan](/source/Otsego,_Michigan).[1][2] His father, George H. Siple, was Canadian and his mother, Jessie, was from Michigan.[1] In 1924, his father retired to Southern California and they moved into a house located at 972 Arapahoe Street, Los Angeles, California.[1] He graduated from the University of Southern California and the [École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts](/source/%C3%89cole_nationale_sup%C3%A9rieure_des_Beaux-Arts) in Paris, France.[1]

## Career

In Los Angeles, Siple worked as an architect for the [Janss Investment Company](/source/Janss_Investment_Company). They were developing the community of Westwood in Los Angeles.[1]

### 1930s

In 1930, Siple designed the W.R. Balsom Jr. House in Westwood Hills.[1][3][4] In 1932, he designed "The Grove," also known as the "Grove Bungalow Court," located at 10669-10683 Santa Monica Boulevard in Westwood, Los Angeles.[1][5][6] In 1940, [Edla Muir](/source/Edla_Muir) (1906-1971) added two rear cottages.[6][7] The property became a [Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument](/source/List_of_Los_Angeles_Historic-Cultural_Monuments_on_the_Westside) in 1987. In 1935, he designed the residence of actress [Jane Withers](/source/Jane_Withers) (1926–2021) in Westwood Hills.[1][8][9] He designed the private residence of actor and producer [Jack Conway](/source/Jack_Conway_(filmmaker)) (1887-1952) and his wife Virginia at All Hollows Farm in Pacific Palisades, California.[10] The house was called All Hollows Farm.[10] After Jack Conway's death in 1952, [Debbie Reynolds](/source/Debbie_Reynolds) (born 1932) and [Eddie Fisher](/source/Eddie_Fisher_(singer)) (1928-2010) purchased the property.[10]

### 1940s

From 1940 to 1941, Siple designed the Minnezawa Bell House located on Linda Flora Drive Bel Air for Monnezawa Bell (1911-1983), daughter of [Alphonzo Bell](/source/Alphonzo_Bell) (1875-1947), who developed Bel Air, California.[1][11] It is a 10-room, [Colonial Revival Style](/source/Colonial_Revival_architecture) mansion.[11][12] Later in the 1940s, he designed the "Knot Garden House," a [Regency Revival](/source/Regency_architecture) mansion with [Colonial Revival architecture](/source/Colonial_Revival_architecture) interiors.[1][13][14][15][16] The property came with front gardens designed by locally renowned landscape architect Edward Huntsman-Trout (1889-1974).[13][17] Also in the 1940s, he designed the "South Lanai House," a [Monterey Colonial style](/source/Monterey_Colonial_architecture) house.[13][18][19]

During 1946 and 1947, Siple designed the model home for the Tahquitz River Estates, a neighborhood development in Palm Springs, California, by real estate developer [Paul Trousdale](/source/Paul_Trousdale) (1915-1990).[1][2][20][21] Siple also designed houses in Westdale, Los Angeles, another neighborhood developed by Trousdale.[2]

### 1960s

By the 1960s, Siple was the supervising architect for [Trousdale Estates](/source/Trousdale_Estates) in [Beverly Hills, California](/source/Beverly_Hills,_California), another neighborhood developed by Trousdale, on the former Doheny Ranch on the east of [Greystone Mansion](/source/Greystone_Mansion).[2] He also designed Paul Trousdale's private residence in [Palm Springs, California](/source/Palm_Springs,_California).[22]

## Death

Siple died at the age of 72 on January 10, 1973 in [Los Angeles County, California](/source/Los_Angeles_County,_California).[1]

## See also

- [List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments on the Westside](/source/List_of_Los_Angeles_Historic-Cultural_Monuments_on_the_Westside)

## References

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/architects/2163/)

1. Alan Hess, *Forgotten modern: California houses 1940–1970*, Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2007, pp. 262-264 [\[1\]](https://books.google.com/books?id=7jPzUoT2ssUC&dq=allen+siple&pg=PA262)

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: W. R. Balsom, Jr., House](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/16022/)

1. 'Residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Balsom, Jr., Westwood Hills: Allen G. Siple, architect.', *[Architectural Digest](/source/Architectural_Digest)*, 9: 4, 14, 1934-1935

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Grove Bungalow Court](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/4563/)

1. Robert Winter (ed.), *An Architectural Guidebook to Los Ángeles*, Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2003, p. 142 [\[2\]](https://books.google.com/books?id=WWl29hn0C9gC&dq=%22Grove+Bungalow+Court%22&pg=PA142)

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Edla Muir](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/architects/299/)

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Jane Withers House](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/16023/)

1. 'Residence of Miss Jane Withers, Westwood Hills, California.', *[Architectural Digest](/source/Architectural_Digest)*, 10: 1, 90-91, 1938-1940

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: All Hollows Farm](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/16024/)

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Minnezawa Bell House](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/16015/)

1. 'New Bell Residence Offers Innovation', *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*, E7, February 2, 1941

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Knot Garden House](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/15839/)

1. 'Front Facade on cover', *[House Beautiful](/source/House_Beautiful)*, front cover, July 1943

1. 'Back facade on front cover', *House Beautiful*, front cover, June 1946

1. Reuben Whitney, 'Twice a Cover House', *House Beautiful*, 89: 8, 41-47, August 1947

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Edward Huntsman-Trout](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/architects/3684/)

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: South Lanai House](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/15826/)

1. Elizabeth Gordon, 'The idiom of traditionalism cloaks a relatively good floor plan and very good site plan', *House Beautiful*, 89:9, 09/1947, pp. 108-109

1. [Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Trousdale Model Home](https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/structures/15981/)

1. Elizabeth Gordon, 'How to Get Twice as much Use of Your Land', *House Beautiful*, 89: 11, 166-176, 11/1947

1. [Huntington Digital Library](http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15150coll5/id/9630/rec/12), Huntington.org. Accessed March 28, 2024.

## External links

- [LA Curbed: residences by Allen Siple](http://la.curbed.com/tags/allen-siple)[dead link]

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Allen Siple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Siple) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Siple?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.