John DeLario

John Lucian DeLario was an American architect known for his work in the Hollywoodland neighborhood of Hollywood, Los Angeles during the 1920s.

Life

John DeLario was born in Wyoming on July 16, 1888 and died in Los Angeles County, California on January 1, 1950.^[1]

Career

DeLario operated a practice in the Los Angeles area c. 1925-1950^[2] and was the lead architect in Hollywoodland as the neighborhood was developed.^[3][4] His clients included C. Dallas Howland, H. A. Clarke, Mack Sennett, Patrick M. Longan, Edwin R. Ribler, Helena Lau Giffen, George R. Hannan, Joe Rock, Clara Shatto, Sherman A. Hays, Edward W. Hedland, Clair R. Savage, Roderick D. Burnham, and H. S. Belland.^[5]

John DeLario's designs were influenced by Spanish, Italian, and French styles, and many are representative of the Romantic architecture movement that was popular in Los Angeles in the 1920s.^{[citation needed]}

List of works

Hollywoodland

DeLario designed many houses in Los Angeles's Hollywoodland tract, several of which remain today.^[3] His designs include:

• Sidney Woodruff Residence (1926) — Spanish Colonial Revival house built by the Western Construction Company and later used as a model home for development in the neighborhood,^[6] LAHCM No. 681^[7]
• Castillo del Lago (1926) — 10,500-square foot (980-square metre) Spanish style estate on a 3-acre (12,000-square metre) property^[8][9]
• Wolf's Lair (1927) — Chateauesque single-family estate^[10]
• Estate atop Mount Hollywoodland (1920s) — Designed for Mack Sennett and budgeted at $1 million , lot and driveway built, estate cancelled in 1933, site of a television studio then radio tower since 1939^[11][12]

Elsewhere in Los Angeles

• 133 S. Plymouth (1923) — Built by Birch O’Neal Co. for M. J. O’Dowd^[6]
• Harry F. Haldeman House (1925) —Two story Spanish Colonial Revival house owned by Harry F. Haldeman^[13]
• Andrew Getty Estate (1926) — Seven-acre Spanish-style villa owned by Miklós Rózsa, then Andrew Getty^[14]
• 654 S. Rimpau (1927)^[15]
• 644 S. Muirfield^[15]
• 620, 630, and 638 S. Rossmore^[6][16]

Elsewhere

• Ralph B. Lloyd Estate, Beverly Hills (1930) — Multi-acre Italian villa owned by Ralph B. Lloyd^[6][17]

References

1. ^ Michelson, Alan. "John Lucian DeLario". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
2. ^ Michelson, Alan. "DeLario, John L., Architect (Practice)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
3. ^ Fischer, Charles J. (November 2, 2006). "Hollywoodland Historic Neighborhood Profile". City of Los Angeles. p. 9. – via Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the Garber House.
4. ^ "Early Los Angeles Historical Buildings (1900 - 1925)". Water and Power Associates. p. 6. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
5. ^ "Album of photographs and renderings of homes in Hollywoodland". University of California Los Angeles. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
6. ^ Mallory, Mary (2011). Hollywoodland. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439624302.
7. ^ "Historical Cultural Monuments List". City of Los Angeles. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
8. ^ Pener, Degen (September 26, 2023). "Mauricio Umansky to Host The Hollywood Reporter’s L.A. Power Broker Awards at Madonna’s Former Home". The Hollywood Reporter
9. ^ Beale, Lauren (July 19, 2010). "Joe Pytka sells 3-acre Hollywood Hills estate". Los Angeles Times
10. ^ "Historic Resource - Wolf's Lair - 2869 N Durand Dr". City of Los Angeles. October 5, 2015.
11. ^ Masters, Nathan (July 21, 2014). "What Flattened the Top of Mt. Lee (of Hollywood Sign Fame)?". PBS SoCal
12. ^ "Mt. Lee and the Birth of the Television". Hollywood Sign Trust. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
13. ^ Michelson, Alan. "Haldeman, Harry F., House, Hollywoodland, Los Angeles, CA". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
14. ^ Leitereg, Neal J. (March 4, 2016). "Hollywood Hills home with ties to Andrew Getty, Miklos Rozsa asks $7.95 million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
15. ^ "654 So. Rimpau Boulevard, Hancock Park". Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
16. ^ Mallory, Mary & Meyers, Laura (May 7, 2020). "Historic-Cultural Monument Application for Woodmere". City of Los Angeles. p. 34.
17. ^ "Residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph B. Lloyd, Beverly Hills—John DeLario, Architect". Architectural Digest. Vol. 8, no. 3. 1931.