Villa Bonita
Why it's listed
Villa Bonita is a seven-story apartment building on a narrow hillside lot at Hillcrest Road and Pinehurst Street in Hollywood. Built in 1929 of reinforced concrete and designed by local architect Frank Webster, it cost $75,000 and was financed by Sidney Ullman, an agent for Rudolph Valentino. Its stepped facade, canted bays, ornate entry with Composite columns and broken pediment, and decorated upper stories combine medieval and Spanish Renaissance motifs. The seventh floor holds a penthouse and roof garden. Inside are a small marble-floored lobby, a panelled elevator, and twenty-four apartments with original cabinetry and hardware. Alterations are limited, chiefly a 1940 roof garden enclosure and a penthouse addition. The building was listed as the smallest of the high-rise apartment houses built above Hollywood Boulevard and as the best surviving example of Webster's work. Reviewers found that no other building of its type and style survives in the Hollywood area, and it illustrates apartment living tied to the film industry.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a prime, remarkably intact example of Spanish Renaissance Revival apartment housing from Hollywood's 1920s and 1930s growth. The reviewer noted that no other examples of this type and style survive in the Hollywood area. It also has secondary significance through its owner, Sidney Ullman, who was Rudolph Valentino's business manager and agent, and its ties to film industry residents.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86001950, listed September 12, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1817 Hillcrest Rd., Hollywood |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | September 12, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001950 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929 |
| Architect / builder | Frank Webster |
| Architectural style | Spanish Renaissance Revival (with medieval and Spanish Renaissance decorative motifs) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored by the current owner and described as in excellent condition, continuing as an apartment building for residents. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 34.10472, -118.33960 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86001950.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7930281
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.