The Greystone Estate of Beverly Hills

What started out as a gift from an oil magnate to his son is today one of Beverly Hills' most revered historic places. 

Ground broke for construction of the  in 1926 and was completed two years later. Edward Doheny gifted the estate to his son, Ned, who moved in with his wife, Lucy, and their five children in 1928. This writer has seen and photographed from microfiche tapes a Feb. 17, 1927 article published by the Beverly Hills Citizen informing readers that the home, then known as the Doheny Mansion, cost $800,000 to build. There has been a wrong general consensus that it was developed for $3 million.

Some 40 years later the City of Beverly Hills acquired the 425 acres that contained the Greystone Mansion and Park in an exchange with developer Paul Trousdale. 

The property was located in both Beverly Hills and Los Angeles municipalities, but the stricter building ordinances of BH were adhered to. A sorrowful history indeed follows this Beverly Hills landmark, including the murder of Ned Doheny, the purchase of the estate by a Midwest industrialist who never lived there and the damage done to the mansion by a entertainment group tenant in the early sixties.

When I was BH Historical Society VP, I asked Dee Dee Doheny if it was true that each room's walls were so far apart that the Doheny children could play hide-and-go-seek between them. She said that that was so and added that the estate had a direct spotlight to emergency personnel at City Hall. After Ned's murder, the Doheny family soon moved to neighboring Doheny Road. Some of the family members still live there today.

What became known as Trousdale Estates remained part of the Doheny Estate until 1954. It was the northernmost part of the Doheny Ranch. Paul Trousdale bought the large area and began parceling off land to celebrities and other wealthy buyers who built custom homes throughout the 50s and 60s. Stars like Elvis, Frank, Dean and Groucho have lived in the Trousdale Estates. 

When our city took ownership of the estate, a . Until the 2000s the site was barely usable as a public venue—with an unusable kitchen, inadequate outdoor lighting and an upper bedroom area that was off limits for many years.

The Greystone grounds have since been rehabilitated: the kitchen has been redone, night lighting has been added and a courtyard fountain has been implemented. Rangers host tour groups and the mansion provides a beautiful venue for musicals, high tea on the terrace, dinners and a mystery play performed by BH's only professional acting company, . Segments of the grounds may be rented for special occasions. Or you may simply arrive to the grounds unannounced and have a picnic. 

If you can, take a look at this grand dame of Beverly Hills' beautiful housing stock with its attractive stone, impressive chimneys and gorgeous entryway. The Greystone Mansion and Park is located at the corner of Doheny Road and Loma Vista Drive.

Thank you for your interest, Russ