A 1920s West Hollywood house condemned for demolition has begun a new life in Altadena, where it will shelter a family who lost their home in January’s Eaton Fire.
At a Glance
- The four-hour overnight move started Thursday night and finished before dawn Friday
- The relocated house is the third rescue completed by Omgivning Architects, with six more planned
- Interior upgrades will meet current codes while preserving exterior 1920s character
- Why it matters: The project offers a faster, sustainable path to rebuild wildfire-damaged neighborhoods
The relocation, overseen by Omgivning Architects, kicked off late Thursday when crews hoisted the final sections onto a flatbed truck. A California Highway Patrol escort guided the convoy through West Hollywood’s neon-lit corridors toward the 101 Freeway.
Drone footage shows the structure inching past landmarks including the Regent Theater and Los Angeles City Hall, its vintage silhouette framed against the downtown skyline. By sunrise the house had completed the roughly 25-mile journey and was positioned on its new Altadena lot.
Morgan Sykes Jaybush of Omgivning Architects estimates five months of restoration before the family can move in. Work will stabilize the foundation, update plumbing and electrical systems, and add seismic reinforcements while keeping period windows, trim, and siding intact.
Once rehabilitation is complete, the home will retain its 1920s charm on the outside and meet today’s safety standards inside. Jonathan P. Miller reported for News Of Los Angeles that similar rescues are gaining traction as an alternative to new construction amid soaring material costs and lengthy permit timelines.
Omgivning Architects has already relocated two other historic houses and has six additional moves scheduled across the region. Each project salvages lumber, fixtures, and architectural details that would otherwise head to landfills, cutting rehabilitation costs for recipient families.
The Altadena recipients, whose original residence burned in the Eaton Fire, are expected to return from temporary housing this summer. Community volunteers and local preservation groups have pledged to assist with landscaping and exterior paint once the house is secured.
City officials in West Hollywood approved the move under the Historic House Relocation Project, a program designed to balance development pressure with heritage conservation. The transferred structure clears the site for a new apartment complex while sparing a piece of the city’s early 20th-century fabric.
News Of Los Angeles‘s coverage notes that similar programs in other California cities have relocated more than 30 historic homes during the past decade, providing affordable housing options and reducing construction waste. Each move requires coordination with utility companies to raise power lines, traffic control plans, and structural assessments to ensure the house can withstand transport stresses.
Key Takeaways
- The house traveled overnight to minimize traffic disruption and heat exposure on century-old wood
- Interior square footage and layout will remain largely unchanged, preserving original room flow
- Local contractors have been hired for the rehabilitation phase, injecting funds into the fire-affected community
- Preservationists hope the success will encourage developers to consider relocation before demolition
