Getty House


The Getty House is the official residence of the mayor of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 605 South Irving Boulevard in Windsor Square, a historic district located on the east of the Hancock Park district, and located approximately five miles west of the Los Angeles City Hall.

History

The house is named for George Getty II, the son of J. Paul Getty, an oil tycoon. It was designed and built in the Tudor Revival style in 1921 for $83,000. The Getty Oil company purchased the house in 1959, and offered the property to the City of Los Angeles on November 12, 1975. The original gardens were designed by A.E. Hanson, and have been restored. According to the Los Angeles County Assessor, the property spans approximately half an acre - 22,523 square feet.
The house was originally built by Swedish immigrant Paul Paulson and his wife Leta, who moved to Los Angeles from Iowa. Paulson established two cafeterias, one in downtown Los Angeles, and the other on Catalina Island.

Mayor's residence

The house became the official residence for the mayor of Los Angeles. Mayor Tom Bradley was the first to move into the house at the beginning of his second term in 1977, and resided there until leaving office in 1993. However, his two immediate successors opted not to move into the house, so it was unoccupied between 1993 and 2005. Mayor Richard Riordan resided at his house in Brentwood. Mayor James Hahn lived in San Pedro so his children could be near their mother's residence.
After his election in 2005, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced that he and his family would live in the house on at least a part-time basis, alternating between it and their existing home in the Mt. Washington district on the Northeast side. However, in September 2005, Villaraigosa decided that he would move into the house full-time, becoming the second mayor to reside there. In June 2007, Villaraigosa and his wife, Corina, announced that they were separating, and he would temporarily move out of the Getty House, with his wife and children to continue residing there during the separation.
Newly elected mayor Eric Garcetti said in November 2013 that he had decided that he, his wife Amy Wakeland and their daughter Maya, almost 2, would move into the house.

Geography

The house is zoned to the following LAUSD schools: 3rd Street Elementary School, John Burroughs Middle School, and Los Angeles High School.