THE SOWDEN
HOUSE

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THE SOWDEN
HOUSE

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The
Story

The Black Dahlia Murder - Hollywood’s most notorious unsolved murder case unfolded on the morning of January 15, 1947 when a woman found what looked like a mannequin in an empty lot on Norton Avenue between 39th & Coliseum Streets in Los Angeles.

What appeared to be a mannequin was actually the mutilated body of 22-year old, aspiring actress Elizabeth Short. The case quickly garnered media attention. Newspapers sensationalized the details of Elizabeth Short’s personal life and the crime, creating the "Black Dahlia."

Seventy years have passed, and the case remains unsolved.

The
House

Designed and built by esteemed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. in 1926, intended to host lavish events and live performances, the house was built for artist and photographer John and Ruth Sowden.

A trained landscape architect, set designer with Paramount Studios, and construction manager for his father’s homes in Los Angeles – Lloyd Wright created a unique Mayan-inspired, Art Deco estate in the heart of Hollywood.

Built using concrete textile blocks, the Sowden House has been recognized as one of Lloyd Wright’s most important works. Masterfully updated and preserved, it retains its place as a unique masterwork of American architecture and is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places and as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

What's
in Store



I Am the Night, inspired by true events and the memoir One Day She’ll Darken, tells the story of Fauna Hodel, a teenage girl who travels to late-1940s Los Angeles to search for someone in her past. Read More

BY THE SOWDEN HOUSE

© Copyright 2019 The Sowden House Foundation