Hollywood history and architectural glamour collide in this $12.3 million, five-bedroom estate -- located in Beverly Hills, CA, and owned by the late actor Charlton Heston -- preserved in all its Mid-Century Modern glory.
The legendary actor starred in over 100 films, but he's best known for his role in 1959's "Ben-Hur," which earned him an Academy Award. As noted in the Wall Street Journal, Heston and his family moved into the custom-built mansion shortly after shooting on the historical drama wrapped. Fraser Heston, the actor's son, said his father "always said it was the house that 'Ben-Hur' built."
In his later years, Charlton Heston famously served as president of the National Rifle Association until his Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in 2003. He lived in the home until his death in 2008. His widow, Lydia Clarke, now lives elsewhere, and the family decided it was time to sell, Fraser Heston told the Journal.
Designed by architect William S. Beckett, the nearly 10,000-square-foot home offers views of the surrounding mountains from nearly every room, with several wooden decks poking into the nearby trees.
Its Mid-Century Modern pedigree is most obvious in the great room, which features floor-to-ceiling windows, sunburst carpeting in royal blue, and a stone fireplace.
A curved wooden staircase descends into the sunken library, where wooden bookcases -- so high you'll need a ladder to reach the top shelves -- cover nearly every wall. An upper-floor bedroom (with wood-grain fireplace) overlooks the space. In the back of the home, an angular pool connects to the 3-acre property's observation deck, three-story art studio, screening room, tennis court, and meditation area.
The home might require a few smart updates. The home hasn't changed much over the years and could use "a loving restoration," said Agent Myra Nourmand, according to the Journal.
Unless, as Variety noted, it "gets snatched up by a deep-pocketed developer with grandiose plans to raze Heston's house and build a five-star resort style gigamansion."
Let's hope demolition isn't the case for this home with its silver screen and architectural lineage.