Art collector and philanthropist Virginia Steele Scott previously owned the historic Knoll House, previously The Samuel C Fertig House, in Pasadena, California. Architect Myron Hunt, famous for his work on the Hollywood Bowl, designed the property in 1916. Since then she had the estate expanded with the help of architect Gordon B Kaufmann and Peter Hall of Greene and Greene.
The house is expansive and looks grand even when viewed from the outside. Today, the palatial spread boasts two recently renovated structures. These include a six-bedroom residence and a commercial-grade museum, both connected by an underground tunnel. It even has its own theater than can sit 46 people.
It’s a 21,000-square-foot gallery that spans three levels. Modernist architects Ladd & Kelsey designed it in the ‘70s, at the time when they had just finished the Norton Simon Museum. The gallery displayed Scott’s extensive art collection, which was later donated to The Huntington in San Marino.
Aside from the museum and the theater, other luxuries in the new building include an indoor Tiki bar, an arcade, a gym, a catering kitchen, a guest apartment, and a 36-foot atrium. Meanwhile, the original two-story, sixteen-room Knoll House spans 12,300 sq. ft. of hardwood floors and ornate molding. It boasts glittering chandeliers and six fireplaces.
It also has a library with a built-in speakeasy pub and a wine room in the basement. Strikingly, the two-and-a-half-acre grounds highlight an in-ground swimming pool and spa surrounded by a two-fireplace pavilion, an outdoor kitchen, and a pizza oven. The property also has a children’s playground and a putting green for the adults. Ernie Carswell & Associates hold the listing of the house.
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Images courtesy of Ernie Carswell & Associates
