Last week, the Rossmore Avenue mansion built for Ralph Joseph Chandler, part of the Los Angeles Times’ founding family, was put on the market for the first time in 55 years.
Diana Knox, a local realtor who grew up in the neighborhood, shared with the Buzz this post about the Hancock Park home , which – according to the listing broker – is now in escrow.
105 N. Rossmore is truly one of the most spectacular residences in Hancock Park, with more than 8,000 square feet of luxurious living space looking out over the greens of the Wilshire Country Club. It boasts a subterranean garage large enough for a full ensemble of vehicles for every occasion and oh so much more.
 The residence was built in 1960 for Ralph Joseph Chandler, nephew of Harry Chandler, the 2nd editor of the Los Angeles Times. Ralph Joseph Chandler was a mid-century captain of industry and shipping magnate in his own right, with hands-on knowledge of the oil, shipping and banking industries. He was married to Lenore G. Chandler, the philanthropist who was an early and important contributor to LACMA and the Los Angeles Music Center.
 The home was designed by the extraordinary architect Wallace Neff in a Neoclassical style with four striking columns framing the front entrance and holding a up a perfectly portioned entablature, capped by a balustrade that completes the roof line.
 The entrance rotunda astounds the visitor with a thirty-foot ceiling leading to grand and gracious public spaces flowing out from the foyer. Intricate moldings, gold leaf details, fabulous lighting fixtures and hardwood herringbone floors all suggest a very regal French tradition along the lines of the Garden Pavilion at the Palace of Versailles.
 The garden was created by the talented landscape architect Edward Huntsman-Trout. At the back of the home he placed a circular fountain and balustrades that frame a private window to the Wilshire Country Club golf course with a curtain of trees.
 Even with the opulence of the public rooms, it remained the private home for Ralph Joseph Chandler who died in 1966, Lenore in 1990, and their surviving son Andrew, who passed on more recently.  It was his death that brought the property to market after 55 years. The home was listed at $5,950.000, but sold for considerably more than this.
The Buzz heard there were numerous offers before the house was even shown to local brokers. Apparently, this was a very quick sale (and we never would have imagined that it was built in the 1960s!). More photos and details are available at https://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Angeles/105-N-Rossmore-Ave-90004/home/7095780
The Buzz thanks Diana and her brother Mathew for sharing the story of this elegant Hancock Park home. Â
