Whitley Heights 101

6727 Milner Road

Perched on the corner of Milner Road and Watsonia Terrace, 6727 Milner Road was built in 1924 by architect Kem Weber. Weber built two other homes in the area: 6707 Milner Road (1925) and 2062 Watsonia Terrace (1926). Below, the three properties are in walking distance of one another-6727 Milner (red arrow), 6707 Milner (blue arrow), and 2062 Watsonia Terrace (green arrow).

6727 Milner Road (formerly built as 6715 Watsonia), is a three-story Mediterranean home that has a round tower with a wooden beamed roof (see below). Weber built the home for Marshall Pumphrey as both worked for Barker Brothers furniture store. This home was featured in Better Homes and Gardens in the 1920s and featured some furniture and fixtures on behalf of Barker Brothers.

The 3,142 square foot home consists of five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Upon entering the formal entry on Milner Road, there is a romantic coved living room, an oval shaped dining room and a huge den with sweeping views. Through the dining room is a breakfast area that leads to the wide galley kitchen. Upstairs are three bedrooms and the floor below contains an oval shaped office and guest suite with high ceilings, utility room, laundry room and garage.

The photos below compare and contrast the house as it looks more recently and when it was photographed in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. In the black and white photo below, the Pumphrey’s prized twisted column from a church in Spain and and a long 17th Century Portuguese bench.

Looking from the living room into the hall, according to the magazine article, “a glimpse that illustrates the formal dignity of this home. Definite periods have been “disregarded” but authentic pieces of various periods mingle in perfect accord because of the scale of proportions has been strictly observed”.

The library is a round room and is directly below the dining room in the “tower”. The Pumphrey’s used rich, dull reds and browns-walnut paneling. A Turkish rug, hand blocked linen hangings a “glowing colors of the book bindings create an appropriate atmosphere for the book lover. The hand carved walnut desk as quiet distinction.

Everything about the dining room is as charming as it is unusual-the roundness of the room-its position, two steps above the level of the long living room-and the specially designed furniture, there being three pairs of chairs, two modern chests in vermillion lacquer, and the color scheme of mist green, silver and crystal. It is softly brilliant and harmonious. The original chandelier hangs below.

Subtle, restful colors make this boudoir a “self-toned” room, as the decorator calls it. Oyster white carpet, specially woven-wild dove grays and silvers and delicate old rose of hangings and accessories are highlighted with brighter colors of individual pieces. The little onyx makeup table has a silver vase and a rose light bulb under the top sets it beautifully aglow.

A guest room in mist green and rose orchard has a delightful old ivory dressing table, hand decorated and rose-beruffled. The chaste round mirror is strategically hung. The guest room has its own separate kitchen and bathroom.

Below is the deck in 1926.

Marshall Pumphrey was the original owner and lived here with his wife, Margaret McNicholas Pumphrey. Marshall grew up in Santa Ana and was somewhat of a juvenile delinquent. In 1904, when he was 14 years old, he accidentally stepped on another student’s toes and a teacher grasped him by the shoulders to correct his behavior. Pumphrey hit the teacher who threw him to the floor and began kicking him and stomping on him. He had bruises all over his face and arms. The school board found her guilty but did not fire her. Then in 1908, he was arrested with two other boys Depot Pool Room for being underage. However, he matured and in 1916, at the age of 27, he started his career at Barker Brothers. In 1922, he married Margaret McNichols.

A permit was issued on May 9, 1924 for the Pumphrey House at its original address of 6715 Watsonia Dr. to the West Brothers and listed Kem Weber as the architect. The Pumphrey House was decorated with furnishings from Barker Brothers. However, from observing the Better Homes and Gardens photographs, the Pumphrey’s probably did not favor the more modern furnishings as they used their own antiques in the home. They possibly commissioned some custom features from Barker Brothers such as the fireplace hood, screen and andirons.

The Webers, who lived two doors down at 6707 Milner Road, and their close friends, the Pumphreys were obviously delighted with the opening of the new Hollywood branch of Barker Brothers as it was close to Whitley Heights. While Pumphrey worked his way up the management team of Barker Brothers, Kem Weber was known for his vision of the modernist design of the furniture and fixtures.

The Pumphrey’s pleasure over a shorter commute and their elegant surroundings was short-lived as tragedy struck two months after the new Hollywood store opened. In 1927, the Pumphrey’s butler/chauffeur, 49 year old Richard Ewell, chased 27-year old Margaret Pumphrey through the house firing at her with a .45 automatic pistol and wounding her in the side. Margaret was in her bedroom when Ewelle entered wearing his white servant coat and asked if there were any other chores. As Margaret was facing away from him, she said there were none and then turned toward him. Ewell had an uneasy look in his eyes as he approached her with a pistol.

Margaret fled through the bathroom to an adjoining bedroom as he chased her. She left the bedroom through a hallway and down the stairs. Margaret ran from Ewelle from room to room as he fired the gun at her. She finally managed to get into the downstairs guest bedroom and locked the door. Ewell fired several shots at the door in an attempt to get it open and thankfully, all of the shots had missed her. She tried to get out of the window, but Ewelle heard her and ran out of the house to the window. Margaret ran to unlock the bedroom door as he attempted to gain entrance through the open window and Ewell shot at her again, this time, hitting her in the side. She ran out the door and up the stairs to her bedroom. Ewelle got into the home through the open window and ran after her again.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Charles Johnstone, who lived across the street at 2059 Watsonia Terrace (see previous post), heard her screams and ran over to the house with her two maids. They entered the front entrance on Milner Road just as Ewell was running up the stairs from the lower floor. Ewell then turned and shot several times at Mrs. Johnstone, but missed her. Mrs. Johnstone left the home screaming for help. At this time, the house alarm sounded and Ewele was standing in the entryway and turned the pistol on himself and died instantly. It is not known why Ewell went insane and had only been employed at the Pumphrey’s home for three months. Margaret was rushed to the hospital and was in critical condition, but survived the gunshot wound and from the extreme shock and fright. The investigator found out he had been out late the night before and his roommate informed the police that he looks as if he had been on drugs.

This catastrophic event seemingly placed a great strain on the family as the 1929 City Directory listed Marshall residing at the Langham Hotel while Margaret was still listed as living at 6727 Milner. The Pumphreys divorced and Marshall left Barker Brothers in June of 1930 to take a position of president of Kinney & Levan in Cleveland. Pumphrey moved back to Los Angeles in 1935 to head up marketing and sales promotion for Barker Brothers and for a time was listed as residing at the Biltmore Hotel. He retired in 1947 and was living in Seattle. In 1948, Margaret eloped British actor, Victor McLaglen. Margaret and Marshall, had one son, Marshall Pumphrey, Jr., who also had a lengthy career at Barker Brothers. Other notable residences included music director, John Marquardt in 1924, auctioneer Fred St. Clair from 1924-26, and violinist Bernard Sinsheimer from 1942 (when Margaret sold the home) to 1956.