Whitley Heights 101

2159 Fairfield Avenue

2159 Fairfield Avenue, a 2-story Spanish bungalow, was built in 1922 by famed architect Charles Grolle for actress Adele Farrington (pictured below). This property used to be located on a section of Fairfield Avenue that is now a parking lot across the street from the Hollywood Bowl. This section of Whitley Heights was taken from the county to be used to build a film museum in the 1960s. However, the museum was never built and the land was turned into a parking lot. There is no record whether 2159 Fairfield Avenue was relocated or demolished so its fate is unknown.

2159 Fairfield Avenue is seen below as indicated by the red arrow. At the time, Grolle resided directly across the street from this house at 2178 Fairfield Avenue . The bungalow Bette Davis rented when she first moved to Hollywood can be seen at the upper right. 2159 Fairfield Avenue backed up to Alta Loma Drive before that portion was also demolished in the 1960s.

Adele Farrington was born Anna King in Brooklyn, New York in 1867. She started her acting career as early as 1890 at the Grand Opera House in Boston. Farrington traveled around the United States in vaudeville doing various comedian acts during the 1890s singing her trademark song, “A Bicycle Made for Two”. In 1893, the then 26 year old married 32 year old theater Broadway manager Edwin Walice Dunn. In 1895, Farrington began traveling with actress Marie Dressler, who both, would eventually start their films careers when they were both in their 40s.

In 1902, Farrington began working with actor Hobart Bosworth and one year later, it was reported that he was having an affair with her and then divorced his wife of 10 years while Farrington divorced Dunn. No sooner than the ink was dry on both sets of divorce papers, Adele Farrington married Hobart Bosworth in New York City.

By 1906, the couple moved to Hollywood, in part, due to Bosworth’s ill health and so they could continue their acting careers. They built their home in San Pedro located at 236 S. Rampart Street which was completed in 1911 and lived in the home until 1918. Pictured below, 236 S. Rampart Street still exists as a duplex today.

Hobart Bosworth started his film career in 1908, starring in many short films including, “The Count of Monte Crisco”, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, and “Rip Van Winkle”. Farrington began to be seen on film in 1914 when she co-starred with her husband in “The Country Mouse” as Bosworth directed, wrote and acted in the film.

Farrington would appear in 74 films between 1914 to 1926, mostly in minor roles. Following her appearance with her husband, she worked with actress and screenwriter Lois Weber often and even appeared in another film with her husband. During the 1920s, she appeared in films with Anna Q. Nilsson, Blanche Sweet, Wallace Reid, Ethel Clayton, Wanda Hawley, Thomas Meighan, Leatrice Joy, and Viola Dana, many of whom were residents of Whitley Heights at one time. Farrington’s last film role was playing the aunt in “Shadow of the Law” starring Clara Bow in 1926 (considered a lost film).

By 1920, the couple resided at 1812 Wilcox Avenue when Bosworth, now working at Ince Studios, was caught cheating with his secretary and left Farrington for her. Bosworth blindsided Farrington for filing for a divorce and as soon as it was final, Bosworth married Cecile Kibre Percival (pictured below). Percival was the widow of art director G. Harold Percival of Ince Studios, who died in 1918. After Percival’s death, Cecile continued to support Ince Studios and started to work for Bosworth as his secretary. Percival had an infant son named George who Bosworth later adopted.

Meanwhile, Farrington moved to a duplex in Whitley Heights, located at 2209 Fairfield Avenue in 1921. This duplex, which has since then been relocated, was near the intersection of Farfield Avenue and Odin Street. This duplex is indicated with the red arrow below.

She decided to purchase three lots (37-39 from tract 3737) just down the street on Fairfield Avenue where she built a two story bungalow home located at 2159 Fairfield Avenue and a detached garage on an adjacent lot-2163 Fairfield in 1922 (blue arrow above).

Around this time, Farrington met a physician named Kenneth B. Turner, a former Army surgeon and put up 2159 Fairfield Avenue for sale:

In 1922, Farrington then built the “Farrington Apartments” located at 1136 Arapahoe Street in the Westlake District and married the doctor. In 1933, the Turner filed for divorce from Farrington claiming she convinced him to quit his lucrative job so he be the acting manager of the apartment complex. He never got paid. Three years later, Farrington died at the age of 69. Her daughter sold the apartment complex a year later. Below, Farrington’s building still exists on Arapahoe Street today.

Meanwhile, Bosworth and his new bride (who happened to be 25 years younger) purchased land on Hillcrest Road in Beverly Hills. After three years of construction, their new estate was completed. The white Spanish hacienda-styled mansion, designed by Bennett and Haskell, had a living room with tall, heavy beamed ceilings and stucco walls, a 25 foot long master bedroom, and extensive servants’ quarters. The estate also had an art studio, beautifully landscaped gardens, a tree-filled forest, and horse stables. Bosworth was often seen riding his white Arabian horse down to MGM Studios in Culver City. Eventually, the Bosworth’s grew tired of all the tour buses and publicity and sold the house to William Powell.

German sculptor Franz Haushammer, his wife Lena, and daughter, Frances resided in the home from 1926 to 1929. It was reported that their “Spanish home in Hollywood is an artistically build residence and is filled with interesting trophies of his genius. The daughter, Frances, a student of the Hollywood School for Girls, is following in her father’s footsteps, inherits much of his genius, and has already to her credit, many productions in art which have received the highest praise”. 2159 Fairfield Avenue had several other owners before its demise in the 1960s.