Whitley Heights 101

6551 Franklin Avenue

6551 Franklin Avenue was built in 1919 by builder Naldo F. Stokes who also built several other homes in the area including: 1905 Grace Avenue (1917), 6555 Franklin Avenue (1919), and 6561 Franklin Avenue (1919). The later two homes were both demolished in 2020. Below an aerial of the area in 1928, with the red arrow indicating the location of 6551 Franklin Avenue. The 6561 and 6555 Franklin Avenue residences are both to the left. 1905 Grace Avenue is on Grace Avenue which is the street on the right side of the photograph. Whitley Avenue is the street on the left side.

Below, 1905 Grace Avenue is around the corner from 6551 Franklin Avenue; the other two homes used to be next door and were both demolished circa 2020 and will be replaced with a 5 story, 28 unit apartment building.

6551 Franklin Avenue, a Colonial Revival house, is currently used as a rental property and consisted for 1,966 square feet with three bedroom and two bathrooms. It does not appear that this property is protected as a historical monument.

After the house was built, Stokes put the house on the market in February of 1920 for $13,000, describing the home as an “elegant two story white plastered residence, just completed, large living room, dining room, hall and breakfast nook. Beautiful tile kitchen. Upstairs three large bedrooms and sleeping porch. Tile bath and shower. Principal rooms in old ivory”. A wealthy retied broker named Alfred Pearson and his wife purchased the home.

Apparently Mr. Pearson was suffering from severe health issues and on the morning of April 20, 1920, he walked out of the house to a vacant lot near Franklin and Wilcox Avenues and shot himself in the head. Pearson left a note to his young wife explaining the pain and misery were too much for him to bear. In December of 1921, actress Priscilla Dean and her husband, actor Wheeler Oakman, rented the home for a year. Dean had recently purchased a $12,000 lot in Beverly Hills and planned to build a mansion on the lot.

Priscilla Dean was born in 1896 in New York City to parents who acted on the stage. At the age of 14, she made her debut on the screen and then signed with Universal in 1911. In 1917, she co-starred in “The Gray Ghost” which began her popularity as an actress. She moved to Los Angeles in 1916, living on Figueroa and then moved to 6414 Dix Street, near Franklin Avenue in 1917. The building, pictured below, exists today.

In 1918, she moved to a 4 family dwelling located at 1932 Cahuenga Avenue (now Boulevard) and then 5611 Hollywood Blvd. in 1919. In 1920, Dean appeared in two films with her future husband, Wheeler Oakman; the two ended up eloping in Reno.

Oakman moved in with her in her Hollywood Boulevard apartment and in July 1920, they rented a house located at 6974 Hawthorne Blvd. (pictured below) across the street from actress Ethel Clayton. Priscilla’s mother, Mary, was living with them in this house. The house was later demolished.

By the end of 1923, their mansion in Beverly Hills was finally built. Located at 610 Beverly Drive, the two story mansion was white with pillars on the front porch. By 1925, with their marriage on the rocks, they sold the house to Pola Negri and Oakman moved to New York City to appear on stage. During the 1930s, producer Hal Roach would buy this house. The house was replaced by another mansion in 1989.

After selling the mansion, Dean moved to the Gaylord Apartments and then moved into the Havenhurst, 1861 Whitley Avenue in 1926 where she would remain until 1929. In 1928, she married aviator Leslie Arnold but endured a scandal when he had not been legally divorced from his first wife.

During the 1930s, Dean attempted to transition to talking roles, but was not successful. Her last role was in the film, “Klondike” which starred Thelma Todd and Lyle Talbot in 1932. The Arnolds moved to New Jersey where they would remain together until Leslie’s death in 1961. Priscilla died Leonia, New Jersey, in 1987 after injuries from a bad fall at the age of 91.

As for 6551 Franklin Avenue, it is currently renting for just under $4,000 per month. Too bad the other two houses that once stood next to this home were demolished. Hopefully, this house will be considered for a historical monument so it will not face the same fate as next door.