Whitley Heights 101

6692 Whitley Terrace

6692 Whitley Terrace was one of the homes that sat on Whitley Terrace near Wedgewood Place that was moved when the Hollywood Freeway was being constructed in the early 1950s. This house was built in 1937 at the location of 6796 Whitley Terrace by architect John Peterson and started as a one story six room house. In 1940, Peterson added the lower floor with two bedrooms and another bathroom. Below is the former location of the residence before that section of Whitley Heights was demolished in the early 1950s.

On September 26, 1949, Wesley Barry pulled a permit to move the house to it’s current location and hired the original architect to assist him in the process since relocating homes that sit on a downslope can be a difficult process. They were able to move the top floor and then reconstruct the lower floor with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Having the original architect was the best way to recreate the house to it’s former state. The house is located across the street from director Robert Vignola’s former residence 6697 Whitley Terrace.

Wesley Barry worked as an assistant director for Monogram Pictures and was a former child star. Barry, a Los Angeles native, was born in 1907 to Charles and Martha Barry and was the youngest of three boys. In 1915, Barry was cast in his first role in “The Phoney Cannibal” at the age of eight. Two years later, Mary Pickford hired him to appear in “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” and Barry became known as “Freckles” the juvenile star. In 1921, Barry was cast in the lead of “School Days” before he was hired by Marshall Neilan to star in his famed role of Penrod in 1922.

Like most child stars, movie roles seem to disappear as they grow up. Barry was able to get bit roles and also as an assistant director. He was last cast as a reported in Lupe Velez’ “Ladies Day” in 1943 but continued to direct in television until 1975. Barry directed 15 episodes of “Lassie” 8 episodes of the “Mod Squad” and 14 episodes of “The Rookies” before retiring.

Barry married vaudevillian actress Julia Wood in 1926; he was barely 18 years old and she was 23 so his mother had to sign consent for him to get married! They married June 21, 1926, in Newark, New Jersey where Julia’s parents resided. Barry was working with the Orpheum Circuit in vaudeville which is where he met his wife. Both claimed “it was love at first sight” as the slightly taller Wood clung to Barry’s arm during an interview.

After the two were married, they left for Hollywood and moved in with his mother before renting their first apartment at the Villa Carlotta in 1929. In 1939, the two moved to Whitley Heights. At this time, Barry was working in real estate and was employed with realtor Stanley L. McMichael. McMichael also lived in Whitley Heights at 6785 Whitley Terrace; he informed Barry of a rental across the street at 6788 Whitley Terrace (pictured below).

In 1940, Barry’s mother-in-law, Maud Wood, moved in with them after they purchased the house. In 1941, Barry quit real estate and was hired by RKO Radio Pictures as an assistant director. In 1942, Barry enlisted in the Navy during World War 2 and served in the Navy combat photography unit in India and Burma until returning home in 1945. A year later, there was talk of the 101 Freeway proposal going directly through his house.

In April of 1946, there was a meeting held at the American Legion Hall where Barry, who used his new photography experience, took colored photographs of an alternative route for the highway and presented them to the group. Barry was now working for Monogram Pictures as the assistant director in the latest Charlie Chan film, “Dangerous Money”. Unfortunately, he and other Whitley Heights supporters were loosing the battle of the freeway.

In February of 1946, the house next door to him, 6786 Whitley Terrace, was auctioned off to a city inspector named Richard Orcutt. Orcutt purchased the home for only $855. Barry spoke out against government employees who were buying the properties that were in the direct path of the freeway construction for dirt cheap. (Apparently Orcutt’s bid of $855 was lower than other bidders who wanted to move the home). Barry commented, “Critical housing shortage does not restrain the highway department in the least”. When Orcutt discovered how difficult it would be to relocate 6786 Whitley Terrace, he had the home demolished in record time.

Barry’s home was similar-he would not be able to move the home without damaging the structure. Instead, he purchased the house on the other side of his property and moved it to 6692 Whitley Terrace in 1949. Still, the state of California seized his former home and tried to sell it with no luck. The house was demolished in 1950. Now residing at 6692 Whitley Terrace, Barry continued working as an assistant director.

By 1956, the Barrys split-53 year old Wesley had met another woman, 38 year old production assistant, Lynn Waring, who worked with him. Wesley married Lynn in 1960 and ended up having two children with her. Julia continued to reside at 6692 Whitley Terrace with her mother while Barry moved out of Whitley Heights. Julia resided in the home until 1966. In 2003, a lower floor was added under the original two floors as a laundry room, storage, and additional bathroom. This house, while another reminder of the freeway dividing Whitley Heights in half, is also a momento of Freckles fighting to save his home.

Barry retired from directing in the early 1970s and moved to the town of Turlock, just north of Fresno where she died in 1985; Wesley Barry died in 1994 at the age of 88 and was cremated next to his second wife at Turlock Memorial Park.