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The famous Stahl house, a quintessential example of mid-century modern architecture, is up for sale for the first time in its whole history.

This overhanging dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, appeared on the market this recent week. The listing price stands at a substantial $25 million.

Family Choice to Part With

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its complete 65-year timeline, shared a declaration regarding their resolution to sell. They noted that the house had become increasingly challenging to upkeep.

"This house has been the core of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve aged, it has become increasingly challenging to look after it with the dedication and vigor it so rightfully warrants," stated the children of the original owners.

They continued that the time had arrived to find a new "guardian" for the house – "an individual who not only values its architectural importance but also understands its position in the cultural fabric of the city and further afield."

Unassuming Beginnings

The inception of the Stahl house go back to May 1954, when the initial owners acquired a sloped patch of land in the then undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a renowned symbol of the city, the owners often stressed that "no famous individuals ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a white-collar house."

Construction Feat

The original design for the Stahl house was created during the summer of 1956. However, many designers were originally wary to construct it on the precarious hillside.

In November 1957, the family interviewed architect Pierre Koenig, who decided to take on the task. With assistance from the notable Case Study program, led by a key magazine editor, the family received financial aid to hire Koenig.

The progressive program "was about trial and error" and "utilizing new materials and erecting in places that maybe earlier the technology didn’t really enable," commented an authority from a local preservation society. "All those things are combined into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and inconceivable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Finalization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the family, construction totaled "only $37,500" and the home was completed by May 1960. The outcome was "a perfect representation of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the specialist commented.

Soon after construction was finished, a celebrated architectural photographer captured what is perhaps the most famous picture of the home. Taken through the full-length glass windows, the image features two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to levitate over the city skyline.

"In my opinion the enduring effect of this photograph is due to the way it expresses an idea about residing in Los Angeles, an ambivalence about being both urban and separate from it," said a principal of an architectural company and educator at a major university.

Cultural Status

The home has had notable cameos in cinema, television and promos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a historic-cultural landmark, and in 2013, the house was added as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Custodianship

The home remains open for tours, as it has been for the last 17 years, although all tours are currently reserved through February. In their release announcing the sale, the family indicated they would give "plenty of advance notice" before discontinuing the tours.

The listing for the home highlights finding a new owner who will conserve the essence of the space.

"For connoisseurs of design, supporters of building, or organizations seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply no equal," the listing read. "This goes beyond a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next custodian who will celebrate the house’s past, respect its original vision, and secure its protection for future generations."

The expert agreed that the decision of new owner would be a critical one, given the home’s past.

"In my view any time a long-term steward, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a residence like this, it always creates a little bit of a pause – because you never know what the next owner, what their aims will be. And can they understand and value the house, as in this unique case the Stahl family has?"