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The famous Stahl house, a paragon of midcentury modern design, is up for sale for the first time in its entire history.

This cantilevered dwelling, situated in the Hollywood Hills, was listed on the real estate market this recent week. The price tag stands at an impressive $25 million.

Owners Decision to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have owned the property for its entire 65-year history, shared a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They stated that the dwelling had become increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This house has been the heart of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to maintain it with the attention and energy it so rightfully warrants," stated the children of the first owners.

They further stated that the time had emerged to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only values its architectural significance but also grasps its place in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and beyond."

Unassuming Beginnings

The origins of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the original owners acquired a mountainous plot of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house evolving into a famous symbol of the city, the residents often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," describing themselves as a "blue-collar family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Architectural Feat

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the summer of 1956. However, many builders were originally wary to build it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the owners met with architect Pierre Koenig, who consented to undertake the task. With support from the prominent Case Study program, pioneered by a key magazine editor, the family received subsidies to commission Koenig.

The progressive program "was about experimentation" and "using new building materials and building in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an authority from a local preservation society. "All those things are wrapped up into a site like the Stahl house, which was innovative, contemporary and unimaginable in terms of how it was constructed on that plot that everyone else considered, at the time, was impossible to build."

Completion and Iconic Legacy

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and building started in May 1959. According to the family, construction cost "a mere $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The final product was "an idealized version of what everyone imagines LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after completion, a renowned architectural photographer captured what is arguably the most well-known picture of the home. Shot through the full-length glass windows, the photo shows two women seated in the home’s living room but looking to hover over the LA skyline.

"I think the long-standing impact of the image is due to the way it conveys an idea about living in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and removed from it," stated a head of an architectural company and educator at a prominent university.

Cultural Designation

The home has had historic cameos in cinema, broadcast and videos, including several famous titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a heritage site, and in 2013, the house was listed as a conserved building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coming Ownership

The home continues to be open for tours, as it has been for the previous 17 years, although all slots are currently sold out through February. In their announcement concerning the sale, the family indicated they would give "sufficient warning" before discontinuing the tours.

The sales details for the home emphasizes finding a buyer who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, supporters of design, or organizations seeking to preserve an national treasure, there is simply nothing comparable," the details read. "This is not merely a transaction; it is a handover of custody – a hunt for the next custodian who will honor the house’s past, value its architectural purity, and guarantee its preservation for generations to come."

The expert concurred that the choice of buyer would be a crucial one, given the home’s history.

"I think any time a original family, and a guardianship like this, is being sold of a home like this, it always gives us a little bit of a pause – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their intentions will be. And can they grasp and appreciate the house, as in this specific case the Stahl family has?"