Gregory Ain’s Hay House asking $1.25M in the Hollywood Hills

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 981, this three-bedroom, two-bath residence in the Cahuenga Pass was designed by architect Gregory Ain in 1939. Commissioned by renowned gay-rights pioneer Harry Hay for his mother, Margaret, the home was used as a meeting place for the Mattachine Society, the early gay-rights group Hay co-founded, causing it to become an FBI-watched address.

According to Anthony Denzer’s monograph Gregory Ain: The Modern Home as Social Commentary, the Hay House “achieved a fortress-like appearance” using “broad blank surfaces on the front, with narrow ribbon windows set just below the eaves indicating the importance of privacy in Ain’s design philosophy.”

The architect provided further protection from prying eyes by placing the home’s detached garage at street level and its living room at the rear of the house, looking out to its enclosed yard.

Characteristic of the International Modern style, the 1,751-square-foot features clean lines, open interior space, and no “unnecessary ornamentation.” Architectural elements include a sizable brick fireplace, hardwood floors, casement windows, plaster walls, and a built-in dresser and desk.

On an 8,000-square-foot lot, the property is asking $1.249 million. Chase Campen of Compass has the listing.