Freyed So!

Where there is a will, or maybe we should say William, there is a way. This 1966 Albert Frey designed tennis estate for William Irving Hollingsworth III is certainly a testimony to perseverance.

The story, as it’s told, is that Hollingsworth purchased the lot and wanted to build a tennis estate adjacent to the Racquet Club which was then owned by Charlie Ferrell. Ferrell is said to have protested the development because he did not want the eyesore of the chain link fence, commonly associated with tennis courts, in proximity to his Racquet Club.

Hollingsworth, a Los Angeles developer had, not only the the vision but the determination to make the site work. He decided to excavate the lot below grade to minimize the visibility of his tennis estate thus gaining the necessary permits and approvals. He then hired Albert Frey, who was at the time working on the Racquet Club, to design his new tennis estate. And so the Hollingsworth house was created. Freyed So Charlie!

At first glance one can easily recognize a few quintessential Frey characteristics: rolled roof, cantilevered carport, and an elevated pool. This small but remarkable property is a rare opportunity to experience Desert Modernism as it was intended.