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The celebrated Stahl house, a quintessential example of midcentury modern architecture, is up for sale for the initial occasion in its complete history.

This overhanging residence, nestled in the Hollywood Hills area, appeared on the market this recent week. The price tag stands at a substantial $25 million.

Stewards Move to Let Go

The Stahl family, who have held title to the residence for its full 65-year timeline, released a declaration regarding their choice to sell. They expressed that the dwelling had proven increasingly challenging to maintain.

"This home has been the center of our lives for a long time, but as we’ve grown older, it has become more difficult to look after it with the care and energy it so rightfully warrants," commented the descendants of the original owners.

They continued that the time had come to find a new "steward" for the house – "a person who not only appreciates its architectural significance but also understands its place in the cultural fabric of the city and beyond."

Modest Origins

The beginnings of the Stahl house date to May 1954, when the initial owners bought a hilly patch of land in the at the time undeveloped Hollywood Hills district for $13,500.

Despite the Stahl house becoming a famous icon of the city, the residents often emphasized that "nobody famous ever lived here," characterizing themselves as a "working-class family living in a architectural masterpiece."

Construction Undertaking

The initial design for the Stahl house was developed during the warm season of 1956. However, many builders were initially hesitant to construct it on the challenging hillside.

In November 1957, the Stahls consulted architect Pierre Koenig, who agreed to undertake the project. With backing from the notable Case Study program, led by a leading magazine editor, the Stahls received financial aid to engage Koenig.

The contemporary program "centered around innovation" and "using new building materials and erecting in sites that maybe earlier the engineering didn’t really permit," stated an specialist from a regional heritage organization. "Each of these factors are wrapped up into a place like the Stahl house, which was cutting-edge, modern and unthinkable in terms of how it was erected on that site that everyone else believed, at the time, was not feasible."

Realization and Iconic Impact

The Stahl house was assigned Case Study house No. 22, and work started in May 1959. According to the owners, construction amounted to "just $37,500" and the home was move-in ready by May 1960. The result was "a perfect representation of what everyone envisions LA is and should be," the expert noted.

Soon after construction was finished, a famous architectural photographer took what is possibly the most famous photograph of the home. Shot through the enormous glass windows, the photograph depicts two women sitting in the home’s living room but looking to float over the LA skyline.

"In my opinion the long-standing impact of this photo is due to the way it communicates an idea about dwelling in Los Angeles, an duality about being both in the city and removed from it," said a founder of an architectural company and adjunct professor at a prominent university.

Protected Recognition

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

In 1999, the city recognized the Stahl house a protected monument, and in 2013, the house was listed as a protected property on the National Register of Historic Places.

Future Stewardship

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

The listing for the home highlights finding a buyer who will maintain the spirit of the space.

"For connoisseurs of architecture, advocates of building, or entities seeking to preserve an American masterpiece, there is simply nothing comparable," the description say. "This is more than a sale; it is a transfer of stewardship – a search for the next steward who will celebrate the house’s legacy, value its original vision, and secure its protection for posterity."

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

"In my view any time a original family, and a custodianship like this, is transferring hands of a home like this, it always creates a little bit of a hesitation – because you cannot predict what the next owner, what their plans will be. And do they grasp and cherish the house, as in this particular case the Stahl family has?"