A Woodland Hills home with ties to the San Fernando Valley’s agricultural past is on the market for $4.995 million.
Dubbed “Almidor, The John Show Ranch Estate,” this 5,980-square-foot Spanish Colonial Revival with four bedrooms and five bathrooms underwent a multi-year, multi-million-dollar restoration by its longtime owners. Property records show Peggy and Gwilym McGrew purchased the house through a probate sale in 2002 for $485,000.
The McGrews house sits high above a Charles Du Bois development a nearly 1-acre lot, with a pool in the backyard. When it went up in 1928, more than 350 acres of citrus and walnut-bearing orchards surrounded what was then the ranch of wealthy Nebraskan John H. Show.
Show had commissioned builder L.G. Knipe to design the house of poured-in-place concrete to withstand earthquakes. Inside, he filled it with Gladding McBean terra cotta flooring, Malibu tiles and fixtures, Kokomo stained-glass windows and other artisan elements.
Those details remain thanks to the McGrews’ meticulous care.
The property was in disrepair when they took ownership. Previously, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints used it as a temporary place of worship and it had housed a few families. It had also received some updates and a room addition.
The McGrews wanted to restore the home, and so they hired a team of experts.
“We didn’t file for any historic designation,” Gwilym McGrew said in a YouTube video on the history and restoration process. “We did that deliberately. We wanted to be able to restore the home and not have to go through the bureaucracy of having approvals by a government agency on what we did.”
Today, a newly refinished Mahogany door with forged ironwork opens into a grand entrance hall with a sweeping staircase and Corinthian-style arches on the second level.
Pasadena’s Judson Studios restored the stained-glass windows featured throughout the house.
A decorative fireplace with cast citrus fruit and leaves motifs above a Malibu tile hearth boasts colors original to the era, just like the walls of the living room, dining room and library.
There’s a large den and bar area.
The kitchen underwent a renovation to blend old and new elements. It features original cabinetry and custom-made units, as well as top-of-the-line appliances.
A replica sleeping porch overlooks the pool and patio, which are now reconstructed and reinforced to code. Period-appropriate Arto Brick tiles cover the patios.
There’s a bar and barbecue on the upper patio and plenty of space for entertaining on the lower patio. According to the listing, the house has hosted fundraisers, weddings and other large gatherings.
Sweet-scented roses and citrus trees add to the lush grounds.
Benjamin Kahle of Compass has the listing. A second gated parcel with separate, rear street access is also available.
