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All the United States California Los Angeles Egasse-Braasch House
AO Edited

Egasse-Braasch House

The house where Good Will Hunting was written is a surreal fairytale abode.

Los Angeles, California

Added By
David Dellinger
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The Egasse-Braasch House at sunrise   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Front of house   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Front of house   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
11 foot tall entryway stain glass window   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Covered stairway to house   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Entryway stain glass window from outside   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Interior relief mural detail   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Intterior relief mural ceiling and wall   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Interior relief mural viking ship detail   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
A closeup of the 11-foot tall stain glass window in the entryway   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Entryway   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Informal dining room, with up-and-over relief mural   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
Beam-ceilings livingroom   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
House framed by driveway archway   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
The house as seen from across the street.   daviddellinger / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The elaborate and bizarre house known as the Egasse-Braasch House is now a historic-cultural monument, protected by the City of Los Angeles, not because Good Will Hunting was written there, but because of its fanciful architecture. 

Created by French architect Jean-Louis Egasse and owners Albert and Constance Braasch, the trio collaborated to build this storybook-style house in 1923 in Eagle Rock, California. In the design and construction, they let their imaginations run wild, taking inspiration from both French and Nordic architectural traditions. Some of the more eccentric flourishes they added include an 11-foot-tall stain glass window; tons of rough-carved woodwork; a “Norman village” outdoor balcony; a wall-ceiling-wall relief mural featuring seagulls, built-in floral wall sconces and Viking ships; and odd, asymmetrical entrance arches.

The singular home was sold in 1979 and began being rented out, like so many homes in LA, to aspiring actors and screenwriters. In the 1993, two aspiring screenwriters, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, began living in the home where they famously penned their breakthrough Good Will Hunting screenplay. Affleck was familiar with the area, as he had studied at nearby Occidental College.

Today, the house is a private residence and is popular as a TV/film location. The recently released pop-horror film Ouija House was filmed here, with the house itself receiving title billing. It received historic-cultural monument status (#1042) by the City of Los Angeles in 2013, and they claimed it had nothing to do with the Good Will Hunting connection. 

Related Tags

Film Architectural Oddities Architecture Houses Film Locations Homes

Know Before You Go

You can see much of the exterior from the street. Remember that this is a private residence. If the owners are home, ask them nicely (remember to mention Atlas Obscura) and they might give you a quick tour.

Community Contributors

Added By

daviddellinger

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julnyes, haydesigner, nathanlouis1

  • julnyes
  • haydesigner
  • nathanlouis1

Published

August 7, 2015

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Sources
  • http://occidentalweekly.com/news/2013/03/05/damon-afflecks-former-eagle-rock-home-considered-for-historical-preservation/
  • http://www.theeastsiderla.com/2013/05/eagle-rocks-good-will-hunting-house-and-garvanza-home-declared-historic-monuments/
  • http://la.curbed.com/tags/jean-l-egasse
  • https://preservation.lacity.org/sites/default/files/HCMDatabase%23040118.pdf
  • https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7375304/
  • California Southland Magazine, December 1923, pages 28-29
  • An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles, by David Gebhard and Robert Winter / revised and updated by Robert Inman and Robert Winter / foreword by Nathan Masters, Fully Revised 6th Edition (2018) – page 110
  • http://egasse-braasch.com/bibliography/
Egasse-Braasch House
2327 Hill Drive
Los Angeles, California, 90041
United States
34.143755, -118.21685
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