Photo courtesy Charles Miller

Last August in LAist's Neighborhood Project series we looked at the hidden jewel of Northeast Los Angeles (NELA, for those in the know) called Garvanza. In an area rich in history and craftsmanship sit several majestic old homes, grand dames in the Craftsman style dating back to the late 1800s.

One of the homes featured in the story is the one located at 200 N Ave 66, known commonly as the Dr. Williams residence, named for the man who bought the house in 1936. The house had fallen into disrepair over the years, but has recently undergone a remarkable restoration which is nearly complete.

Project manager Tina Gulotta-Miller, who also serves on the Garvanza Improvement Association, reports that historians have been brought on to help trace the origins of the house, and they believe it was built between 1888 and 1897, and might have been what was called a "speculation house" for the town, serving as a sort of model home to attract buyers to the area. They are currently digging through microfiche files of deeds and the LA Times archives to see if they can determine who the home's original owner and builder was. The photo above shows the house today, and after the jump is a photo from last summer, as the project was in its very early stages.

200 N Ave 66 in August 2007, before restoration | Photo by Lindsay William-Ross/LAist

What a difference a few months make!

Thanks to the Charles and Tina Gulotta-Miller for keeping us apprised of the goings on in Garvanza.