The Greystone Mansion: History, Beauty and Mystery in Beverly Hills

In 1892, a man down on his luck and at the brink of financial ruin noticed a passing wagon hauling oil tar in West Los Angeles.  He began to dig for oil with a pick and shovel.  In time, he was able to afford a drill and lease a patch of land, and soon discovered the first well to produce black gold near downtown Los Angeles.  His exploits later took him to Mexico where, in 1904, he hit pay dirt with the discovery of his first gusher Cerro Azul, an unparalleled historical find producing a quarter of a million barrels of oil a day. It was the beginning of a dynasty fraught with intrigue, tragedy, and mystery.  His name was E. L. (Edward Laurence) Doheny Sr., and his era was unregulated, unrestrained, and uncompromising.

The 55 room 46,000 square foot mansion he built on 22 acres was completed in 1929 at a cost of $4,000,000, a staggering sum for that day.  It was a gift for his son, E. L. Doheny Jr., the partner of his labors known as ‘Ned’ on the southern part of his 429 acre ranch situated north of Sunset Boulevard, today known as Beverly Hills.  Designed by Gordon B. Kaufmann, it was built in the English Tudor style to intentionally convey old money when in reality the family fortune was ostensibly new.  Construction entailed the removal of more than 250,000 cubic yards of dirt.  The grey stone façade, after which the mansion was named, was mere decor.  Beneath it lay three-foot-thick, steel-framed concrete walls, erected with the single objective of making the mansion last for centuries. 

The interior featured elaborate hand-wrought iron grillwork on the plate-glass entrance doors, marble staircases, oak archways, a fountain in the reception room, a terrace with sweeping views of the impeccably kept grounds and city below, a two-story high ceiling with baronial carved beams, a stately stone fireplace, projection room and private theater in the basement, bowling alley, billiards room, and concealed bar which could swiveled into view at the flick of a switch–it was during Prohibition, after all.  The 22 acres surrounding the mansion included a seven-room Tudor-style gatehouse, 15,666-square-foot stable, sixteen acres of formal gardens and wooded areas, reflecting pools, swimming pools, greenhouses, tennis and badminton courts, waterfalls, two concrete-bottom lakes, and a fully equipped machine shop. 

Maintaining the property required two butlers, two cooks, half a dozen maids and serving staff, four chauffeurs, two governesses, a body-guard for the children, fifteen gardeners, four mechanics, and the requisite secretary for Mrs. Doheny. 

It all unhinged on the still chilly night of February 16, 1929.  One popular story was that Ned’s long-time personal secretary, Hugh Plunkett, described also as his closest confidant, rummaged through a closet in the garage and located a house key which gained him access to the mansion.  He went upstairs to the master bedroom where he found Ned and his wife Lucy already dressed for bed.  Ned took the agitated Plunkett to a first-floor guest room where their camaraderie eventually turned to loud arguing, prompting Ned to call the family physician, Dr. Ernest Clyde Fishbaugh, who had treated Plunkett a year prior for a nervous breakdown.

Upon the doctor’s arrival, Plunkett opened the door and seeing him at the entry, slammed it shut.  Then, two shots were fired from inside.  The doctor rushed in and found Plunkett face down in a pool of blood and Ned bloody and dying near an overturned armchair. No conclusions were ever drawn as to the pervading motives or the execution sequence in this apparent murder-suicide. 

The property passed ownership up until June 1969, when the American Film Institute leased it for its Center for Advanced Film Studies.  Since 2001, the city of Beverly Hills has completed extensive restorations, but has yet to silence a paranormal presence which often is heard anguishing over a tarnished past.

By Jeffrey Hyland

Jeffrey Hyland, is President of Hilton & Hyland.  His book is available through www.thelegendaryestatesofbeverlyhills.com