This 1914 Craftsman house in Los Feliz, located at 4406 Kingswell Avenue, is notable for its early association with Walt Disney. The one-story bungalow was owned by Disney’s uncle, and when Walt relocated to Los Angeles in 1923 he lived at this residence, beginning his animation work in the garage.

While several properties in the Los Angeles region are associated with Walt Disney, his first permanent studio location on Hyperion Avenue was demolished in 1966 and the Kingswell Building where he rented studio space between 1923 and 1926 has been altered.

The house itself has remained highly intact, featuring original windows, a wrap-around front porch, and a shingle-clad exterior with wide, overhanging eaves. The interior retains original woodwork as well as a fireplace mantel constructed of rough-hewn stone.

Through local advocacy efforts, the property was successfully nominated as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM), saving it from demolition. The Disney family subsequently purchased the property and contracted a preservation firm to restore and rehabilitate it. The Charlotte and Robert Disney Bungalow Restoration Project was recently completed, carefully returning the residence to its early-1920s appearance while thoughtfully integrating modern systems, seismic upgrades, and sustainable features. In recognition of this work, the project received a 2026 Preservation Award from the Los Angeles Conservancy.

In 2016, a notice of a demolition permit requested by the previous owners triggered public outcry and prompted the office of Councilmember David Ryu, in whose district the house is located, to coordinate with the Office of Historic Resources and City Planning Department on the city-initiated designation process.

Although the house was identified as National Register-eligible through SurveyLA, no environmental review is required for the replacement project of another single-family home on the same site, making HCM designation the only way to protect the house.

On November 23, 2016, the Los Angeles City Council voted in support of a nomination initiated by the Department of City Planning to list the Charlotte and Robert Disney House as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM). To learn more, read the final staff report and recommendation. Thank you to Councilmember David Ryu’s office for supporting the nomination! As a designated HCM, it now benefits from stricter protection from demolition and/or inappropriate alteration.

The house, which was listed for sale by the owners who originally made plans for its demolition, was purchased by a member of the Disney family in March 2017. The new owner retained a preservation consulting firm and began work in 2019 to renovate interior rooms that have been altered through the years to be more period-appropriate.

The primary objective of the project, completed in 2023, was to restore the residence to its original early-1920s character while thoughtfully integrating contemporary systems, seismic upgrades, and sustainability measures. These improvements enable the property to function as a venue for research, intimate gatherings, and interpretive programs. All interventions were guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, carefully balancing restoration and rehabilitation efforts alongside the reconstruction of the garage.

Because the interior had been altered through multiple renovations over the years, the team turned to oral histories from Disney family members and examined physical “witness marks” within the structure to determine previously removed elements. This research helped identify features such as the breakfast nook, original windows and doors, and the home’s initial spatial configuration that had been substantially modified.

 Through restoring the home that gave rise to one of the world’s most influential cultural figures, this project shows how preservation can help reveal the powerful stories in everyday buildings.