A 2005 fire destroyed this 1929 Tudor revival house in Pasadena, which Williams built in 1929. (PreserveLA)

The brush fires that swept through Los Angeles last week damaged a 70-year-old Beverly Hills mansion designed by African American architect Paul Revere Williams.

No one was hurt in the Apr. 12 fire, but high winds spread ignited embers to the wood roof of the house Williams designed for songwriter Harry Warren, destroying its top floor.

"I was so sad because it's a gorgeous house and had so many memories for me," says Julia Riva, Warren's granddaughter.

Douglas Netter, who has owned the house for the past 36 years, could not be reached for comment.

"The cause of the fire was determined to be wires downed in the wind, which ignited the brush," Ron Myers, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said in a statement.

Known as the "architect to the stars," Williams (1894-1980) designed about 2,000 houses for people like Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, and Frank Sinatra. He's also known for the Los Angeles International Airport and Las Vegas' La Concha Motel, whose lobby was saved from demolition last December.

"Some of his work, particularly for his celebrity clients, really defined what was swanky and elegant about living in Los Angeles," says Jay Platt, preservation advocate at the Los Angeles Conservancy. "Paul Williams is hugely important to L.A.'s history."

Two years ago, a fire gutted another Paul Wiliams house in Pasadena, a Tudor revival built in 1929 on the Arroyo Seco. A fire also damaged Williams' Nicolosi Estate, built in 1930 in Los Angeles' Bel Air neighborhood.

The 1937 Warren House, located at 1115 N. Beverly Drive, had an all-cork ballroom, balconies, and a floating staircase.

"It was just an amazing house. I remember every single part of it," Riva says. "Someone should at least go over and document what's left."

Read more about Paul Williams' work on Preservation Online >>

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