Barbara Stanwyck was an accomplished Oscar-nominated actress. She was also an avid horse enthusiast who bred and raised the animals. This aspect of her life at her ranch, named Marwyck, will be explored in this article, as well as the many homes she lived in during her Hollywood career.
Beverly Hills
707 North Arden Drive
The first house Barbara Stanwyck lived in upon arriving in Hollywood in 1929 was located at 707 North Arden Drive. The home was a rental in Beverly Hills with her then-husband, vaudevillian Frank Fay. This house was brand new when Stanwyck moved in.
Sitting on just over half an acre of land this English Manor home and its adjacent guest house boasts a combined total of nine bedrooms and ten bathrooms. Amenities include a pool, a library, and a large and lavish front yard.
615 North Bedford Drive
In 1935, after Stanwyck had divorced Fay, the actress moved to 615 North Bedford. This house was located down the street from her good friend and manager, Zeppo Marx, and his wife Marion.
Built on a third of an acre in 1927, this house contains six bedrooms and six bathrooms with a total square footage of 5,300.
1017 North Beverly Drive
Stanwyck lived in this house throughout much of the 1950s and 1960s before moving to 1055 Loma Vita Drive. This 8863 square foot single-family home has nine bedrooms and five bathrooms.
1055 Loma Vista Drive
The final home Stanwyck ever owned was 1055 Loma Vista Drive. This property was built in 1958 and had 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms with a total square footage of 3,000 square feet. Stanwyck moved here in 1972 and lived here until her death in 1990.
807 North Rodeo Drive
Stanwyck lived at 807 North Rodeo Drive with her then husband Robert Taylor during the 1940s. This house was built in 1936 and has a square footage of 2,200 with five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Northridge
Marwyck Ranch
In 1936, Stanwyck purchased an 11-acre ranch in sparsely populated Northridge, California. Her friend and neighbor in Beverly Hills, Zeppo Marx, bought over 100 acres adjacent to Stanwyck’s property. Marx’s cumulative landholding in Northridge at this time was close to 130 acres. Because they both shared a passion for horses they decided to combine their acreage to create a thoroughbred ranch called “Marwyck”.
“I’ve bought a ranch in the San Fernando Valley. Marion Marx and I have bought 120 acres together. We’re raising horses. Thoroughbreds. We’re going to breed horses, besides caring for our own, we’re going to breed and train and board horses for other people. I’m building a ranch house out there and will live there most of the time. It’s peaceful and quiet. I can have gardens, and it will be wonderful for Dion. It will be home.”
– Barbara Stanwyck
The architect who had recently designed Harpo Marx’s home, Robert Finkelhor, was hired by the pair to design their homes. Two homes were built on 10 acres each with Stanwyck’s featuring a trophy room, seven bathrooms, two servant’s rooms, and a three car garage. The backyard included a large swimming pool, stables for the horses, as well as a tennis court.
On the remaining land, a state-of-the-art Thoroughbred Racehorse breeding and training facility was erected. Stanwyck would have anywhere from 15-20 horses at Marwyck at any given time. Harry S. Hart was brought in to train the horses on Marwyck’s six-furlong training track. In addition to training, horse breeding also happened on the ranch. Typically seventy mares would be bred in any given year.
When Stanwyck married Robert Taylor in 1939, they called Marwyck home. In 1942, horse racing on the west coast ceased. Marwyck was sold the following year to J.H. Ryan and was renamed Northridge Farms.
“I never learned to play when I was a kid. Was always too busy trying to stay alive. I grew up that way – I grew up without friends, without toys, without fun. Now I am trying to capture the things that I need. To Bob (Taylor) I owe an eternal debt, for he has taught me how to find fun in life.”
– Barbara Stanwyck
Westwood
273 South Beverly Glen Boulevard
Stanwyck and Taylor lived at 273 South Beverly Glen Boulevard. After their divorce in 1952, Stanwyck subsequently sold this property and moved to 1017 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. This 5,900 square foot home featured cross-beam wood ceilings and arched doorways. It had six bedrooms and five bathrooms and was located just off of West Sunset Boulevard.
