Part 8/11:
Hearst’s extravagance was exemplified during one opulent event when he hired a marquee carousel from Warner Brothers, intended for the mansion’s grounds. When the equipment proved unsuitable, Hearst ordered it to be dismantled and rebuilt to fit the estate’s needs—a testament to the grandeur and extravagance associated with these mansions.
The Decline of the Grande Estates
However, as Los Angeles continued to expand and modernize, the fate of these historic mansions took a dramatic turn. Pressures from urban development and the demand for commercial real estate led to the gradual demolition of many of these grand structures.