A red-brick Colonial Revival manor in Holmby Hills that was built for 1930s screen star Jean Harlow is up for grabs at $16.8 million, offering a slice of Old Hollywood that is unusually intact. The gated 1932 estate sits on roughly 1.32 acres behind mature magnolia trees and still shows off a surprising amount of original 1930s detail.
The property is listed by David Kramer of Compass at $16,800,000. Public records and marketing materials place the main house at about 7,367 square feet, with an additional 1,320-square-foot guest and pool house. According to the listing on Coldwell Banker, the home is being promoted as the Jean Harlow Estate and was added to MLS at the end of March. The agent’s materials spotlight formal living rooms, an expanded chef’s kitchen, and preserved period millwork that has survived multiple rounds of renovation.
What’s Inside the Harlow Estate
Architectural Digest reports that the residence was finished in roughly ten weeks in 1932 and was designed by architect C. B. Clyne. The magazine calls out classic period flourishes, including arched built-in bookcases, a concealed Prohibition-era bar, boiserie paneling, and marble fireplaces. Outside, the grounds carry the same throwback energy, with a pool that still has its original diving board, a two-story pool house with a billiards room, a full-size tennis court, koi ponds, two greenhouses, and a temperature-controlled wine cellar, as detailed by Architectural Digest.
Owners and Why It’s Listed
The current sellers are the adult children of Herman and Marsha Jacobs, who bought the property in 1979 and held it for decades while keeping much of its Old Hollywood character intact, according to The Real Deal. After Marsha Jacobs died in 2011 and Herman Jacobs passed away last year, family members told the Journal the house “didn't make sense for any of [them] to keep,” the outlet reports.
Where This Fits in the Market
The listing arrives as Los Angeles’ ultra-luxury sector shows signs of waking back up. “Deals above $10 million jumped more than 50 percent year over year in 2025,” The Real Deal notes, citing Compass data. That rebound, despite local headwinds like Measure ULA and last year’s wildfires, makes an intact 1930s celebrity estate a particularly rare piece of inventory for the deep-pocketed crowd hunting for something with real Hollywood history baked in.
