Inside an Encino Hills Spanish Revival Built as a Former Convent Retreat

Marty McFly 0
A Remarkable Encino Retreat—historic Spanish Revival estate

Hidden behind private gates on nearly an acre in the Encino Hills, this restored Spanish Revival estate combines architectural character with an unusually intriguing—and still partly unresolved—history. As of July 19, 2026, the property is listed as contingent and accepting backup offers at $6.45 million.

The residence is marketed at approximately 5,900 square feet, with five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and one half bathroom on a 0.91-acre parcel. Its most distinctive feature is not simply its scale, but the account that it was created around 1928 or 1929 as a secluded retreat associated with “El Convento de St. Alban.”

A retreat history preserved in listings and a wall plaque

The historical account appears in more than one generation of real-estate marketing. The current listing describes the estate as having been conceived as a convent in 1928, while the property’s earlier sale listing states that it was built in 1929 as a retreat for El Convento de St. Alban.

Photographs from that earlier listing also show a plaque mounted inside the house that describes the property’s retreat history. The plaque is meaningful physical evidence that the story has been associated with the estate for some time. However, it is not the same as an independent archival record: no readily available church, institutional or historical source has yet been located that confirms the identity of El Convento de St. Alban, the organization’s ownership of the property or the exact way the estate was used.

For that reason, the safest description is that the convent-retreat connection is a longstanding property tradition supported by listing records and an on-site plaque, but not yet independently verified.

1944 aerial view showing the Encino estate and its still-rural surroundings

A 1944 aerial view shows the estate within what was still a sparsely developed and largely rural section of Encino.

The 1944 aerial photograph helps place the estate in context. The house and its grounds were already established while much of the surrounding hillside remained open, reinforcing how secluded the property would have felt during its early decades. Encino in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s still contained extensive orchards, ranch land and scattered country estates, making the area a plausible setting for a private retreat.

Not the Holy Spirit Retreat Center

This property should not be confused with the Holy Spirit Retreat Center, another religious retreat located elsewhere in Encino. Holy Spirit Retreat Center traces its history to the Sisters of Social Service and states that its retreat ministry moved to its present Encino location in 1969. That is a separate institution with a documented history and no established connection to the Hidden Oaks estate or the name El Convento de St. Alban.

Spanish Revival architecture restored for modern living

Whatever the estate’s exact original use, the architecture remains an impressive expression of Old California design. White stucco walls, red clay tile roofs, arched openings, steel casement windows, dark ceiling beams and terracotta floors give the house a warmth and texture that distinguish it from newer construction throughout the Encino Hills.

The irregular arrangement is part of its appeal. Rather than presenting itself as a single symmetrical composition, the estate unfolds through stairways, terraces, garden paths and rooms positioned at different elevations. That layered plan reinforces the sense that the property was intended as a place of privacy and retreat.

According to the current marketing, an architect-owner oversaw an extensive restoration beginning in 2017. Steel windows and decorative ironwork were repaired or recreated, hand-painted tile was introduced into the kitchen and bathrooms, and modern systems were added along with an elevator and electric-vehicle charger. The work appears designed to update the house without erasing its older materials and architectural identity.

Interiors shaped by craftsmanship

A double-height entry gallery introduces the home with a skylight, octagonal Saltillo tile and a sweeping wrought-iron staircase. Nearby, a beamed family room includes a fireplace, wet bar and doors opening to the pool terrace. A temperature-controlled wine cellar occupies the space beneath the staircase, while a guest suite on the lower level connects directly with the outdoor areas.

Upstairs, a central mezzanine links the formal living and dining spaces with an octagonal glass breakfast room and the kitchen. The remodeled kitchen includes a marble island, Thermador range, Sub-Zero refrigeration and a separate catering or pantry area. Arches, fireplaces, French doors and steel-framed windows preserve a strong relationship between the interiors and the surrounding gardens.

The bedroom wing contains four ensuite bedrooms. The primary suite is particularly distinctive, with exposed gabled trusses, a fireplace, sitting area, walk-in closet and private fountain terrace overlooking the Valley. Its barrel-vaulted bathroom combines a freestanding tub, hand-printed terracotta tile and Calacatta Gold marble.

Retreat-like grounds beneath mature trees

The 0.91-acre property is arranged as a series of outdoor rooms shaded by mature oaks and sycamores. Terracotta terraces, fountains and landscaped paths lead toward the pool and spa, fire pit, trellised dining loggia, barbecue casita and several seating areas.

A gated motor court and three-car garage provide parking while reinforcing the estate’s private setting. The listing also references plans and supporting studies for a possible future guest house, although no guest house currently exists on the property.

More than any single feature, it is the combination of mature trees, handmade surfaces, varied rooflines and partly hidden courtyards that gives the property its character. The estate feels less like a conventional modern mansion than a place that has evolved over generations.

Visit the San Fernando Valley Blog’s Architecture and Real Estate page for more historic homes, notable properties and development stories from across the Valley, or browse additional posts filed under Encino.

Current listing photographs

The gallery below shows the estate after its later restoration, including its principal rooms, architectural details, terraces, pool and landscaped grounds.

Exterior pool and historic Spanish Revival estate in Encino Brick motor court and exterior of the historic Encino Spanish Revival estate Entry staircase in the historic Encino Spanish Revival estate Living room with beamed ceiling Living room fireplace and trussed ceiling Living room architectural detail Temperature-controlled wine cellar Interior fountain beneath an arched niche Sitting room with terracotta floor Aerial view of the nearly one-acre estate Dark wood wet bar Dining room with beamed ceiling Study nook with steel casement window Guest bedroom with patterned tile floor Octagonal breakfast room Updated kitchen with marble island Kitchen seating area Intimate sitting room Primary bedroom with original gabled trusses Primary suite sitting area Primary bathroom vanity Primary bathroom detail Primary suite reverse view Upper terrace with red tile roof Ensuite bedroom Guest bathroom Bedroom with exposed ceiling beams Bathroom vanity Pool terrace and outdoor lounge Pool and spa beneath mature trees Garden steps beneath mature trees Landscaped grounds around the estate Gated motor court Aerial dusk view of the Encino estate

A look back at the previous sale

The estate last sold in March 2016 for $3.3 million. Its earlier listing marketed the property at $3.495 million and described a 5,432-square-foot, five-bedroom and five-bath residence. Those photographs preserve the appearance of the home before the later restoration and also document the wall plaque associated with the St. Alban retreat story.

The photographs in this section are from the property’s previous-sale presentation by Juliette Hohnen.

Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 2 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 3 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 4 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 5 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 6 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 7 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 8 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 9 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 10 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 11 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 12 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 13 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 14 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 15 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 16 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 17 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 18 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 19 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 20 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 21 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 22 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 23 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 24 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 25 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 26 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 27 Earlier listing photograph of the Encino Spanish Revival estate, image 28

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