601 Orange Grove Boulevard

Johnson, Kaufmann and Coate, FAIA; Katherine Bashford, FASLA; The Harriet Gray Estate, 1924. Built in 1924, every inch of this Italian Renaissance Revival mansion and its walled private rear gardens and fountains are distinguished by status and pedigree. Because much of its original historic fabric has been retained, the 5,894-square-foot, two-story, seven-bedroom, four-bathroom residence and grounds continue to convey the elegance of the late 1920s and '30s. The expansive ground floor layout features high-ceilinged, airy, big-boned living and dining rooms with massive walnut doors, newly polished wood floors, and archways leading to the powder room and kitchen wing. The front door with its wrought iron gates (permitting breezes and separation from the outdoors with class) opens to a double-height foyer and straight out again to the rear terrace bordered with concrete columns. Elaborate period wall sconces adorn these rooms, as well as the north-south bedroom wing upstairs, containing three handsome bedroom-bath suites and dressing rooms, while the east-west wing of four smaller bedrooms appears to have been devoted entirely to staff. Guest house, 2 car garage.