Jan. 26--The Beverly Hills estate where Oscar-winning actor Charlton Heston made his home for nearly half a century has sold for $12,212,000.
Set behind gates on a knoll above Coldwater Canyon, the three-acre property centers on a Midcentury Modern-style house designed by renowned architect William S. Beckett and built in 1959. A separate three-story structure with an art studio, a screening room and an observation deck is also within the grounds.
Within the main house is an open-plan living room, an office with a balcony, a formal dining room done in Terrazzo tile and a marble bar. A pair of bathrooms and walk-in closets, an office, a fireplace and a two-story library highlight the master suite.
Views from nearly each room take in surrounding treetops and mountains.
In total, close to 9,700 square feet of living space has five bedrooms and six bathrooms plus staff quarters.
A swimming pool, a tennis pavilion with a two-story viewing deck, mature landscaping and a meditation area complete the grounds.
Heston, who died in 2008 at 84, moved into the residence following its completion. It had been owned by the Heston family since.
Myra Nourmand and Howard Stevens of Nourmand Assoc., Beverly Hills, were the listing agents. Brett Lawyer of Hilton Hyland, an affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate, repped the buyer.
Heston is known for such memorable films as "Touch of Evil" (1958), "Planet of the Apes" (1968) and "The Ten Commandments" (1956). He won an Academy Award for best actor for his starring role in "Ben-Hur" (1959).
