Mansion on The Hill Hosts Eagle Rock Gala (Photos)

It’s not every day that members of the public get to visit Chateau Emanuel, one of Eagle Rock’s—indeed L.A.’s—most distinguished and elaborately landscaped mansions. And they certainly don’t have the liberty to tour the three-acre property on Hill Drive—and then sit down to a poolside dinner under heat lamps while a jazz band reminds them that there’s so much in Eagle Rock that will ever remain unexplored.

Such was the night of Saturday, November 19, marking the official end of Eagle Rock’s centennial celebrations. Upward of 150 guests gathered for the much-anticipated centennial gala at the “mansion on the hill,” as the Chateau Emanuel is popularly known, and enjoyed the warm hospitality of the manor’s owner, Robert Kvassay, and his family.

Even the gods smiled on this once-in-a-lifetime occasion. There was no rain—not a drop—and the weather wasn’t as chilly as it might have been. The Kvassays threw open their Tudor-style home for a self-guided tour, which just about everybody took advantage of.

The evening would not have been possible without the tireless volunteering efforts of many Eagle Rockers, particularly Gala chairperson Kaye Beckham, former chairperson of the centennial’s steering committee Valerie Dawson, artist Lina Johnstone Allen, Roe Munzingo, George Kosth, David Dickinson and Sally Peterson.

We hope you enjoy these images from last night—especially if you missed the gala. And if you see yourself—or someone you know in the photos—tell us what the occasion meant to you and what you especially liked about it.