Similar to the Johnson House, the Hayward House had two film locations in Twin Peaks. The Pilot episode and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me used a home in Everett, Washington. The exterior of the home in Seasons 1 and 2 was shot in southern California with interiors captured on a set. But through the magic of television, we are lead to believe the home is located in Washington State.
WHAT IS THE HOME ADDRESS FOR THE HAYWARD HOUSE?
In Episode 2018, Donna Hayward receives a postcard from James Hurley. The address for the Hayward House is 552 Oak Street, Twin Peaks, WA 55219. But in the “Twin Peaks Access Guide to the Town,” the house is located on the corner of Church Lane and Owl Street.
WHERE IS THE HAYWARD HOUSE LOCATED IN CALIFORNIA?
In reality, the home is located at 101 East Hillcrest Boulevard in Monrovia, California. The approximate coordinates are 34°09’35.5″N 118°00’03.5″W.
This spot is just down the street from the former Monrovia Bakery that was used for Wagon-Wheel Do-Nuts, a deleted scene location from Season 1.
HISTORY OF THE HAYWARD HOME IN CALIFORNIA
It appears the house was constructed at a cost of $7,000 around 1907 by Thomas Bynum who acquired the property on Banana and Myrtle Avenue.
Bynum hired the firm of Stewart & Walls as the contractor. When the house was constructed, the builder had a planing mill at the property to cut and dress all the lumber as needed. Electric power was used and the outfit was housed in a tent.
“Banana Avenue” was an earlier name for Hillcrest Avenue as identified in this postcard from MonroviaNow.com. They Bynum house is seen at left.
According to “”Monrovia’s Heritage, Vol. 2” by T.M Hotchkiss, Thomas Bynum was a California native and a descendent of an “argonaut” family which came to California in 1843. He was born in Yolo county, August 10, 1869, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Bynum. His father was a physician. After completing his education at Christian College in Santa Rosa he was employed by the Bank of Lake as assistant cashier. Two years later he was appointed county clerk of Lake county.
On June 10, 1883, he married Miss Mary Olive McGee of Lakeport. They came to Los Angeles about the time that “the boom of the eighties” collapsed and was employed by W.P. Fuller & Co. After 35 years with this company he retired and in 1906 moved to Monrovia where he entered the real estate business. The Bynums had three children: Paul, who died at the age of four years, Estelle and Lindley.
By 1921, Lindley would be serving as park supervisor of a park in Monrovia Canyon owned by the town of Monrovia. An article in the Glendale Evening News on September 15, 1921 notes that Lindley is son of Thomas, “Monrovia’s noted humorist.”
As it turns out, Thomas was part owner of the Monrovia’s Messenger, and according to John L. Wiley’s 1927 book titled “History of Monrovia,” he was a contributing author to the paper as well as the ex-president of the Board of Health for the town. There is a longer passage about Bynum in Wiley’s book beginning on page 147.
On June 6, 1908, Mr. Bynum and his wife Estelle celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They held a lavish party at their home which was decorated in silvery foliage and white carnations.
This home in Monrovia was Bynum’s retirement home and where Estelle and him would live out their lives.
Starting around 1916 through the 1920s, newspapers reported the couple hosting and entertaining a number of guests at their home.
Bynum passed on October 26, 1929 and he was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
According to a brochure from a 1987 house tour, the Bynum house, both interior and exterior, as well as its landscaping, was beautifully restored to its original condition. This would have been roughly two years before the establishing shots of the house were captured for Twin Peaks.
ESTABLISHING SHOTS OF THE HAYWARD HOUSE IN CALIFORNIA
The first time we see the California location is in Episode 1.001. James Hurley’s motorcycle is seen parked outside while he is enjoying some fruit punch inside.
I first visited the house on July 13, 2010 during a brief trip to California. The trees had grown quite a lot since the episode was shot in 1990.
A similar establishing shot is used again in Episode 1.007
Here’s another look at the house circa October 15, 2020.
LAKEVIEW DRIVE SIGN OUTSIDE THE HAYWARD HOUSE
Most shots of the Hayward House in Seasons 1 and 2 were shown at night, except for one scene. In Episode 2017, the house is shown during the day.
Here’s a similar shot from July 2010.
I returned in January 2013 for a winter shot of the house.
Interestingly, the street sign in the show that indicates the house is on Lakeview Drive. That street doesn’t exist in Monrovia, California. The street where the actual house resides has been named Hillcrest Boulevard since at least the 1940s if not early (the Old Maps of Los Angeles website confirmed this fact). Most likely, the crew added the street sign for this particular shot.
Here is the home circa 2017 courtesy of Google Maps Street View.
INTWINPEAKS.COM – HAYWARD RESIDENCE
Like so many other Twin Peaks film locations, I must give credit to Charles and Travis from InTwinPeaks.com. Here is the page about their southern California adventure from the now closed website.
