Newhall Mansion With ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and ‘The X Files’ Among Its Hollywood Credits for Sale for $7.5M

A pristine Victorian mansion that served as the filming location for a range of iconic TV shows, including “Murder, She Wrote” and “The X Files,” has hit the market for $7.5 million.

The Newhall Mansion, which is a historical landmark, sits on 9.63 acres in Piru, CA, about 50 miles outside of Los Angeles.

“It is one of the more pristine properties I’ve had the privilege to represent. It’s detail on detail on detail—and fastidiously kept,” says listing agent Eric Lavey, with Sotheby’s International Realty–Beverly Hills Brokerage. “I was shocked when I got there. I thought I was going to see an older home … not one that basically looks like it was done last year.”

The property dates to 1886 when the town’s founder built on the land, and has changed hands several times over the century.

During a 1981 restoration by the Newhall family, the house caught fire and burned down. The family immediately started to rebuild, finishing in 1984.

Rebuilt to 19th-century specs

Lavey explains that when the home was rebuilt, it was built to the “exact specifications of the late 1800s, meaning the solid doors, the specific wood used in all the millwork, and specific tiles.”

“So when it was reconstructed in the early 1980s, it was essentially a brand-new 100-year-old house.”

The 10,000-square-foot mansion has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

“Recently, the appraiser said to build this today would cost you well north of $14 million, which is almost double what we’re asking,” Lavey says.

Nothing faux about it

The grounds are manicured and the indoor spaces feature woodwork, intricate flooring, and stained glass, creating a look Lavey calls “stunning.”

“It’s remarkable in terms of the quality of construction. No one would ever build like that today because the cost would be ridiculous. They would try to do a faux version of it, and there is nothing faux about [this property]. When they rebuilt it, they rebuilt with identical materials and they built to the specifications of the original structure in the 1880s.”

A booming business opportunity

Lavey says the lower level is a personal favorite of his and worthy of a toast.

“The downstairs is the existing sort of old tavern from the 1800s. [The owners] turned it into a very livable space. When people are in residence, that becomes like your speakeasy and there’s a bedroom down there as well. It’s really, really special, and you can feel the history of that 19th-century architecture down there with the stone foundation and all of that.”

The current owners have used it as an event venue as well as a filming location.

“It hosts around 50 or more events a year, and they book out at least 18 months ahead,” Lavey says. “You can rent the entire property and have a few hundred people as guests and the ability to park over 100 cars, which is not easy to find in the Los Angeles area.”

The event and location business conveys with the sale. Lavey says the highest annual income generated by the property was $400,000 in net profits.

“It’s the whole thing: the real estate and the business. It’s a fully operational and profitable business. The management there is absolutely spectacular, and they have been running it for a long time.”

The home has been featured in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The X Files,” “Charmed,” “Reno 911,” and a wide range of other productions. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion recently filmed a music video there.

“It’s not easy to find homes that have this sort of age and character. If you’re looking for that Victorian era that feels like it is pristine, it’s just very difficult to find,” Lavey says.

Plenty of value to unlock

The large acreage is also good for production shoots because of the privacy and proximity to Los Angeles.

“These are all old citrus groves from the late 1800s and the early 1900s, and the grounds around [the home] feel like not much has changed in 100 years.”

An additional two-bedroom home on the property is part of the sale, which Lavey says could be used for a caretaker or manager. The acreage and zoning allow for other buildings on the property.

“This has a lot of value for what it is. This is for someone who understands that land is at a premium and we hope that the next custodian of the property is someone who loves it as the past owners [have] because it is a very important historical property in the state of California,” he says.