Halliwell Manor is a Victorian-style manor located on 1329 Prescott Street, San Francisco. The original structure was built in 1898, known to be a masterpiece before it was destroyed in the great San Francisco earthquake in 1906.[1] The Warren Line rebuilt the house and moved in after that. The manor has since been in the Warren Line for four generations, the first generation being Gordon Johnson and his wife P. Baxter. The Halliwell Manor was built on top of a Spiritual Nexus and has been the seat of power for the Charmed Ones since their awakening in 1998.
Book of Shadows
Halliwell Manor
- This San Francisco Victorian house has been the residence of the Halliwell family for generations. The Manor was built on land containing a Spiritual Nexus that can be used for either good or evil. The Haliwell family moved into the Manor to claim the Nexus for good and made it their home.[2]
The Nexus
The pentagram around the manor.
Since the Halliwell Manor is exactly situated at the center of five essential life elements (fire, water, earth, wood, and metal), it is located on top of a Spiritual Nexus. These five essential life elements are the San Francisco Bay (Water), the Potrero Natural Hot Springs (Fire), Kenwood Park (Wood), The Twin Peaks (Earth) and Mountain Lake Park (Metal). When connected, these five points form a pentagram with the manor in the center, making it not only a spiritual nexus but a Wiccan one as well.
The Nexus is a neutral source of power that could be accessed by good and evil. The Charmed Ones' great great-grandparents bought the land and built the manor in 1906 to prevent it from falling into the hands of evil. As forces of good were in control of the manor, the Nexus was described as providing an extra boost of power to the sisters. For this reason, good would prevail as long as the sisters were in control of the manor. However, should the manor be overtaken by evil, it would gain control over the Nexus and evil would spread. As the Nexus is a neutral force, those born on top the Nexus are more easily swayed by the forces of evil, but can also be swayed by the forces of good.
Evil Forces
There have been several times that demons and other evil beings have attempted to control the power of the Nexus. The Woogyman was a demon that was imprisoned within the Nexus by Penny Halliwell with a spell. She taught this spell to Phoebe as a nursery rhyme in case the Woogyman was ever freed.[3] After his return from the Demonic Wasteland, Cole Turner sought to obtain the Nexus in an attempt to get Phoebe back.[4] The demon Zankou also made several attempts to gain control of the Nexus.
Banishing the Nexus
The Nexus and Zankou being destroyed.
When Zankou stole the Book of Shadows and took over the manor, the Charmed Ones had no choice but to destroy the Nexus to prevent evil from accessing its power. In order to vanquish Zankou and destroy the Nexus, the sisters allowed Zankou to take it in and proceeded to banish it with a spell the Elders had placed in the Book of Shadows long ago. The result was a huge explosion that the destroyed Zankou and the basement, allowing the sisters to fake their own deaths in the process.[5]
Rooms and Surroundings
Bedrooms
The manor has four bedrooms on the second floor, which consists of one master bedroom and three smaller bedrooms. All four rooms are shown, and confirmed, in Season 8, however, there may be more than just four.[6]
Master Bedroom
Piper in her bedroom.
The master bedroom was initially used by Penny Halliwell. When she moved out, it was used by Patty and Victor, until their divorce and Patty's death, at which point Penny moved back in to take care of her granddaughters. After Penny's death, Prue moved into the master bedroom until she moved out to give the newlywed Piper and Leo more space.[7] The closet in the master bedroom was converted into a nursery months before Wyatt was born. Said nursery is later converted back into a closet. The master also has its own bathroom.[8]
Second Bedroom
Piper in Prue's bedroom before Paige moved in.
This bedroom was initially used by Piper until she switched rooms with Prue after marrying Leo. Prue then used this room until her tragic and untimely death. The room was left vacant until Paige moved into the house. After Paige and Phoebe, moved out, this room became Wyatt's official room, moving him out of Piper and Leo's closet nursery. After Chris was born, he and Wyatt shared this room together. This room was also once used by Grams as a sewing room.[9]
Third Bedroom
Phoebe's bedroom.
The third and most likely the smallest bedroom was primarily used by Phoebe until she eventually moved into her own condo. It was also temporarily used by Billie Jenkins and presumably Christy when they stayed at the manor. After Phoebe and Paige moved out permanently, this room was most likely converted to a room for one of Piper's children. This room was temporarily turned into a home gym, when Phoebe relocated to Hong Kong. It was once described by Prue to be the coldest room in the house.
Fourth Bedroom
In season 8, Paige is seen in her own separate bedroom, along with Leo and Piper, Phoebe, and Chris and Wyatt's shared room. Therefore, this confirms that the manor has (at least) a fourth bedroom.
The Attic
Phoebe enters the attic for the first time.
The attic of the manor is located on the third floor and can be accessed through a stairway. It is a large space that takes up nearly the entire third floor. Aside from being a basic attic used for storage, the attic was the place where the Book of Shadows was kept by The Charmed Ones and Penny Halliwell before them. As the sisters grew up in the manor unaware of their heritage, the attic was kept locked by Penny at all times while she told her granddaughters that it was sealed off completely.[10] The door was unlocked the night Phoebe went there after the spirit board had given her the word "Attic" as a message.[11]
During their time as The Charmed Ones, the attic was a very important location for the sisters, as the Book of Shadows was kept there nearly all the time. As such, the sisters spent a lot of time in the attic when they needed to use magic, research demons or other evil beings or summon spirits. Additionally, several important events took place in the attic, including several important vanquishes and revelations.
Kitchen
Prue making a potion in the kitchen.
The kitchen of the manor was a large and bright-colored room with an entrance to the dining room, the basement, and the laundry room. Like any household, the sisters spent a lot of time in the kitchen for regular daily activities and conversations. Additionally, the sisters kept several potion ingredients in the kitchen and brewed potions when the potion required to be prepared on the stove.
As a chef and most skilled potion maker, Piper spent the most time in the kitchen. Several important events also took place in the kitchen, including Prue taking a potion that killed her in order to vanquish the spirit of Jackson Ward, though Andy managed to revive her with CPR.[12]
Basement
The Woogyman being banished.
The basement is a large room located underneath the manor, which is accessible through the kitchen. The basement played an important part in the lives of the sisters, as it is the place where the Nexus could be accessed and where the Woogyman was imprisoned. For this reason, Phoebe was afraid of the basement for most of her youth.[13]
The basement was also used by Prue as a darkroom during her career as a photographer. Additionally, it was the location where Cole trained Phoebe in combat. Prue and Phoebe both hid out in the basement when they gained the power of Empathy.[14] The basement was also where various important events took place, such as The Charmed Ones vanquishing Zankou and faking their own deaths.[15]
Dining Room
Piper gives birth to Wyatt.
The dining room is a room that connects to the kitchen, the conservatory, and the sitting room. The room is used for fancy or special meals, such as birthdays, or when the sisters received guests.[16] Family meetings were also occasionally held in the dining room. Several important events took place in the dining room, most notably the birth of Wyatt Halliwell on the dining table.[17]
Sitting Room
The sitting room as seen from the stairs.
The sitting room is the central room of the manor, which leads to the front door through the foyer and also connects to the living room, conservatory, and the dining room. The stairway is also located in the sitting room. The sitting room was primarily used for regular, everyday activities, though it was also used for several important events. The sisters often studied the Book of Shadows here whenever it was not in the attic. When the Charmed Ones was first constituted and later reconstituted (twice), the chandelier in the sitting room emitted a magical glow[18][19][20]. It is also the location where the Wedding of Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt was held[21], and where the Ultimate Battle was fought.[22]
Conservatory
Piper and Phoebe in the conservatory.
The conservatory, also called the sunroom or solarium, is a spacious room in the manor that is brightly lit by the many windows and open doors to the garden. It also connects to the sitting room, the living room and the dining room. The conservatory is generally used as a place of family moments and relaxation in the morning and afternoon, especially during warm seasons. The sisters often came here to relax and talk with each other. It was also used as a playroom for Wyatt.
Additionally, the room severed as an important location for various events. It is the location where the Wedding of Paige Matthews and Henry Mitchell took place.[23] It is also where Piper vanquished the Titans as the Goddess of Earth.[24] Lastly, the conservatory is also the place where Prue Halliwell died after she was blasted through a wall by Shax.[25]
Living Room
Phoebe trying to hear the TV.
The living room of manor is a regular-sized room located at the front of the manor. It can be accessed through the foyer, the sitting room, and the conservatory. The living room has a fireplace and is generally used as a regular living room.
The Foyer
A view of the foyer.
The foyer is the main hall of the manor and leads straight into the sitting room, though it can also be used to access the living room directly right upon entry through the front door. The foyer is most notable for being the location where the "door tradition" started.
Bathrooms
The manor initially had two bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, located underneath the stairway. However, the downstairs bathroom was later converted into a closet. The upstairs bathroom is a large room located at the front of the manor. Several notable events took place in the bathroom, including Prue nearly being drowned in the shower by Barbas and Leo's marriage proposal to Piper.[26]
Laundry Room
Additionally, there is a laundry room on the first floor that can be accessed through the kitchen.[27]
Garden
The sisters in the garden.
The manor has a rather large garden, or backyard, which was rarely used by the sisters. When the manor was still a speakeasy in the 1920s, P. Russell met here with her lover Anton and consumed a potion here to triple the strength of her powers.[28] The garden was recreated by the Source of All Evil in his illusionary world to manipulate Piper.[29] Additionally, the sisters once spent a night in the garden to witness the Aurora Borealis.[30]
Garage
Piper entering the Garage.
The manor has a garage at the end of their driveway, which is located behind the manor. In 2005, Leo bought an old pick-up truck with the desire to fix it up and sell it. However, his plans were interrupted when he was taken away by the Angel of Destiny as an alternative to his destined death.[31]
Important Events
General
- The Power of Three awakens after Phoebe cast a spell in the attic. ("Something Wicca This Way Comes")
- The Woogyman is released from its prison in the Nexus. ("Is There a Woogy in the House?")
- The Charmed Ones learn of their past lives and some of the history of the manor. ("Pardon My Past")
- The Power of Three is reconstituted by Paige Matthews. ("Charmed Again, Part 1")
- The sisters legally lose the manor to Cole Turner in his attempt to gain control of the Nexus. ("The Importance of Being Phoebe")
- The manor became haunted by demonic residue. While under a hex, Piper made the manor disappear. ("House Call")
- The manor was covered by a Slime Demon. ("Witchstock")
- The manor is surrounded by SWAT agents when magic is exposed and the Charmed Ones fake their own deaths to live normal lives. ("Something Wicca This Way Goes...?")
- The Nexus underneath the manor is destroyed by the sisters to vanquish Zankou. ("Something Wicca This Way Goes...?")
- The manor was destroyed in the Ultimate Battle. ("Kill Billie: Vol. 2")
- The manor is given a magical makeover by Henry Mitchell and Elise Rothman after magic switched to mortals. ("The Old Witcheroo")
- Piper killed Prue and Heremus using the Ancient Athame. Paige is saved and Patience is restored to life. ("The Reason")
Important Vanquishes
- Jeremy Burns ("Something Wicca This Way Comes")
- Nicholas ("That '70s Episode")
- Inspector Rodriguez ("Deja Vu All Over Again")
- Dragon Warlock ("Be Careful What You Witch For")
- Vinceres ("Primrose Empath")
- Shax ("Charmed Again, Part 1")
- Belthazor ("Black as Cole")
- The Source of All Evil ("Charmed and Dangerous")
- Kurzon ("The Three Faces of Phoebe")
- Cole Turner ("Centennial Charmed")
- The Crone ("Sense and Sense Ability")
- Cronus and Demitrius ("Oh My Goddess! Part 2")
- Zankou ("Something Wicca This Way Goes...?")
- Gaxageal ("No Country for Old Ones")
- Heremus ("The Reason")
Deaths
- Andy Trudeau ("Deja Vu All Over Again")
- P. Russell ("Pardon My Past")
- Penny Halliwell ("Pre-Witched")
- Prue Halliwell ("All Hell Breaks Loose", "The Reason")
- Allen Halliwell ("Witchstock")
- Chris Halliwell ("It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World, Part 2")
- Inspector Sheridan ("Something Wicca This Way Goes...?")
Births
- Phoebe Halliwell ("Is There a Woogy in the House?")
- Wyatt Halliwell ("The Day the Magic Died")
- Parker Halliwell ("The Old Witcheroo")
Weddings
- Wedding of Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt ("Just Harried")
- Wedding of Paige Matthews and Henry Mitchell ("Engaged and Confused")
The Manor in the Past, Alternate Timelines and Realities
Pardon My Past
The manor circa 1924.
In the 1920s, the Charmed Ones' great grandmother, P. Baxter operated a speakeasy out of the manor with her husband Gordon Johnson. She owned the Manor together with her cousins P. Bowen and P. Russell. Bowen was a celebrated photographer who had people lined up to get their portraits taken by her in the manor. Russell told people's fortunes and did certain magic for people for a price. In 1924, Baxter and Bowen killed Russell in the manor after she turned evil and tried to kill them for their powers with her warlock lover, Anton.
Witchstock
The manor in the sixties.
In 1967, when Penny and Allen Halliwell were leaders in the peace-loving community, the manor was used as a hippie commune, where witches and Whitelighters would hang out and perform magic. Leo Wyatt frequented the Manor during this time. Penny and Allen were planning to hold a magical be-in where the witches in attendance would tap into the power of the Nexus to "ride the magical wave". Unfortunately, Penny's friend Robin allowed her warlock boyfriend, Nigel, to attack and kill Allen. Afterward, Penny vanquished both of them and became a powerful and determined witch.
Brain Drain
The manor as a mental hospital.
In 2001, in order to get Piper to relinquish the powers of the Charmed Ones, the Source of All Evil kidnapped her and placed her inside an illusion in her mind. In her delusion, she became a patient in a mental hospital, which was located in the manor. After manipulation by the Source, Piper was driven to giving up her powers, though she was stopped in time by Leo and her sisters.
Centennial Charmed
The manor in Cole's reality.
In 2003, in a twisted attempt to win Phoebe back, Cole accepted the offer to become an Avatar, giving him the power to alter reality. He created a new reality where Piper and Phoebe had never met Paige, thus ensuring the Charmed Ones were never reconstituted. However, Paige accidentally wound up in the new reality as well and managed to reunite her sisters and Phoebe vanquished Cole once and for all. In this reality, the manor was controlled by Cole and his demons, with Phoebe being stuck in the manor and a loveless marriage.
Chris-Crossed
The manor as a museum.
In 2003, it is revealed by Chris Halliwell that Wyatt would turn evil in the future and ruled the entire city of San Francisco after magic was exposed. Wyatt had transformed the manor in a museum to show the power from which he came. The manor was filled with several memorabilia of important events in the lives of the Charmed Ones and tours were given to mortals.
Kill Billie: Vol. 2 and Forever Charmed
The manor destroyed.
In 2006, a battle between Christy and Billie Jenkins and the Halliwell Sisters was fought. In the progress, both respective sisters had obtained the powerful force, known as the Hollow, to destroy each other. However, the clash of their powers destroyed the manor in a huge explosion, killing all but Piper and Billie. Both sisters then set out to change the past and save their respective sisters. Piper and her family managed to prevent the manor from being destroyed in a new timeline by returning the Hollow to its burial ground. The Ultimate Battle was later won when Billie realized she was being manipulated and joined the Charmed Ones to vanquish Christy and the Triad.
Door Tradition
A trademark of Charmed is that the front door is magically closed at the end of each season. This tradition started in both the unaired and aired pilot by Prue Halliwell. Since then, every season finale ended with the door magically being closed.[32]
- Season 1: Prue closes the front door with her telekinesis, using her finger.[33]
- Season 2: Prue closes the front door with her Telekinesis, using her finger.[34]
- Season 3: Shax violently slams the doors shut as he whirls out of the manor, shattering the glass.[35]
- Season 4: The Angel of Destiny magically closes the front door when he flies out of the Manor.[36]
- Season 5: Chris closes the front door with his Telekinesis after sending Leo to an undisclosed location.[37]
- Season 6: The doors of the delivery room in the hospital automatically close when Leo goes in with his newborn son to visit Piper.[38]
- Season 7: The front door magically closes as Darryl Morris leaves the front porch. The sound of Telekinesis is heard, most likely as a reference to Prue, who is implied to have closed the door from the afterlife.[39]
- Season 8: Piper's granddaughter, Prudence Halliwell, closes the front door with her Telekinesis, using her hand.[40]
- Season 9: Prue closes the front door of the Halliwell Manor replica, located in the Nexus of The All with her telekinesis, using her hand.
- Season 10: Prue, whose spirit telekinetically closed the front door.[41]
Other Occasions
- Leo walks out the front door and is seen orbing as he leaves when the manor doors close. ("Wicca Envy")
- Phoebe telekinetically closed the door when possessed by the Woogyman. ("Is There a Woogy in the House?")
- Penny telekinetically moved the sisters out on the manor and closed the doors when the sisters went to the past. ("That '70s Episode")
- Prue telekinetically closed the door to prevent Phoebe from leaving. ("The Honeymoon's Over")
- Phoebe telekinetically closed the door after scaring off the wedding planners. ("Bride and Gloom")
- Cole telekinetically closed the door when he took over the manor. ("The Importance of Being Phoebe")
- Chris telekinetically closed the door after he flung Darryl out of the manor. ("It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World, Part 2")
- Zankou telekinetically threw the sisters out of the manor and closed the door after he took over the manor. ("Scry Hard")
Galleries
Exterior Shots
.jpg "Halliwell Manor 2006(2).jpg (34 KB)")
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Blueprints and Stills of the Interior
Notes and Trivia
General
Halliwell Manor Dollhouse
Both the 1998 and 2018 versions of Charmed end on a shot of the Manor.
- At the beginning of Season 1 the Halliwell manor's address was 7571. It was later changed to 1329.
- In the promo for the Unaired Pilot, the Manor was called "Warren Manor".
- Throughout the series, there is a running gag that the Grandfather Clock in the foyer is constantly being destroyed, and having to be repaired. The crew joked there had to be Grandfather Repair Shop down the road.
- The manor is used as an example in one of the lectures of Professor Whittlesey, a professor at Berkeley University, in her Architectural History Class. Whittlesey stated that the original manor was a masterpiece and commented on its location and beautiful Victorian architecture.
- A dollhouse replica of Halliwell Manor was constructed by Penny Halliwell. The dollhouse appeared in the episodes "Scry Hard" and "Repo Manor". In both episodes, a person was shrunk and trapped in the dollhouse.
- In "Sight Unseen", Cole turns on the air conditioning and opens all windows so the demon Troxa would become visible. However, in "Oh My Goddess! Part 1", Phoebe asked why they never got air conditioning.
- The real house was used for filming the Unaired Pilot of Charmed. All scenes in the manor, except the ones in the attic, were filmed in the real house.
- The first 6 seasons of Charmed (1998-2004), the interior of the Halliwell Manor was filmed and located at The Ray Art Studios. In 2004, the studio was sold and the demolished so production had to move. The set then moved to Paramount Studios for the remainder of the series.
- In the series finale of the reboot, the house made an appearance after the producers received permission to use it.[42]
Changes in Layout
Manor Floorplan
- When the manor was shown from the outside, the front porch is about 3–5 feet long, but it from the inside, it appears at least 10 feet long. This is most notable in "The Importance of Being Phoebe" and "It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World, Part 2".
- In several episodes, it is shown the attic has a window that is not present in the exterior shots of the manor.
- The actual number of bedrooms on the second floor is unclear.
- Wyatt's nursery in Piper and Leo's bedroom is initially situated in the closet adjacent to an exterior window but is later moved to a closet beside the bed.
- The number of bedrooms on the second floor seemed to be three.[43] However, when Phoebe and Paige temporarily moved out of the Manor, Piper converted their rooms into a bedroom for Wyatt and a fitness room. When Phoebe and Paige moved back to the Manor, one of the rooms continued to be used as Wyatt's bedroom, but which room the sisters returned to is unclear.
- In "Scry Hard", Piper told Leo that Penny used to have a sewing room on the second floor, which was never mentioned before or after.
- The view of San Francisco out of various windows has changed over the seasons.
- In Season 1 and 2, a downstairs bathroom is located beneath the stairs.[44] However, this is later changed into a closet without explanation.[45]
- In the Unaired Pilot, there was a small herb garden next to the manor.
- The floor of the kitchen was originally purple to match the worktops, which can be seen most clearly in the episodes "The Power of Two" and "Is There a Woogy in the House?". In Season 2, this changed to brown-beige, which it remained for the rest of the series.
- The basement entrance has changed various times throughout the series. In season 1, the door is shown to open directly onto the stairs. In later episodes, there appears to be flooring at the top of the stairs.
- In "That '70s Episode", Phoebe is able to listen to Grams and Patty talking upstairs using the vent by the kitchen door. However, in terms of layout, this would be impossible.
- In the first two seasons, the real inside of the Manor was used whenever shooting an outdoor scene. This caused the wall and staircase of the real house to be seen, which are directly at the door when entering. However, in the Halliwell Manor, the staircase is further away with the parlor in between.
- In certain episodes, the driveway has a patch of grass in the center, while other times, the driveway is completely paved.
In Reality
The "Halliwell Manor", known as the Innes Home, is built in the Eastlake Victorian style and was built in 1887 for City Councilman Daniel Innes. The house has some hints of Japanese architecture in the decorative porch woodwork. Its second owner bought the house in 1920, and remained there until his death in 1971, having added features like a wine cellar. This house is also owned by Murray Burns and might be one of the most familiar Victorian style houses to contemporary viewers.
The house is located in the Angelino Heights district of Los Angeles, California on 1329 Carroll Avenue. Angelino Heights is known for its Victorian-style manors and homes. The homes on Carroll Avenue mirror the extravagance, architecture, and coloration of homes found in Alamo Square and the Castro District of San Francisco, California. Aside from appearing in Charmed, the manor and other houses in the area are also used in various other films and series.
In the episode "Is There a Woogy in the House?", Prue and Piper marked the location of the Manor that determined the Spiritual Nexus that lay beneath the house. In reality, where the house is located on the map was actually an apartment building and a soccer field.