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“It is imperative that the City’s historic-cultural treasures be celebrated, and foremost, that its historical sites be preserved for future generations. As such, the historic-cultural merits of this property need to be assessed,” the motion reads. It’s unclear what the mysterious new owner intends to do with the property. The owner did not submit any plans indicating what their plans are for the land, Park said at last week’s press conference.
Marilyn Monroe’s L.A. home saved from demolition, for now
A coroner's toxicology report officially listed her cause of death as acute barbiturate poisoning, as she reportedly ingested a lethal amount of Nembutal, which is often used to treat anxiety, and a sedative called chloral hydrate. The Los Angeles City Council has saved the actress’s Brentwood home from demolition — temporarily. Sixty years after her death there from an overdose, fans still leave flowers at the gate. When the police arrived, they found the Marilyn Monroe house only partly furnished. The actress had only lived in her safe haven for a few months before her death.
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She put down just $650,000 for the property, which most recently sold for over $7 million. The Los Angeles Times previously reported that the property was purchased in 2017 for $7.25 million by Glory of the Snow LLC, which is managed by hedge fund manager Dan Lukas, then sold to Glory of the Snow Trust for $8.35 million earlier this year. Intriguingly, the situation does not seem to be as simple as it first appears. Although nothing was confirmed, there were rumors that the couple who owned the property next door to Monroe's had plans to build one large property on the planned vacant lot. These rumors sparked when Esotouric's overhead film footage showed that the wall dividing the properties had been taken down. Monroe's home is safe for now, but what might happen to it in the future is another issue entirely.
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The Latin phrase “Cursum Perficio,” which translates to “My journey ends here,” adorned tiles on the front porch — a foreboding inscription after Monroe was found dead of an apparent barbiturate overdose in her bedroom in 1962. The Spanish Colonial relic of bygone Hollywood is set to be demolished by its current owner, who bought the 2,900-square-foot hacienda for $8.35 million. Department of Building and Safety permit showed that, although officials hadn’t yet granted a formal permit, the early stages of the process were underway. The hacienda sat on over half an acre of property, with a sparkling kidney-shaped swimming pool and a grove of citrus trees. Next to the driveway sat a guesthouse between the main home and the garage. Marilyn Monroe lived in her Brentwood home in Los Angeles for about six months before her life came to a tragic end in 1962.
As first reported by the New York Post, the house located at Fifth Helena Drive in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood, a 1920s Spanish hacienda-style structure, may soon be demolished by its new owner. Before her untimely death she made a trip to Mexico to hand-pick authentic Mexican furniture, art, tapestries and tiles for her home. When Marilyn bought the house, it had three bedrooms and two baths plus a detached guest house.
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Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood home temporarily saved from demolition - CBS Los Angeles
Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood home temporarily saved from demolition.
Posted: Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Monroe bought her Brentwood home in 1962, as her marriage to Arthur Miller (pictured here) was ending. The property is located at Fifth Helena Drive in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
While identified in 2013 by the City’s SurveyLA program as being potentially historic, the house is currently unprotected. The owners of Marilyn Monroe’s Brentwood home argued against landmark status, but L.A.’s Cultural Heritage Commission unanimously voted to recommend the property as a historic cultural monument. The four-bedroom, four-bath home has been sold several times in the five decades since Monroe's death, most recently in 2010), but the style and feel of the property remains largely unchanged, real estate agent Lisa Optican tells Vanity Fair. "There have been owners in the past who have made changes to the property but the overall feeling and aesthetic and vibe of what attracted Marilyn to it is still there and you can feel it," Optican says.
The news that the new owners of Fifth Helena Drive, where Monroe died at age 36, filed for demolition permits had attracted widespread outrage. Los Angeles city councilwoman Traci Park said she received hundreds of calls urging her to save the Spanish colonial-style house in the city’s Brentwood neighborhood. It’s unclear if anyone currently lives in the house, or why its owners want to destroy it, but as news spread of the plan, neighbors and preservationists sprang into action.
Kevin Deevey, who described himself as a Hollywood preservationist for many years, also wrote an email to the commission calling for the home’s protection. He said the house is part of an identity that is “being lost in Los Angeles,” focusing on the home’s architectural design. Park said her office took hundreds of calls from people this week about the planned demolition.
Earlier this year, the owners of the Brentwood residence were listed as Glory of the Snow LLC, managed by Dan Lukas of Emerald Lake Capital and his wife Anne Jarmain, who did not respond to The Times’ request for comment. In August, Glory of the Snow LLC sold the property to Glory of the Snow Trust for $8.35 million. Ellwood, an Ojai-based interior designer, spoke to The Times about her father’s late ‘40s Brentwood commission, known among locals as the Zimmerman House after original owners Martin and Eva Zimmerman. The property, which she described as a “time capsule” because of its Midcentury Modern aesthetic, was purchased last year and set for demolition seemingly without reason. In recent weeks, several reports revealed that the Marvel star and Schwarzenegger purchased the lot for $12.5 million and that their new mansion — to be designed by Ken Ungar — was the reason for the teardown.
Barry Milofsky, the commission’s president, noted that while Monroe’s home should be preserved, efforts to do so should not wait until demolition is pending. Barry Milofsky, president of the commission, noted that while Monroe’s home should be preserved, efforts to do so should not wait until demolition is pending. "The same courtyard, entry, and backyard with the pool and the expansive grassy yard and garden [from Monroe's time] are all there," Optican says.
A spokesperson for LA Councilwoman Traci Park says that their office received “hundreds of calls” asking her to step in, Reuters reports. And step in she did, introducing a council motion Friday asking the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) to consider the home for inclusion in LA’s list of historic cultural monuments. The motion was approved unanimously, giving the CHC 75 days to evaluate and approve the house as a landmark. Park introduced a motion to initiate consideration of the home for historic preservation, and the council unanimously voted to move forward, prompting the city’s building department to revoke the demolition permit.
Good news, on March 5th, at the City of Los Angeles Planned Land Use and Management Meeting (PLUM), the Marilyn Monroe Residence cleared yet another hurdle on its journey toward Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) designation. During Park’s press conference, she voiced the importance of fighting demolition of the only home the “Some Like It Hot” actor ever owned. Many Angelenos weighed in on the matter during the public comment portion of the meeting. Some slammed the urgency around preserving Monroe’s home while the city faces a homeless crisis, while others spoke to the importance of honoring women by saving the home.
Last month, Lukas and Jarmain quietly sold the Monroe house to a buyer who has not yet been publicly identified. That person paid nearly $8.4 million for the property, in cash, and almost immediately applied for a demolition permit. The L.A. Department of Building and Safety recently approved the request for a “plan check” of the proposed work, though an official permit has not yet been issued. Considered a modest home at the time, it was all Monroe could then afford, and, besides, she was enchanted with the vintage hacienda. According to the biography Goddess, Marilyn cried when signing the final papers because she never imagined she’d be purchasing a home without a husband.
Monroe reportedly paid between $67,000 and $90,000 for it in 1962, shortly after divorcing her third husband, Arthur Miller. By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Although her life was tragically cut short, Marilyn had at last landed in a place where she could feel at home. Many of the lemon trees and herb gardens Marilyn planted are said to still be thriving on the property.
