City Council Saves Marilyn Monroe’s House From Being Demolished & Makes it a Cultural Landmark
UPDATED 6/26/24
The Los Angeles City Council voted to save Marilyn Monroe’s iconic home. As we reported below, there were plans to demolish the property to make way for new housing. The council voted unanimously to revoke the demolition permit under the grounds that it is a historic site. The council also voted to ban any major alterations to the property and will look into giving it the status of a landmark. Now, the homeowners heiress Brinah Milstein and her husband, reality TV producer Roy Bank are suing the city of Los Angeles, claiming that it is their right to demolish the home as it has been owned by many other people after Monroe died there. Now, a judge seems to be siding with the city. The judge called their motion an “ill-disguised motion to win so that they can demolish the home and eliminate the historic cultural monument issue.” The L.A. City Council unanimously voted to save the home and it has now been deemed a historic cultural landmark, that will eliminate the option to demolish it.
“We have an opportunity to do something today that should’ve been done 60 years ago. There’s no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home,” said Councilmember Traci Park.
The 1920s Spanish hacienda-style home, once owned by the late actress Marilyn Monroe has been sold and reports show that the new owner immediately applied for a demolition permit. The property has become one of Los Angeles’ most famous landmarks as it was the place where Monroe died suddenly in 1962. It was also the only home that she ever owned and was clearly very special to her. She moved in just six months before her death.
Oddly enough, Monroe had a plaque placed above her door that said “Cursom Perificio,” which translates to “My Journey Ends Here.” As her journey did end there, the home went on to new owners. In recent years, while the exterior remains very similar to how it looked in the ’60s, the interior has been modernized, most notably the kitchen and bathrooms. At one point, the detached guest casita was merged into the main home. While the home has seen some major updates, it does still have the old Hollywood feel to it and it is just south of the iconic Sunset Boulevard.
Baron/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The house, located at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in L.A.’s Brentwood, was purchased by Emerald Lake hedge fund manager Dan Lukas and his wife Anne Jarmain for $7.3 million back in 2014. However, six months ago, they purchased a larger home in the same neighborhood. Someone purchased Monroe’s former home for $8.4 million in cash. Neighborhoods in Los Angeles have seen many demolitions in recent years to make way for bigger and grander homes.
Remind If you’re interested in looking at photos of the home, click here to view them on Zillow.
Hollywood Glamour
May 2020
Celebrate the most glamorous leading ladies from the Golden Age of Hollywood
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