CoIn February 1962, iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe purchased a one-story, Spanish-style home in Brentwood, California, for $75,000. It was the first home Monroe ever owned, having spent her adult life living in other people's houses (including those belonging to husbands Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio) or renting apartments.
Monroe called the home her "sanctuary" and decorated it with artwork and other items she purchased in Mexico.
Six months later, it would also be the home where Monroe would die, most likely of an accidental drug overdose, according to the medical examiner.
Following her death and up until 2023, the house was bought and sold by several private owners and became something of a shrine for Monroe fans. The string of private owners meant the property was never officially open to the public, and the house was never named a landmark, despite being Monroe's only house and the place where she died.
In 2023, Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank bought the house for $8.4 million and applied for a demolition permit, hoping to raze Monroe's house and expand the house on the aforementioned adjacent lot.
Monroe fans and historians bristled at the notion, and a legal battle ensued. The City of Los Angeles moved to designate the house a Historic-Cultural monument. Milstein and Bank sued, saying the city's actions were illegal.
Yesterday, Los Angeles Superior Court judge James C. Chalfant ruled in favor of the city, effectively ending the owner's demolition plans.
Here's more from the New York Times:
Ms. Milstein is an heir of a wealthy real estate family, and Mr. Bank is a former reality television producer and head of development for the company behind “Survivor” on CBS and “The Apprentice” on NBC.
But news of the demolition permit led to an outcry from many Angelenos, historians, preservationists and fans of Ms. Monroe, who became a pop culture sensation in the 1950s with roles in movies like “All About Eve,” “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like It Hot.”
After receiving hundreds of emails and phone calls, Traci Park, a Los Angeles City Council member who represents the neighborhood, issued an urgent motion to the council to consider the home as a city historic cultural monument.
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Milstein and Bank argued that Monroe's career was not productive during the time she owned the property, that the house had been renovated by its previous owners, and that it had not been designated a historical site in the years since Monroe's death. They even offered to move the home to a better location more accessible to fans.
The plan to move the house was backed by the Brentwood Community Council, which represents some 35,000 homeowners and business groups in the area. It also opposed the historical designation.
Judge Chalfant's ruling means Monroe's former home will remain a landmark, protecting it in perpetuity.
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