Can’t believe it’s been 10 years since we opened the doors to our Landmark home and called it the “Preservation Resource Center”! Stop by the historic Shotgun House, at 2520 Second Street, TODAY from 2 to 4 pm.
We’re celebrating 10 years of historic preservation with live music, family-friendly activities, popcorn from @laemmlemonicafilmcenter , bites from @holyguacmain , and birthday cake!
See you soon! P.S. It’d been 12 years since the photographed move! ❤️
Learn more at smconservancy.org/10thbirthday
#historicpreservation #smconservancy #santamonicaarchitecture #santamonicahistory
THREE MONTHS OF REHAB (just in this video)!
Can’t believe it’s been ten years since we opened the doors to the Preservation Resource Center at the Shotgun House.
Have you RSVPed for our free tenth-anniversary block party on Sunday? 🥳 Santa Monicans saved the Shotgun House from demolition. And we continue to tell the stories of our beloved historic sites from our cherished bungalow.
Join us for live music, light bites from @holyguacmain , popcorn from @laemmlemonicafilmcenter , family-friendly activities, and birthday cake! Our celebration is this Sunday, May 17 from 2 to 4 pm. 🎂 The event is completely free! Walk-ins welcome!
Please consider supporting the ongoing stewardship of the Shotgun House by signing our “10th Birthday” card as a $100 Birthday Benefactor.
Learn more at smc.givecloud.co/10thbirthday
#historiclandmarks #historicpreservation #smconservancy #santamonicaarchitecture #santamonicahistory
Built in 1916, the Looff Hippodrome, stands as the oldest building on the Santa Monica Pier. Charles I.D. Looff, master carver and creator of the first carousel at Coney Island, came to Santa Monica with a vision of creating a world-class “Pleasure Pier”. He constructed a massive wooden structure adjacent to the utilitarian municipal pier built in 1909, to house his ornate carousel and provide a hub for the burgeoning amusement zone, which featured a roller coaster, a funhouse, and various carnival games.
The establishment of the Looff amusement pier marked a turning point for the Santa Monica’s north beach, which had been drained of visitors since Abbot Kinney’s Venice of America debuted in 1905. The original portion of the Santa Monica Pier was built to carry sewage pipes beyond the breakers, but Looff’s neighboring “Looff Pier” transformed the area into a premier tourist destination, setting the stage for the opulent beach clubs to be built along the coast during the 1920s.
The Hippodrome’s architecture is a unique blend of Byzantine, Moorish, and Spanish styles, characterized by its distinctive clerestory windows and shingled towers. This grand design was intended to elevate the amusement experience, moving it from the grit of typical boardwalks into a more majestic, permanent setting.
Though the original carousel was replaced in 1947, Looff’s legacy of seaside wonder lives on.
#knowyourlandmarks #smconservancy #santamonicahistory #santamonicaarchitecture #historicpreservation
May 17 is almost here, and we want to make sure you’re in the loop!
The Shotgun House 10th Anniversary Celebration is a free block party on Sunday, May 17, from 2 to 4 pm at 2520 Second Street in Ocean Park.
We’re closing the street to give the whole neighborhood room to gather.
Here’s the run of show:
Former Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer will MC the program, which opens with a City Proclamation declaring May as Historic Preservation Month.
Then Mario Fonda-Bonardi — who was on the frontlines when the Shotgun House was nearly demolished & current president of the Conservancy — will give a dramatic retelling of how it was saved.
We’ll close the formal program by honoring Land-Use Attorney Kenneth L. Kutcher for his generous spirit, professional integrity, and longtime support of the Santa Monica Conservancy.
Throughout the program: light bites from Holy Guacamole, popcorn from the Laemmle Monica Film Center, birthday cake, and live music from the Jacob Lesser Experience.
The birthday block party is free, but we ask that you consider donating $100 as a "Birthday Benefactor". Your contribution will directly support the ongoing stewardship of the Preservation Resource Center at the Shotgun House.
Learn more at smconservancy.org/10thbirthday.
RSVP today: https://smc.givecloud.co/10thbirthday
The Merle Norman House at 2523 3rd Street was built in 1935–1936, replacing an earlier late-19th-century cottage that had occupied the site. That earlier structure was moved off the property in 1935, clearing the lot for new construction tied directly to the cosmetics tycoon, Merle Norman, who was living there at the time. The new building was conceived during the early Depression years, at the same moment her cosmetics business was expanding, and was intended to be substantial and architecturally distinctive.
The house was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, attributed to architect Ellis G. Martin, though reports indicate that Norman herself played a role in shaping the design. It features stucco walls, tiled roofs, an arched porte cochere integrated into the façade, and asymmetrical massing with decorative ironwork. The original permit described it as a three-family dwelling, but it has long been understood and used as a single residence. Set on an elevated lot above the street, it stands out within the block for both its scale and its more deliberate architectural composition.
The building remained largely intact over time, with only minor alterations, and its significance was formally recognized in 1996 when it was designated a City of Santa Monica Landmark. The designation reflects both its association with Merle Norman and its architectural contribution to the surrounding neighborhood, which developed between the late 19th century and the 1930s. In 2011, the landmark designation was clarified to include the full parcel, reinforcing its status as a preserved example of early residential development in Ocean Park.
#knowyourlandmarks #santamonicaarchitecture #smconservancy #historicarchitecture #historicpreservation
Built in 1875 on Sixth Street and Arizona Avenue, the small Methodist Episcopal church was the first religious building of any denomination to be erected in Santa Monica. The simple wood-frame structure was modest in scale and materials, yet it served the needs of a growing community and marked an early phase of the city's development.
When Senator Jones sold his railroad to the Southern Pacific in 1879, the population of Santa Monica plummeted. There were only three congregants left in the Methodist Church in 1883. The church was moved to a more centrally located parcel at Fourth Street and Arizona Avenue in an effort to attract new members. By 1895, the congregation was thriving and broke ground on an opulent new church on Second Street in the heart of downtown. The old church became a Sunday school for kindergarten classes. In February 1901, the structure was moved to the present location at 2621 Second Street to serve as the Ocean Park Methodist Church.
It continued functioning as a church, undergoing several expansions. In 1923, the congregation built a new, bigger, grander church on the corner of Hill and Second Street. The original wood-frame structure was sold to a Veterans’ organization, which called it “Patriotic Hall,” where various groups, such as the Women’s Relief Corps, met.
Patriotic Hall was purchased by artist Helen Sheats in the 1970s. She converted the building to residential use, which it is used for today. Despite these changes, the structure has retained much of its original character.
EDIT: Please note the Third Street Walk has been moved to MAY 16.
#knowyourlandmarks #smconservancy #santamonicaarchitecture #historicpreservation #historicarchitecture
The Central Tower Building at 1424 4th Street was constructed in 1929 at the end of Santa Monica’s building boom, developed as a multi-use commercial structure with ground-floor retail and upper-floor offices. It a relatively large project for the area—six storefronts and dozens of offices—reflecting the city’s growth as a professional and commercial center. Early tenants included lawyers, doctors, architects, and public officials, making it a working hub of the city’s civic and business life rather than a single-purpose building.
Architecturally, the building was designed in the Art Deco style, with a distinctive composition of two-story horizontal storefront wings and an eight-story central tower rising from the middle of the block. The structure uses reinforced concrete with stucco finish and emphasizes verticality through pilasters, stepped parapets, and a tiered “wedding cake” tower form. Decorative elements include zig-zag motifs, recessed entry with coffered ceiling, and original metal-framed windows. These reflect the period’s move toward modern, geometric design. While many storefronts have been altered over time, the overall massing and upper floors remain largely intact.
The Central Tower Building remains one of the more prominent historic buildings on 4th Street.
#knowyourlandmarks #smconservancy #historicarchitecture #historicpreservation #santamonicahistory
The former United States Post Office, Santa Monica Main Branch, located at 1248 5th Street, occupies the northwest corner of 5th Street and Arizona Avenue within the city’s Central Business District. Constructed between 1936 (or 1937, information conflicts) and 1938, the building reflects its role as a federally owned and operated facility and has been repeatedly recognized for its architectural merit and eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
The structure is a notable example of the PWA Moderne style, expressed through its symmetrical eight-bay façade, poured-in-place concrete construction, and Art Deco–inspired detailing. Monumental, elongated pilasters frame the primary entry portals, while decorative motifs and incised lettering emphasize the building’s civic function. Additional defining features include a flat roof with parapet, vertically oriented recessed windows, granite entry steps, and a pronounced belt course. At the rear, a full-width loading dock and mezzanine level reinforce the building’s functional design.
It remains a rare and well-preserved example of this architectural style and an enduring representation of Santa Monica’s civic and governmental history.
#knowyourlandmarks #smconservancy #santamonicaarchitecture #santamonicahistory #historicpreservation
🚨 Extended Guest House Tours with a Limited-Time Chalk Garden!
Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8 from 12–2PM for a special extended day of Marion Davies Guest House tours! After your tour, step outside and leave your mark in our one-day-only Chalk Garden—an open, creative space on the grounds to pause, play, and breathe in the ocean air.
📅 Wednesday, April 8
⏰ 12–2PM
🎟️ No RSVP needed, just walk in and be greeted by a docent!
🏛️ The Marion Davies Guest House will also continue to be open Fridays through Mondays, 12–2PM
And in honor of National Volunteer Month, we want to give a huge thank you to our Santa Monica Conservancy docents, whose passion and knowledge bring every room to life.
This month, we also celebrate Ruthann Lehrer, recipient of the 2026 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Preservation Foundation, whose extraordinary legacy in historic preservation helped shape the very docent program that continues to welcome thousands of visitors today.
#MarionDavies #BeachHouseHistory #SantaMonicaHistory #FreeThingsToDo #SantaMonica #LosAngeles #Museum #OldHollywood #SoCal #Summer #OpenToAll
The subdivision that includes Adelaide Drive was opened in 1905 and annexed to Santa Monica the following year. Adelaide Drive’s unmatched canyon and ocean vistas attracted many prominent families to build there soon after. Built in 1911, this Craftsman masterpiece was the third house built there, during the first phase of construction in the neighborhood.
The Milbank House, commissioned by Isaac Milbank, was originally intended as a vacation home. Isaac Milbank was a prosperous businessman in Los Angeles. Co-founder of the Borden Milk Company, Milbank was also an oil investor and the holder of several firearms patents as well as an active participant in local business and social affairs.
#smconservancy #knowyourlandmarks #historicpreservation #historicarchitecture #santamonicahistory
✨ Spring Break Bonus: Extra Guest House Tour Days! ✨
With many thanks to our friends at the Santa Monica Conservancy, we’re opening the Marion Davies Guest House for two additional tour days this spring break. Step inside the world of Marion Davies and spend an afternoon filled with Old Hollywood magic, seaside escapes, and a bygone era of coastal glamour.
📅 Wednesday, April 1 & Wednesday, April 8
⏰ 12–2PM
🎟️ No RSVP needed, just walk in and be greeted by a docent!
🏛️ The Marion Davies Guest House will also continue to be open Fridays through Mondays, 12–2PM.
#MarionDavies #BeachHouseHistory #SantaMonicaHistory #FreeThingsToDo #SantaMonica #LosAngeles #Museum #CommunityByTheSea #OldHollywood #SoCal #Summer #OpenToAll
The Second Roy Jones House at 130 Adelaide Drive sits at the far west beginning of Adelaide Drive and is also literally the beginning of Adelaide as the first residence built there in 1907. Its significance is tied closely to Roy Jones, a figure deeply embedded in Santa Monica’s early civic and commercial life: a founder and officer of the Bank of Santa Monica, active in the Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Monica Water Company, and involved in shaping the City Charter itself. The surrounding pattern—homes built for family members, friends, and business associates—makes the street read less like a collection of houses and more like a physical map of influence during a formative moment in the city’s development.
Architecturally, the house presents the expected symmetry and composure of a Colonial Revival mansion, but that formality is softened—deliberately—by Craftsman elements: wood cladding, pronounced brackets, and slightly more expressive detailing than the style typically allows. The effect is controlled but not rigid. Set along the southern rim of Santa Monica Canyon, the house also benefits from placement, giving it a visual presence. More than just intact, it remains one of the clearer surviving statements of early twentieth-century residential ambition in Santa Monica, and a key piece in the architectural rhythm of Adelaide Drive.
#knowyourlandmarks #adelaidedrive #santamonicaarchitecture #historicpreservation #smconservancy
