Marilyn Monroe‘s Brentwood home has been temporarily saved from demolition. After public outcry, the Los Angeles City Council has declared it a historical site. Councilwoman Traci Park introduced the motion on Friday, September 8th, 2023, for the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission to review the home.
On that same Friday, the city’s Board of Building and Safety Commissioners sent a notice of intent to the current owners. The intent is to revoke the permit request to demolish the 2,900-squar-foot estate. “Under the Cultural Heritage Ordinance, this action immediately triggers a temporary stay on all building permits wile the matter is under consideration by the Cultural Heritage Commission and City Council,” the letter reads. The letter also mentions the permit to demolish was “issued in error.”
According to the City the home was built in 1929, in a Spanish colonial style. It is located in a quiet neighborhood on Fifth Helena Drive. The home contains four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It was purchased by the current owners in 2017 for $8.3 million.
The home was previously owned by the late Norma Gene Baker, more commonly known as Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe. Monroe shared the home briefly with her then husband Joe DiMaggio. Monroe’s body was found in the home in 1962, her death reported as an overdose.
When word of the proposed demolition was made public, it sparked a social media outcry to preserve the home. There is currently a petition to stop the demolition, it has more than 4,900 signatures. If you would like to learn more about the demolition petition, check it out here.
