Marilyn Monroe’s final resting place was designated a historic landmark by the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday, a designation that aims to prevent the destruction of the house where the actress took her last breath.
The decision was approved by a unanimous vote. It should allow the city to protect the building, located in the wealthy district of Brentwood and recently acquired by rich Americans who wish to raze it.
“There is no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles that is as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home,” said City Councilwoman Traci Park. “Some of the most famous images of her were taken in that home, on that lot and by her pool. Marilyn tragically died there, which forever ties her, in time and space, to that place,” she added.
Marilyn Monroe acquired this 270 square meter single-storey hacienda in 1962, just after her divorce from the writer Arthur Miller, in an attempt to regain some semblance of privacy. It was in this house, invisible from the street, that the star was found dead barely six months later due to a drug overdose at just 36 years old.
The place has had several owners since the death of the ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘Some Like It Hot’ star. But controversy erupted last year after it was bought by Brinah Milstein, a wealthy heiress, and Roy Bank, a reality TV producer.
The couple, who own a neighboring house, acquired the house for $8.35 million, with plans to raze it to expand. But their demolition permit was quickly canceled by the city, because of the historical issue.
This decision prompted the new owners to take the matter to court. A case that the courts have not yet decided on the merits.
The city’s classification of the house does not prohibit its demolition. But it does require a rigorous examination before the municipal heritage commission.
The couple proposed moving the house, to make it accessible to fans, still fascinated by the actress. An option still under consideration, according to Ms. Park.
“My team and I worked closely with the owners to assess the possibility of moving the house to a location where the public could actually visit and spend time there,” the city councilor explained.
