The final resting place of Marilyn Monroe was designated a historic monument on Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council, a classification which aims to avoid the destruction of this 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 as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home,” said City Councilor Traci Park.
“Some of the most famous images of her were taken in this house, on this land and by her swimming pool. Marilyn died there tragically, which links her forever, in time and space, to this 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 just six months later from a drug overdose at just 36 years old.
The place has had several owners since the star’s death Men prefer blondes And Some like it hot.
But controversy erupted last year after it was bought by Brinah Milstein, a wealthy heiress, and Roy Banks, a reality TV producer.
The couple, who own a neighboring home, bought the mansion for $8.35 million with plans to tear it down and expand. But their demolition permit was quickly revoked by the city because of the historical implications.
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 this requires rigorous scrutiny 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 Mme 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.
