Home

Celebrity Realty Update: One More Glance at Former Marilyn Monroe’s House before being knocked down

The San Fernando Valley home where Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe lived for a year when she was first discovered was demolished the day before it was going to be considered as a landmark status.

There is a quite a controversy regarding the demolition of Monroe's home. The historic preservationists known as the Cultural Heritage Commission already set to consider the home for landmark status when the developer tore it down.

"I can't even breathe. My neighbors and I are in mourning," "It's one of the biggest losses in the San Fernando Valley. "I'm beyond outrage." Valley Village resident Jennifer Getz told the Daily News. Getz was the one who nominated Monroe's home located on 5258 Hermitage Avenue for the city's landmark status. 

Monroe who was still Norma Jeane Mortenson on that time used to live on that house with her first husband James Dougherty together with his parents in the year 1945 to 1955. It was recorded that she was only 18 years old when she moved to that home shortly after the World War II.

According to Daily Mail, She divorced Dougherty a year after and left the house. It was then that Norma Jeane became Marilyn Monroe and became a superstar in the entertainment industry. 

The City officials said that the house was not significant to be hailed as one of the official landmark because in the first place, the house doesn't have any distinguishing characteristics and the actress didn't became a movie star until she has left the house. Ken Bernstein, director of the Office of Historic Resources said that the home is not associated with a productive period in her career. Bernstein is one of the people who opposed the Monroe landmark, according to the report of Daily News paper. 

The owner Joe Salem of Hermitage Enterprises LLC has not yet stated any comments regarding the demolition, but the City officials has confirmed that the demolition already had a permit last year. The place was proposed to become a condominium project. 


Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics