A ‘historic cultural monument’ designation has spared Marilyn Monroe’s famous $8.3 million Los Angeles house from destruction.
Roy Bank and Brinah Milstein, who lived next door to the Brentwood home, planned to demolish it so they could build an estate on the property.
Conservationists and admirers of the late actress protested the couple’s July 2023 purchase and planned demolition. Councilmember Traci Park had presented a motion last year to designate the house as a landmark, and on Wednesday, the measure was approved without a single dissenting vote.
Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood house are the most renowned figures in Los Angeles, according to Park, who added that the historic preservation movement would suffer if Monroe’s residence were to be lost.
Monroe, who was 36 years old when she died of what seemed to be a drug overdose, purchased the Spanish Colonial-style house in 1962 for $75,000.
Bank, a TV producer, and Milstein, a real estate heiress, both felt the star’s brief time there disqualified the house from historic status.
The owners sued, saying nothing —not a single piece of furniture, not a paint chip, not a carpet—says Monroe ever spent a day at the residence.
The lawsuit said that the mansion had changed owners at least fourteen times since Monroe’s death and has undergone many remodels despite the city’s failure to address the ‘historic’ or ‘cultural’ character of the property.
Nevertheless, their bid for an injunction to halt the historical designation was dismissed by a judge.
Fans of the late legend frequently bring busloads of flowers to the house at Fifth Helena Drive, even though it is not visible from the street. They also try to peep behind the bushes.
People living in the area said they had “scary” experiences with believers who claimed to be Monroe’s relatives or had information regarding the conspiracy theories behind her apparent death.
The body of the American singer, actress, and model was discovered in her bedroom in August 1962.
The medical team determined that acute barbiturate poisoning—a kind of depressant—was the leading cause of death.
Monroe had just reached the pinnacle of her career and was widely recognized as the most famous woman on Earth.
