12305 Fifth Helena Drive

34°03′13″N 118°28′42″W / 34.0535°N 118.4782°W / 34.0535; -118.4782

12305 5th Helena Drive
Final residence of Marilyn Monroe, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. Composite of two photos.
Map
General information
Architectural styleHacienda
Location12305 5th Helena Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
Completed1929
ClientMarilyn Monroe
Technical details
Size2,900 sq.ft.
Other information
Number of rooms4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

12305 5th Helena Dr. is a home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. The house is most famous as the only residence Marilyn Monroe ever owned, and the location of her death on August 4, 1962.[1]

Location

The property is located at 12305 5th Helena Drive in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Overview

The one-story, Hacienda-style home sits on 2,900 square feet at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac off Carmelina Ave. Built in 1929, the L-shaped property now consists of four bedrooms (only two existed when Monroe lived there) and three bathrooms.[2] In the backyard, a free-form pool is adjacent to a citrus grove. The guest house is on the left side of the driveway when you're looking in from the front gate. Its "Cursum Perficio" tiles on the front doorstep translate to "I have completed my journey."[3]

Ownership

In February 1962, Monroe purchased the property for $77,500. She reportedly paid half in cash and took out a mortgage for the second half.[2] In the early morning of August 5, 1962, six months after purchasing the home, Monroe was found dead of a barbiturate overdose in her bedroom.[4]

In 2017, the house was put up for sale for $6.9 million and eventually sold for $7.25 million. The buyers were an LLC called "Glory of the Snow", managed by Dan Lukas and Anne Jarmain.[5][6][7]

In the summer of 2023, Emerald Lake hedge fund manager Lukas and his wife Jarmain sold the property in an off-market sale for $8.4 million to "Glory of the Snow Trust", which immediately filed for a demolition permit. The legally required physical notice was not posted on the property by the property owner, and the legally required notification was not made by LADBS to the local council office and neighborhood council equivalent. According to news reports, the new owner "Glory of the Snow Trust" is managed by "Andrew Sahure"; however, the name appears to be a typographical error for "Andrew Schure."[8][7] In September 2023, a Change.org petition started, asking the City to turn the home into a museum. A motion asking to have the property listed as historical was handed in to Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission by Councilmember Traci Park on September 8.[7]

In 2024, the Los Angeles City Council approved Monroe's house being designated as a Historic Cultural Monument.[9]

References

  1. ^ Julie Miller, Marilyn Monroe’s Beloved Brentwood Home for Sale, Vanity Fair, April 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Jeffrey Meyers, Step Inside Marilyn Monroe's Country Retreat in Connecticut and Spanish Colonial-Style Home in Los Angeles, Architectural Digest, September 23, 2016.
  3. ^ Vitacco-Robles, Gary (2000). Cursum Perficio: Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood Hacienda: the Story of Her Final Months. Writers Club Press. p. 41. ISBN 9780595010820.
  4. ^ Lisa Hallett Taylor, Take a Look at Marilyn Monroe's Los Angeles House, The Spruce, April 29, 2017.
  5. ^ MV Editorial, Sold: The Iconic Former Home of Marilyn Monroe, Mercer Vine, June 23, 2017.
  6. ^ Neal J. Leitereg, Marilyn Monroe's onetime Brentwood home sells for over the asking price, LA Times, June 1, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c Eve Batey, Marilyn Monroe's Last Home Saved From Demolition (For Now), Vanity Fair, September 9, 2023.
  8. ^ James McClain, Marilyn Monroe’s Famed L.A. Home Is Being Torn Down, Robb Report, September 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Saperstein, Pat (June 26, 2024). "Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood House Declared a Landmark, Saving It From Demolition".