In a landmark decision, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted on Wednesday to preserve Marilyn Monroe’s Brentwood home, where the star lived and died, as a Historic-Cultural Monument, saving it from demolition.
The vote concludes a nearly year-long saga and effort to save the home from destruction, which began last summer when the city’s Department of Building and Safety issued a demolition permit for the home.
Councilwoman Traci Park led the charge to preserve the home, representing the district where the house is located. Park’s emergency motion to block demolition and designate the house as a historic building was unanimously approved by the city council.
“This week’s preservation vote was the final step in the process for designation, the city’s planning department told CNN,” said Park during a speech in front of the council before the vote on Wednesday.
Park emphasized the importance of preserving the home, stating, “There is likely no woman in history or culture who captures the imagination of the public the way Marilyn Monroe did. Even all these years later, her story still resonates and inspires many of us today.”
She also addressed concerns from nearby residents about traffic and safety, introducing a motion to evaluate tour bus restrictions on the street and surrounding areas.
The Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving historic places in the city, praised the council’s decision as a “success” and credited community advocacy for the outcome.
The Brentwood bungalow, built in 1929 and valued at about $8 million, holds historical significance as the only home owned by Marilyn Monroe, where she lived for just months before her tragic death in 1962. Monroe passed away at the home after overdosing on barbiturates.
