8/3/2019 Looking Back: Hill House - The Early History of Hermosa Beach

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26 StBigS.cm | 1.27.2012

HiLL House

Hermosa

BeacH

itt B iS K

lhouh ven he nae of erosa by early develoers (beauful n

Sansh), he earles years of erosa Beah were desrbed as far fro beauful.

ne referred o as a olleon of bare sand dunes, he area was subje o

unrelenn wnd ha whed aross he dunes and ade lfe serable for even

he os reslen oneer. arly selers raveled wes wh hoes of dreay vsas

only o nd bleak sand dunes and hlls overed wh barley. Soe enerrsn folks,

however, saw rea ossbles and sared akn lans.

Ben ss, a loal enrereneur and buddn real esae develoer, rovded

rual serves for he slowly rown own, and used horses and waons o delverrovsons over he dunes o ownseole. ss ofen reeved ayen n he for

of arels of raw land, and any of he early subdvson as of erosa Beah

show nuerous ras dened wh he nae ss.

By 1903, erosa onssed of ve hoes, he rs one bul known as ll ouse

and owned by he ss faly. ll ouse was loaed a per venue and monerey

venue (hen known as Su venue), and was slar o os hoes bul durn

hs e erod n ha hey were wood-frae sruures bul solely for he raal

uroses of ean, sleen, and sayn war durn he old, we wners by he

sea. John ss, he rs baby born n erosa Beah, was born n ll ouse on

oveber 9, 1905, followed by oher ss faly ebers. Ben ss onnued

hs effors o buld he y and was resonsble for oranzn a eon for he

nororaon of erosa Beah. in 1907, erosa Beah beae he nneeenh

nororaed y n os neles couny.

the rs erosa Beah downown area was onsderably queer han he

downown of resen day, and onssed sly of a os ofe, roery sore, and

he Kerwn Bakery and unh oo, all loaed near he orner of per venue and

erosa venues. the rs erosa per was bul n 1904, ade enrely of wood,

and exended ve hundred fee ou no he oean. the per was arly washed

away durn a sor n 1913, and hen laer orn down oleely. venually, a new

onree er was onsrued and aved wh ashal.

the only ransoraon syse hrouh erosa Beah was he Sana ealway. lhouh here was no aual ralway saon, a lafor was bul seven

bloks fro he beah on per venue (hen alled Sana e venue).

the Boardwalk was he rs verson of he odern-day Srand, and was bul n

1908. owever, laked a sea wall roen fro he any wner sors, and

was rebul any es unl he rs onree Srand was onsrued.

Soon, erosa Beah sared ann a reuaon as a blosson resor own,

and n 1910, oean vew los wen for $105 o $350, wh jus $5 down and $5 er

onh. esdens nubered alos 3,000, and erosa laed o be he safes

y on he es coas, adversn, 30 les of aved srees.

h he oenn of he rs Bank of erosa, and he erosa graar

Shool aen enrollen, erosa Beahs fuure looked rosn and

ruly beauful.

K i g B c K

THe earLy HisTory oF

8/3/2019 Looking Back: Hill House - The Early History of Hermosa Beach

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ctS

f he hree beah es,

only erosa Beah owns s

beah. the oher wo es

beahes are owned by he

couny of os neles.

erosa venue was he

rs sree o be aved n

early erosa.

the Veer ndll was

ereed n 1907 by eran

Veer o rovde rraon

for hs ower far.

charle chaln had a

suer hoe loaed a 32

tenh Sree.

clark gable and carol

obard sen her

honeyoon a 4 the Srand.

mEmBErS oF thE hiSS FamiLy StanD in Front oF hiLL houSE. PhotograPh courtESy oF thE EStatE oF rogEr crEighton.