A stucco fireplace with geometric diamond-tile inlay and a raised brick hearth anchors the living room. (Photo by PreviewFirst)
Inside, the main living area features white walls, warm hardwood flooring and a beamed ceiling. (Photo by PreviewFirst)
A Dana Point home, designed by architect Charles H. Hunter for the coastal enclave envisioned by Hollywoodland developer Sidney H. Woodruff, seeks $2.195 million. (Photo by PreviewFirst)
A historic Dana Point home tied to one of Hollywood’s most recognizable landmarks is on the market for $2.195 million.
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Marketed as “La Casa Encantada,” the Spanish Colonial Revival home spans 1,328 square feet with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Built in 1929 and since updated, it remains a link to a coastal enclave inspired by the Mediterranean Riviera that was eventually cut short by the Wall Street crash of 1929, which Federal Reserve historians describe as “a cataclysmic bust.”
At least six buyers have already expressed interest in the property as of Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Public records show the property last sold for $715,000 in July 2004.
A year later, the city designated the house a historic resource. According to the listing agency, the property now benefits from Mills Act property tax savings in exchange for its historic preservation and continued maintenance.
Nearly a century after its completion, the home retains much of the craftsmanship and Mediterranean character envisioned for the original development. Sidney H. Woodruff led that effort. He previously helped develop the Hollywoodland hillside subdivision and its famous sign over Beachwood Canyon in 1923.
Three years later, he turned his attention to South Orange County as head of the Dana Point Syndicate, a group of wealthy Los Angeles investors.
Woodruff acquired about 1,400 acres of coastal land, which included a failed 900-acre development launched in 1923, with plans to build a seaside community. His team paved roads and named the streets after the colorful maritime lanterns that merchant ships and traders once used to communicate with the coast, establishing what became the modern Lantern District.
Architect Charles A. Hunter designed about 40 homes for the tract, but archival records at UC Irvine confirm only 13 houses were actually completed by the original Dana Point Syndicate before the financial collapse.
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“La Casa Encantada” is one of the original properties.
The house sits on an elevated 4,750-square-foot lot, surrounded by tropical palms and structural desert succulents.
Low masonry walls frame a terracotta tile walkway centered by a blue compass rose medallion that leads to the gated entrance. Textured exterior walls, a tapered chimney with decorative tile accents and a red clay barrel tile roof define the facade.
Inside, the main living area features white walls, warm hardwood flooring and a beamed ceiling. A stucco fireplace with geometric diamond-tile inlay and a raised brick hearth anchors the room.
An arched picture window and a similarly shaped doorway connect the space to the dining room, which has a built-in china hutch.
The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, white cabinetry, a plaster range hood with decorative tile accents and a tiled backsplash over the range.
French doors open to a tiled deck with two ocean-facing outlooks, including south toward the cliffs and beaches of San Clemente and another that stretches above neighborhood rooftops toward the open water off Dana Point.
Tara Trenda of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties holds the listing.
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