The Harden Estate gatehouse in Portuguese Bend was built to be the gateway to a larger house that was never built. For nearly 100 years, it has stood guard over a mostly empty parcel of land behind it. Just across Palos Verdes Drive South from the gatehouse lies Narcissa Drive, the road that leads toContinue reading “The Harden Estate gatehouse in Portuguese Bend housed a pair of famous tenants in the 1960s”
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The Palos Verdes Peninsula’s recreational options lured society’s upper crust in its early days
Horseback riding, golf, polo matches, faux fox hunts – all of them were popular pursuits among the high society set during the early development of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The taming of the Peninsula began with the sale of lots for Palos Verdes Estates in early 1923. At the time, there was little sign ofContinue reading “The Palos Verdes Peninsula’s recreational options lured society’s upper crust in its early days”
Hermosa Beach’s early boom town days included a Redondo annexation offer
The South Bay’s three major beach cities, Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan, all incorporated within 20 years of each other. Redondo came first in 1892, followed by Hermosa in 1907, and Manhattan in 1912. Hermosa’s earliest beginnings as a city actually go back to 1900, when Los Angeles businessmen A.L. Burbank and Eugene Baker purchased 1500Continue reading “Hermosa Beach’s early boom town days included a Redondo annexation offer”
Moonstone Beach drew tourists, rock hounds, and profiteers to Redondo
Everybody seemed to love Moonstone Beach, one of the South Bay coastline’s most popular, if relatively short-lived, tourist stops on the Red Car railroad lines of the early 20th century. I’ve mentioned the stretch of shoreline strewn with ocean-polished smooth stones that ran roughly from the southern Hermosa Beach border to just above the RedondoContinue reading “Moonstone Beach drew tourists, rock hounds, and profiteers to Redondo”
