History Archives

June 25, 2021February 27, 2026

Ocean Blvd’s Casa de la Puesta del Sol

Tom Heffernan

One of the great, historic Ocean Blvd homes is on the market. 2700 Ocean Blvd was built in 1929, only a couple years after the Kerckhoff Marine Lab and China House, and sits atop the stairs down to China Cove.

The Wurts lovingly named the 4 bed/4 bath/3000sq ft Spanish style home, ‘Casa de la Puesta del Sol’ (House of Sunset). The main house has 3 beds and 3 baths and there is a 2 story, 1 bed, 1 bath attached guest house. The home is listed by Compass for $6.995M after a recent $655K price cut.

February 20, 2021February 27, 2026

Cottage Loss: 514 Acacia (1942-2021)

Tom Heffernan

We haven’t released our Top 100 Cottages list yet but wanted to share some history on one of the Top 100 before it gets bulldozed next week so you can take one last walk past it this weekend and remember it before it is replaced by a lot-filling modern home. The plans look to be more along the lines of soulless modern rather than modern farmhouse but from their IG it appears that the developer has churned out plenty of both of these styles which now dot our Flower Streets.

We’ll save the full story for the Top 100 profile on 514 Acacia but this lovely home remained in the same family for the past 60+ years starting with a dancer who appeared in several Hollywood films in the silent movie era.

It was built by developer G.C. Kroenke, a San Bernardino developer, in 1942 who bought almost half of the block that includes the even side of the 500 block of Acacia and the odd side of the 500 block of Begonia. Unclear if it was on speculation of the coming post-war housing boom or just as a summer home for he and his wife, Myrtle, he would hold onto it until 1947. Perhaps because he had such a large parcel of land, he didn’t stay within the traditional 30’ x 118’ lot dimensions for 514. It actually takes over half of the parcel next to it making it a little more than 50% larger than traditional Flower Street lots at 47’ wide.

After 2 more owners that lived in the house for about a decade, it was sold to Theresa Allen in 1958 and it would remain in her family until 2020. Born in Indianapolis in 1908, she moved to Hollywood to pursue a showbusiness career and picked up credits in 6 movies in 1929-1930 including The Vagabond King and Happy Days. She was a chorus girl in several of the movies and had small roles in the others. In 1931, she gave birth to her daughter, Theresa L. Smith and retired from Hollywood at age 22.

It is unclear if and for how long they were married but Theresa’s father is famed Disney composer Paul Smith. Smith arranged and scored some 70 cartoons over the next 25 years including Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, and Cinderalla. He received multiple Academy nominations for his work arranging music and won the Oscar for his score of Pinocchio. In 1994, he was posthumously made a Disney Legend by the Disney Studio.

Disney Composer Paul Smith was a legend, arranging and scoring over 70 cartoons.

Theresa Allen would live in the house for the rest of her years, passing away in 1997 at age 89. Her daughter, Theresa L. Smith, who had become Theresa Colesworthy, inherited the house and kept it for the last two decades. She passed away in 2019 and her heirs were quick to accept an offer on the house.

October 25, 2020March 6, 2026

Vintage Multi-Family on Marguerite

Tom Heffernan

Tucked away on Marguerite is a multi-family complex that went up during the post-WW2 housing boom and has managed to maintain its vintage charm and original details for over 70 years. The complex at 610-614 Marguerite built for former owners Albert & Vera Hutchins in March 1948 has (6) 2BR, 1 BA units situated on 1 ½ lots.

You could have walked past this community dozens of times and not noticed it as it is set behind a large hedge and gate that creates a nice private setting for its residents in the literal center of CdM. When you enter, there is an orange tree in the center of the complex and duplexes on either side. In the back there are units above the garages.

Inside and out, it is impressive that the units are able to be so well maintained while retaining the great original details and character. They all feature beautiful, original hardwood floors, original mouldings, and tons of vintage charm.

Update:

Demolished in early February 2026. Even the little tree in the brick planter is gone.

October 4, 2020February 27, 2026

Cottage Profile: 518 Marigold

Tom Heffernan

Bringing Cottage of the Week back to recognize 518 Marigold. Not your grandfather’s cottage – while we love cottages that maintain an original look – we also love cottages like this one that have been wonderfully updated to appeal to current tastes and ensure their survival.

This house has had a couple major renovations in its day, with the first coming in the late 1980s when owner Ross Bartlett converted it from a duplex into a single family residence and the latest in 2017 when owner Shannon Hondl updated it to the beautiful house you see today.

We have not announced it yet but 518 Marigold was selected by our distinguished panel of judges as one of CdM’s Top 100 Cottages. It earned high marks for its modern take on the traditional CdM cottage. We will have more info on the Top 100 announcement soon, apologies that our posting has slowed a bit while we work on getting that ready.

September 4, 2020February 27, 2026

CdM Resident Jim Abbott’s No-Hitter

Tom Heffernan

27 years ago today, CdM resident Jim Abbott pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees. Only 10 Yankees pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in the franchise’s 120 years. What makes Abbott’s no-hitter even more remarkable is he was born without a right hand.

Born in Flint, Michigan, Abbott had a 10 year career in the major leagues after being drafted by the Angels following a standout career at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). As a sophomore at Michigan in 1987, he won the Sullivan Award as the Nation’s Top Amateur Athlete, the Golden Spikes Award as the top college baseball player, and became the first US pitcher to beat the Cuban national team in Cuba in 25 years. As a junior, he led the US to a Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics, beating Japan in the final game in Seoul.

He went straight from college to the starting rotation of the Angels without ever spending a day in the minor leagues. In 1991, he finished third in the voting for the Cy Young Award, given annually to the best pitcher in the league. He played 4 seasons for the Angels before they traded him to the Yankees in a cost-cutting move. He played 2 seasons in New York before signing with the White Sox who traded him back to the Angels, where he played 2 seasons before closing out his career with the White Sox and Brewers.

Abbott retired from baseball in 1999 and raised two daughters with his wife, Dana, in Corona del Mar. Both of his daughters, Maddy and Ella, grew up to be standout athletes and followed in his footsteps by playing Volleyball and Water Polo, respectively, at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). He is in demand as a motivational speaker and heavily involved in children’s charities. He has twice been named the March of Dimes Athlete of the Year, and received the Freedom Forum’s Free Spirit Award for his charitable work. He’s still very involved in disabled children’s causes and continues to make appearances for various charitable organizations. His autobiography, “Imperfect: An Improbable Life”, is available at the Newport Beach Library and on Amazon.

July 15, 2020February 27, 2026

China Cove in 1953

Tom Heffernan

In a 1953 photo of China Cove from the OC Archives – the Kerckhoff Marine Lab is prominent and upon closer inspection a few other surviving homes can be found as well.

2700 Bayview: Looks very different today but the 1929 home is right at the top of the stairs going down to China Cove

214 Goldenrod: Appears identical to how it looks today although the 1930 house is currently flanked by construction sites as the houses on either side are recent teardowns

2608 Cove: 1949 cottage was just 4 years old at the time but looks to be identical to how it is today

2708 Cove: Tucked in the back is this 1946 cottage which retains a similar shape although the beachfront garage appears to have been wisely converted to a bedroom.

July 2, 2020February 27, 2026

Kerckhoff Marine Lab

Tom Heffernan

One of our surviving historic treasures is the Kerckhoff Marine Lab in China Cove. While it became a Marine Lab when it was sold to Caltech, it was originally designed as a boat and bath house for the short-lived Balboa Palisades Club in 1926. The club ran into financial difficulty while it was still being built and they ended up selling it to Caltech in late 1929 for $50,000. The lab was acquired with funds donated by William G. Kerckhoff, a California businessman who made his fortune in power and gas.

June 24, 2020February 27, 2026

The Story of Corona del Mar’s Founder

Tom Heffernan

One hundred years ago today, George E. Hart (Nov 6, 1859-Jun 24, 1920), Corona del Mar’s founder and developer, died in Los Angeles. While details of his historic purchase of Corona del Mar have been widely reported, almost nothing has been written of Hart’s life. We spent some time digging into his past to learn more, even tracking down his granddaughter, Mareta Hart Ellmore. She is still alive today and living in Orange County, having spent a good portion of her life in Newport Beach and in the city her grandfather named The Crown of the Sea.

George Hart was born into a modest farm family in rural New Hampshire. The youngest of six children of Edward and Sally Hart, one older brother died in infancy and his two oldest sisters died of tuberculosis by the time he was 15. Perhaps these early losses forced him to grow up quickly; he got into the lumber business at a young age. By 18, he had built his first lumber mill and by his late 20s, he owned three lumber mills in New Hampshire.

At 27, he married his first wife, Ita Belle Carter, a 21 year-old music teacher. A couple years later, he sold off his mills and he, Ita, and his older brother, John Fox Hart, would move out to Washington state. There he started more lumber mills, with he and his brother also starting the Tacoma & Eastern Railroad Company, which they used to transport the timber.

He seemed to build on his success and fortune during his five years in Washington, although not without controversy. The newspapers wrote about one of his mills burning down: rumors of arson, and a well-publicized lawsuit with the insurance company, which he eventually won. He and Ita split while living in Washington; she returned home to New England.

Perhaps looking for a new challenge, Hart moved to Oakland in 1896 and got into the real estate business. He made his way to Los Angeles by 1900 and got into business with Henry Huntington, whose Pacific Electric Railway would figure into his plans for Corona del Mar. In 1903, he married May Evelyn Guertin, possibly meeting her on one of his trips back East to visit family, as she was living in Fall River, Massachusetts at the time.

May Evelyn was perhaps everything that Hart was not. Born into a high society Texas family, her great uncle was Francis Scott Key, who penned The Star-Spangled Banner. Her grandfather had surveyed the Texas-Mexico border for the US government, her relatives were in prominent political roles in Washington D.C., and she was a personal friend of Texas Governor ‘Big Jim’ Hogg. “She was very beautiful, sophisticated, and outgoing,” recalls Mareta. “She was an exciting person.” While Mareta was only four when May passed, she recalls many stories from her parents about her.

Like George, May had been married once before. She married Arthur Jalbert when she was 19 and gave birth to a son, Victor Key, a few months later. They settled in Fall River, and the marriage would last only a few years. The then 27 year-old, would eventually marry the 44 year-old George Hart in 1903. She and Victor, who would take Hart’s name for the rest of his life, moved to California.

While already a very wealthy man at this point – with May as his wife and business partner, the next decade was very prosperous for Hart as he became one of Los Angeles’ most prominent businessmen. Hart & Co. made major land purchases throughout Southern California; investments in Pomona and Long Beach were among some of his larger deals, but it was clear that the purchase of Corona del Mar was special to Hart and his family. Perhaps as a way to promote his land, whenever Hart was profiled his mansion in Los Angeles was mentioned but it was always followed by his summer home in Corona del Mar and the mile of ocean and half mile of bay frontage were prominently mentioned.

The year 1904 was a special one for Hart as he made his historic purchase of Corona del Mar from John Irvine II and in the spring, May gave birth to his first biological child, Sally Juanita. Over the next few years, the society pages often mentioned that George, May, or both were traveling with their children down to Corona del Mar for vacation, staying at the newly completed Hotel Del Mar. Mareta heard very few stories about George from her father, Victor, who was often away at private school, but he would speak fondly of the summers he spent with George in Corona del Mar.

One of George and May’s most notable visits to Corona del Mar – making the front page of the LA Times – involved a card game with a pair of Nevada miners to settle a land dispute. The Harts traded land in Simi Valley for a town in Riverside County and they disputed who owned the existing crops on each land at the time of the trade. They decided they would play a card game – whist – to determine who would get the crop, which was valued at $15,000 (over $400,000 today). The Harts invited them to play down in Corona del Mar; it was originally set at the Hotel Del Mar but it drew so much local attention that they moved it to a nearby beach cottage.

The article recounts the game and also demonstrates May’s charisma and charm as the writer seems hypnotized by her every action. The article’s focus is not George Hart, the multi-millionaire real estate developer, but Mrs. George Hart. Despite some skilled play, the Harts ran into bad luck down the stretch and ended up losing the game, but not their decorum. The LA Times reported, “Without a sigh or an unpleasant word, Mrs. Hart swept the cards from the table; brushed off her dress and slightly yawned. “Aren’t you tired? Now you must all be my guests at a little supper?”

In the Summer of 1910, at age 50, George Hart reached the peak of his life both personally and professionally. His mansion in LA was described as “one of the most completely equipped homes in the city” and it featured a $6,000 pipe organ (over $160K today). As he arrived in Corona del Mar that summer with his beautiful wife May (now 34, she lied to the census taker and was listed as 30), 6 year-old Sally, and his 13 year old stepson, Victor, home from boarding school for the summer, they could see the first residential homes going up on the Bluffs.

Before long, his life took an abrupt downturn. Later that year, May is listed as staying with Sally in Tucson, Arizona. One could speculate that they were there for health reasons as there is a genetic connection to tuberculosis (people with genetic markers for it are 10x more likely to get it and George had lost two sisters to ‘consumption’) and Tucson was a destination for treatment because of its arid air. In 1912, Sally Juanita died of meningitis, one day after her 8th birthday. Mareta recalled that the passing of his younger sister stuck with her father for the rest of his life. Victor rarely talked about the past but on several occasions he told her of the funeral they held at their home in Los Angeles and how Sally’s little white coffin was pulled by two white horses on a white chariot.

At this stage, George may have been suffering from his own ailments. Even in the 1908 LA Times story about the whist game, it is mentioned that he is of poor health. Despite a few sales in 1910, development in Corona del Mar slowed again and in 1915, George decided to give up on his dream of building the ocean community. He traded the remaining 400 acres for $400K and 5,000 acres of land on the Riverside/Corona border.

The following year, his brother John, who had moved with him to Washington state and later followed him to LA, passed away. Through 1918, George still shows up in various land deals including the purchase of two Escondido ranches, but in the 1917 Pasadena city directory, where May is living, she is listed as George’s widow. He was not mentioned in the press in 1919. When he passed away in 1920 at age 60, there was no obituary for the man who – just a decade earlier – was one of Los Angeles’ most prominent citizens. The man who had come from a farm in New Hampshire, made his money in lumber mills when he was still a teenager, and then become a prominent, and for a time very wealthy, real estate developer, was laid beside his daughter, Sally Juanita, in the famed Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA.

May would go on to her own success in real estate, building and developing the Venetian Square Apartments in Long Beach as well as building an upscale hotel and apartment complex on Bonnie Brae in Los Angeles, down the street from Hart’s old mansion. She re-married at least two more times including a 1921 marriage to Harry Burmester, the editor of the Long Beach Press. She passed away in 1960, listed in many places as 60 years old, but she was actually 64. Likely following her wishes, her gravestone does not list her date of birth. Victor managed and eventually owned and expanded on the Venetian Square. A successful businessman and active in the Long Beach community, Victor would live to the age of 98, passing away in 1995.

June 8, 2020February 27, 2026

Charles Payzant (1898-1980)

Tom Heffernan

CdM has had a number of famed artists that lived in our community. We have featured Rex Brandt, who is likely the best known locally and Chuck Jones, who was called “the Orson Welles of animation.” Today, we feature Charles Payzant (1898-1980), a talented illustrator and watercolor painter that lived in the village at 609 Acacia. He was one of the pioneers of what would become known as the California Style of watercolor painting and would work on some of the most famous Disney movies of all time.

He began his career as a commercial artist and during the Great Depression he took a job with Disney painting watercolor backgrounds. He worked on many of the biggest cartoon shorts and made elaborate backgrounds for classics such as Snow White, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Pinocchio. CdM has had a number of famed artists that lived in our community. We have featured Rex Brandt, who is likely the best known locally and Chuck Jones, who was called “the Orson Welles of animation.” Today, we feature Charles Payzant (1898-1980), a talented illustrator and watercolor painter that lived in the village at 609 Acacia. He was one of the pioneers of what would become known as the California Style of watercolor painting and would work on some of the most famous Disney movies of all time.

After WWII, he would leave Disney to return to commercial art and began working with his wife, author Terry Shannon Payzant and he did the illustrations on fifty of her childrens books. He also was the director of the famed Dick and Jane series of school readers. It was estimated that 80% of American grade schools used this series. He continued to work on private commissions and paint his California Style watercolors for the rest of his life.

May 14, 2020February 27, 2026

FDR in CdM

Tom Heffernan

We recently came across this photo of President Franklin D. Roosevelt driving through CdM in July 1938 on his way from LA to San Diego. The Sherman Library has an excellent blog posts that tells the backstory of this trip which you can find here.

Looking at this photo, we were left wondering where exactly the ‘Corona Del Mar Civic Center’ was located. The photo says it was taken at Marguerite and Coast Highway but we wanted to pin down the exact location. Some of our group thinks it was just south of Marguerite, near the building with BofA and UPS while others think it was just north of Marguerite between Papa’s Liquors and Zinc.

What do you think? Does anyone remember this building that held the Civic Center in the 1930s and may have had other uses later on?

Category: History

Ocean Blvd’s Casa de la Puesta del Sol

Tom Heffernan

Cottage Loss: 514 Acacia (1942-2021)

Tom Heffernan

Vintage Multi-Family on Marguerite

Tom Heffernan

Update:

Cottage Profile: 518 Marigold

Tom Heffernan

CdM Resident Jim Abbott’s No-Hitter

Tom Heffernan

China Cove in 1953

Tom Heffernan

Kerckhoff Marine Lab

Tom Heffernan

The Story of Corona del Mar’s Founder

Tom Heffernan

Charles Payzant (1898-1980)

Tom Heffernan

FDR in CdM

Tom Heffernan

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