Stories About the People, Places and Events
that Shaped Corona del Mar
Vintage Multi-Family on Marguerite
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.
CdM Resident Jim Abbott’s No-Hitter
CdM resident Jim Abbott pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees.
China Cove in 1953
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.
Kerckhoff Marine Lab
One of our surviving historic treasures is the Kerckhoff Marine Lab in China Cove.
The Story of Corona del Mar’s Founder
Hart was featured in Robert Burdette’s 1910 Los Angeles & Southern California Profiles 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,
Charles Payzant (1898-1980)
Today, we feature Charles Payzant (1898-1980), a talented illustrator and watercolor painter that lived in the village at 609 Acacia.
FDR in CdM
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 China House Lives on in CdM
Tucked away in the back of China Cove, you can still find a piece of the historic China House. Long-time China Cove resident, John Hamilton, had the foresight to work out a deal to keep pieces of the historic structure when it was torn down by Jim & Martha Beauchamp
The Motel Era (1940-1980) in CdM
While the stretch of PCH that runs through CdM today is essentially a row of banks and real estate offices with a few restaurants and bars mixed in, there was a time when there were motels all along Coast highway starting in the 1940’s, peaking in the 1960’s, and ending
The Orson Welles of Animation
The Orson Welles of Animation
4/10/2020 1 Comment
Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones in his office at his home in Cameo Shores
Chuck Jones, the legendary animator and director who gave life to cartoon greats such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Road Runner was a longtime Corona del Mar resident.
Piers in Corona del Mar: A Short History
Did you know Corona del Mar used to have 2 piers?
CdM Village’s Widest Street
Guess…
what street in Corona del Mar Village has the widest right of way?
From Rossi’s to CdM Restaurant
A postcard of Rossi’s Cafe, then located at 2325 East Coast Hwy In his column ‘The Verdict’, Judge Robert Gardner called Rossi’s Cafe “the finest Italian restaurant I have ever patronized.” He added, “Mama Rossi featured her pickled mushrooms, which had to be tasted to be believed. I have always
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Influence in CdM
Did you know…
Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright, designed a building along PCH in CdM?
From Hurley Bell to Five Crowns
Five Crowns, 2018 Corona Del Mar’s oldest restaurant, known today as Five Crowns was built in 1936 by Matilda “Tillie” Lemon MacCulloch. An American wife of a wealthy Scotsman, she lived in England but had grown up visiting Southern California as a child. She modeled it after Ye Olde Bell,
The Grandest Angel of Them All
In the headline of his obituary, the Los Angeles Times called him the “Grandest Angel of Them All.”
Dolphins in CdM
You may have driven by and noticed that we have new ‘skinny’ dolphins in the medians along East Coast Highway at Marguerite. Local artist/architect/historian Ron Yeo was able to fill us in on the history of the dolphins, which goes back 27 years.
Corona del Mar: 1940 & Today
Photo credit: Sherman Library 1940 Aerial View of CdM that shows Avocado, Acacia, Begonia, Carnation, and part of Dahlia Ave. With the Big Blue House now gone (can you find it in this photo?), a dozen structures from this 80 year old photo remain today. Let’s take a look at
Rex Brandt
Photo of Rex Brandt (credit:californiawatercolor.com) Artist Rex Brandt, who lived and worked in Corona del Mar for most of his life, is considered one of the most important and influential California watercolorists. ‘Morning Mood at Balboa’ From ‘Blue Sky’, his home and studio located on Goldenrod next to the Footbridge,
Kay Finch (1903-1993)
Continuing on the artist theme, ceramic artist Kay Finch (1903-1993) built her studio and showroom next to Five Crowns where Crown Cove Assisted Living is now located. It was later Sam’s Seafood and Don the Beachcomber. Finch attended the Memphis Academy of Fine Arts in the 1920s and would move