Early in 1913, George Bixby decided to sell approx. 16,000 acres of the Rancho de los Palos Verdes (retaining about 1,000 acres which later became Harbor City), which his father, Jotham Bixby, had acquired in1882 by a legal partition of the original land grant area of Rancho de los Palos Verdes ( See The History of the South Bay for a discussion of the early Indian inhabitants of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the early Spanish land grant Ranchos). He sold the land to Walter Fundenburg, who agreed to pay $1.8 million, $800,000 in cash and the balance in one year (Most historical accounts state that the purchase price was $1,500,000, with $600,000 in cash and the rest in notes, however an article in 1914 quotes the broker on the transaction, Mr. Schader as stating that the transaction was for $1.8 million, not $1.5 million). Unable to raise the necessary funds, he assigned the property to the real estate firm Schader and Adams. They too were unable to raise the necessary capital, and Bixby foreclosed on the mortgage. After much litigation, Bixby agreed to allow Schader and Adams 90 days to complete the purchase. Mr. Schader then left for New York to raise the money, with about 20 days left to raise the funds, and while there was able to get Mr. Frank A. Vanderlip, then President of the City National Bank of New York, interested in the property. Although Mr. Vanderlip had never seen the property, after only a 10 minute meeting with Mr. Schaeder, he was intrigued and recognized its potential for development.
By November 1913, Mr. Vanderlip organized a consortium of New York investors and completed the purchase of the property. Historical accounts of the final purchase price range from $1.5 million, to just over $2 million. Initially, these investors intended to divide the land into large estates. The founding father of the Peninsula, Frank Vanderlip, was one of these investors. Vanderlip was a self-made man, an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under President McKinley, president of the National City Bank of New York, and socially connected to prominent Eastern financiers, civic, educational, and political figures. The syndicate Vanderlip formed to finance the purchase of the Palos Verdes Ranch consisted of over fifty wealthy men including Harry P. Davidson of J. P. Morgan and Company; Benjamin Strong, president of the Bankers' Trust Company of New York; and Frank Trumbull, chairman of the board of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.
Mr. Frank Vanderlip
From the beginning, Vanderlip had great plans for the development of the property. As early as 1914, Vanderlip hired architects, including the landscape architectural firm of Olmsted Brothers, to draw up a masterplan for the development. Original plans included the construction of a magnificent golf club on the bluffs overlooking Portuguese Bend, to be known as "Los Palos Verdes Country Club". The golf links was to include a clubhouse with 150 guest rooms, locker rooms,and numerous dining and community rooms. Other amenities were to include a large swimming pool, tennis courts, polo grounds, and a yacht club with concrete pier.
Article published on 5/17/1914 in the Los Angeles Times about the proposed Los Palos Verdes Country Club in the Portugese Bend Club area
His initial plans for the development, however, were interrupted by World War I. The Olmsted Brothers were known to Vanderlip since they were the landscape architects, beginning in 1913, for Beechwood, his 147 acre estate at Scarborough-on-the-Hudson, New York. It appears that the syndicate had little input into the development of the Palos Verdes Ranch project. Rather, it was Vanderlip who suggested to Olmsted Brothers the direction for its design program, and the landscape architecture firm took the lead, apparently with the full confidence of the syndicate.
Vanderlip writes glowingly in his biography about a visit in 1916 to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the property he bought unseen three years earlier. He describes his vision for the development, likening the geographical location to Italy where he took vacations:
"I found myself reminded vividly of the Sorrentine Peninsula and the AmalfiDrive: Yet the most exciting part of my vision was that this gorgeous scene was not a piece of Italy at all but was here in America, an unspoiled sheet of paper to be written on with loving care."
Vanderlip planned to develop the area above Point Vicente lighthouse as an Italian hillside village, to be occupied by craftsmen who would live, work, and sell their wares. Marble was imported from Italy for the first building in 1928, but the project was never completed. Vanderlip constructed his first residence on the Peninsula in 1916 in the Portuguese Bend area, the "Old Ranch Cottage", now known as the "Cottage". Other buildings were added to the estate in the 1920's including a small guest house and garage called "La Casetta" and a larger guesthouse in 1924, known as the "Villetta", now known as "Villa Narcissa".Behind the Villetta, a beautiful stairway of 268 steps, lined by cypress trees,soared to a spectacular lookout point where a white marble temple was built.The Vanderlip properties are located at 100 Vanderlip Drive, at the end of the road behind the private gated community just south of the Wayfarers' chapel at the beginning of the Portuguese Bend area, and public access to visit the property is not available.
The Cottage is still owned by Suzanne Vanderlip, the widow of John Vanderlip, the youngest son of Frank Vanderlip, Sr., and Villa Narcissa is still owned by the children of Elin Vanderlip, the widow of Frank Vanderlip Sr.'s second son, Kelvin, who lived at the estate from the time of their marriage in 1946 until her death at the age of 90 in July 2009. A third structure, a barn and stables called the "Farmstead" later became the Portuguese Bend Riding Club. For the most part during the 1920's, Frank Vanderlip lived in New York at his Carborough-on-Hudson estate "Beechwood". Frank Vanderlip's wife, Narcissa Cox Vanderlip, was one of the founders of the League of Women Voters, and was a leading suffragist in New York. She was also a good friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, and was instrumental in her involvement in politics. She and Frank had 6 children (Narcissa, Charlotte, Frank Jr., Virginia, Kelvin, and John).
"The Cottage"
During the 1940's, Villa Narcissa, then occupied by Kelvin Vanderlip, hosted many Hollywood celebrities. Myrna Low, had lived there before World War II, Ethel Barrymore partied there, and Paulette Goddard and Burgess Meredith had honeymooned there. In 1946, Kelvin hosted his good friend Ted Geisel (a.k.a "Dr. Seuss", the famous childrens book author) during the summer. Dr. Seuss, in 1949, dedicated his book "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" to his godson, Kelvin, Jr., the son of Kelvin and Elin Vanderlip.
Francine A. Bradley, Ph.D. UC Davis, in a report to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes on managing peafowl on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, states that the original peacock colony on the Palos Verdes Peninsula was a gift of 16 birds from the daughter of William Wrigley, Jr. to Frank Vanderlip, Sr.from Mr.Wrigley's aviary on Catalina Island.These birds were maintained at the Vanderlip Estate in Portuguese Bend. It is suspected that some of the birds were introduced to Palos Verdes Estates by former mayor Fred Roessler sometime in the period from 1960-65. There are now numberous peacock colonies in Rancho Palos Verdes in the Crestridge, Vista Grande, and the Portuguese Bend areas, as well as in the Lunada Bay and Malaga Cove areas of Palos Verdes Estates.
In 1922,a real estate developer named E.G. Lewis acquired the Palos Verdes Project,which would constitute the future City of Palos Verdes Estates and part of the MIraleste area of the current day City of Rancho Palos Verdes,through exercising an option to acquire the Property from Mr. Vanderlip.The community was called Palos Verdes Estates and had decreased in development area by one-fifth, from the original 16,000 acres to 3225 acres. Vanderlip held onto 13,000 acres in the southern portion of the peninsula for future development. Ninety percent of the development was zoned for single-family residential architecture.
Upon the exercise of the option, and to provide the machinery by which the subdivision was to be laid out and financed, the 3,225 acres were transferred to a trustee, subject to the terms and provisions of a trust indenture commonly known as "Palos Verdes Trust Indenture". This instrument is still important because it provides for the organization of the Homes Association and defines its purposes and functions, provides for the creation of the Art Jury, defines its purposes and functions, and provides for the drawings and recording of use and building restrictions. The Homes Association , through the Art Jury, still has jurisdiction for aesthetic approval of all architectural plans and modifications of homes in Palos Verdes Estates and the Miraleste portion of Rancho Palos Verdes. The original restrictions on architectural designs also designated three separate districts, with each district having separate guidelines for the architectural style to be used there. For instance, the Malaga Cove area specifically did not allow Tudor style architecture or roofs with sharply sloped roofs, however this style was allowed, to a limited extent, in the Lunada Bay area of the Project.
Image shows elevated view looking south with the Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. residence located on Rosita Place at far left overlooking the cliffs of Malaga Cove. The house was demolished in 1971 due to bluff erosion. Malaga Cove School is beyond the Olmsted house, with La Venta Inn visible along hilltop in background. (Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
Early in the history of Palos Verdes Estates, the trustee deeded to the Homes Association 800 acres of the 3,225 acres. By the terms of the deeds transferring these properties to the Palos Verdes Homes Association, the property must be perpetually devoted to public uses; otherwise, title reverts to the trustee. From these 800 acres a golf course was laid out, a swimming club constructed, the La Venta Innerected and the remaining portion planted with trees, shrubs, and flowers, which comprise the parks of PalosVerdes Estates and other planted areas.
Included in the 800 acres are four miles of shore line. Inasmuch as Palos Verdes Estates was an unincorporated area until 1940, the Homes Association was given the power, with the assistance of various county departments, to maintain streets and roads, to maintain parks, to maintain and operate the golf and swimming clubs, and to provide fire and police protection.
It may be hard to envision today, with the extensive landscaping and groves of trees which currently exist on the Peninsula, but the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the 1920's primarily consisted of coastal sage brush with very few trees. The Palos Verdes Project in the 1920's and 1930's employed a large number of gardeners who planted trees and plants throughout Malaga Cove and Valmonte, to encourage investors and potential home buyers to purchase property in Palos Verdes. A very large nursery was constructed on the current site of Lunada Bay Plaza to grow plants to be used by the Palos Verdes Project.
Nursery Constructed at 1005 Via Zumaya in Lunada Bay to supply plants for the Palos Verdes Project (Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
The Superintendent of Parks for the Project was Farnham B. Martin. When he tragically died in a car accident, the grassy area next to the Malaga Cove Library was dedicated as "Farnham Martin's Park", with a beautiful fountain installed two months later.
4,229 early investors in the Palos Verdes Project meeting at the Los Angeles Philarmonic Auditorium (Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
Mr. Lewis had plans to raise $35 million dollars to develop the property by syndicating interests to investors. Mr. Lewis, unfortunately had a checkered past and had been accused of fraud in several previous investment schemes, including oil wells, almond tree farming, and a magazine. On March 30, 1922, the Los Angeles Examiner published a telegram it had received:
"Suggest you investigate E.G. Lewis before running any more of his adds(sic) if you honestly wish to protect your readers. In one set of circulars he holds out gigantic promises and in another set he sidesteps past due obligations to his thousands of old oil investors.. In myopinion he is paying for his big Palos Verdes advertising campaign with money diverted from investments in his huge unsuccessful doodlebug oilpromotion in Montana."
The cable was signed J.E. McDonald. His history with Lewis was unclear, but he appeared to be a previous victim. After Lewis'' schemes for Trust Indenture Notes met with distrust by The Title Insurance and Trust Company of Los Angeles in February 1923, a new real estate trust financed by some 4,000 investors was created, and the revived Palos Verdes Project was again under the financial management of Vanderlip. Mr. Lewis was sued for $20 million by previous investors and in 1925 he declared bankruptcy. In 1927, he was sentenced to six years in federal prison He was paroled in 1931 but was sent back to prison for violating parole. Released again in 1935, he returned to Atascadero, where he spent the rest of his life as a penniless recluse and died in 1950.
Edward Gardner Lewis
The Master Plan for the community had been originally drafted by Charles Cheney of the architectural firm Omsted Brothers. The Olmsted Brothers were also employed to landscape the development. The father of the Olmsted Brothers designed Central Park in New York. The Olmsted Brothers also designed the street layout of Palos Verdes Estates as well as that of the city of Torrance. Planning for the Project included all aspects including the street system, zoning, lot sizes, and planned landscaping. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., in a 1923 report, explained landscape design for the northern entrance to Palos Verdes Estates:
"I advise against a large plaza or any other marked demonstration at the property line where it would be liable to be spoiled by developments in contact with it outside the property. I think the most effective treatment at the entrance will be to plunge directly into the wood of Eucalyptus through an opening as narrow as would be practicable and dignified (since the flanking masses are not tall enough to be impressive if the opening is very wide) and after passing through this sylvan gateway for a considerable distance then widen out into an impressive demonstration where the view of the valley and hills and sea can burst upon one."
After Vanderlip took control of the project, he continued to direct Mr. Cheney in planning the Project. Cheney was the second most important man, next to Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., on the team. Cheney arrived on the scene about 1921, brought by the then-developer Edward G. Lewis, with whom he developed a scheme for a City Beautiful at Atascadero (San Luis Obispo County, California, 1913). Cheney was a leader in city planning, Director of the National Conference on City Planning, and had experience in California at places such as Riverside, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Berkeley.
The original master plan was one of the best examples of urban planning of its day, and included architectural restrictions to maintain the Mediterranean design of the Project. These deed restrictions, now enforced by the Palos Verdes Art Jury, are still in effect in Palos Verdes Estates and the Miraleste area of Rancho Palos Verdes.
A section of 1,000 acres was set aside for a University campus, which ultimately was proposed, in 1925,for the new southern branch of the University of California, which later became UCLA. This land was in the center of the Palos Verdes Peninsula where Peninsula High School, the Peninsula Shopping Center, and the Avenue of the Peninsula Shopping Center is located. The proposal, in addition to the donated 1,000 acres, included other inducements. These inducements included $1,000,000, the construction of a model grammar school and a model high school to be run by the University's Department of Education, a marine biological station and public aquarium, an art museum, a theatre seating 1,500, a boathouse at Portuguese Bend and a football stadium to seat 90,000.
Original Plan for the Palos Verdes Project, then referred to as Palos Verdes Estates, with the large open area in the center planned for the Southern Branch of the University of California.(Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
In addition to the early planned districts of Valmonte, Malaga Cove, Margate, Lunada Bay and Miraleste, there were several other planned districts, now part of Rancho Palos Verdes, called "Telarana" (near the Point Vicente lighthouse), "Taravel" (near Long Point), "Cabbrillo" (near Portuguese Bend) and "Altamira" (near the Peninsula Center shopping center).
The original master plan envisioned three major business centers in Malaga Cove, Valmonte, and Lunada Bay, with minor business centers in Margate, Miraleste, and Montemalaga. The Lunada Bay Plaza area was originally going to be constructed at Via Mirola and was to be a grand plaza with several large buildings, but was ultimately constructed on a scaled down basis a bit north at Yarmouth Road. The only business centers originally planned for the Palos Verdes Project which were constructed were at Malaga Cove, Lunada Bay, and Miraleste.
Road Construction of Palos Verdes Drive West and 1920's Lunada Bay,Yarmouth Road - Site of Lunada Bay Plaza Via Colonel & PV Drive West towards ocean (Pictures Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
Original plans also envisioned several recreational facilities which were never constructed. One of these, the proposed Pacific Coast Yacht Club, was to be a million dollar enterprise backed by leading yachtsmen, to be housed in a palatial building south of Bluff Cove, and just north of Palos Verdes High School. Plans included a marina housing four hundred boats, and a breakwater to enclose some 66 acres of water, In 1937, Bluff Cove was promoted as a haven for surfers and as a tourist attraction, referred to as "Little Waikiki Beach".
Several recreational facilities, however, were constructed early in the development of the Palos Verdes Project. The La Venta Inn was constructed in 1923, and was the social center for Palos Verdes, hosting many weddings and dinner outings.
The Palos Verdes Golf Club was opened in 1924, and the Palos Verdes Swim Club was opened in 1930. Stables for horseback riding were also constructed in Palos Verdes Estates. The Palos Verdes Tennis Club opened in 1963
Horseback Riding on RAT ("Right After Torrance") beach below Malaga Cove looking towards the site of the future Swim and Beach Club (Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
The Swim Club was renamed the Roessler Pool, in honor of Fred Roessler, mayor of Palos Verdes Estates for 25 years and who was instrumental in the formation of the city of Palos Verdes Estates in 1939. The original Swim Club utilized recirculated ocean water.
The Swim Club was completely refurbished in 1992 after the City, in 1988,had seriously considered demolishing the Club, which had fallen into disrepair. A group of citizens proposed selling memberships to raise capital to remodel the Club, and the Club was reopened in 1992 as the Palos Verdes Beach & Athletic Club. City residents may use the club for the payment of a daily fee.
Swim Club-1930 (Note Haggarty's Pier in background). The gazebo where this picture was taken was dedicated as "Roessler Point" on May 30, 2001 after the gazebo's refurbishment. (Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
In 1925, to inform lot owners as to development news in the Palos Verdes Project, the Palos Verdes Bulletin began publishing. This eventually became the Palos Verdes News, still published today.
Horseback riding on the beach in the Malaga Cove area, (LA Public LibraryPhoto)
Construction of the first commercial building in Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes Estates began in 1924. By the end of1924, 20 houses were completed or under construction, and 646 lots had been sold. In 1926, the coast road connecting Redondo Beach to San Pedro, previously called Granvia La Costa, now called Palos Verdes Drive West, was completed, including the monumental "Douglas Cut", which was blasted away above Bluff Cove.
Six street entrances were planned for the Palos Verdes peninsula, three from the east and three from the north. The main broad street, Granvia La Costa (Palos Verdes Drive), considered a parkway with a landscaped center strip, was designed for the unrealized Pacific Electric Railway to run down its center.
A Large model of the Palos Verdes Peninsula used for sales presentations in the early 1920's. Howard H. Towle (1891-1972), an early salesperson in the Palos Verdes Project, notes in his oral history (Palos Verdes Local History Room, p. 3) at having seen the model above and below installed in the Auditorium Building (also known as the Temple Auditorium) on Fifth Street and Olive across from Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles in October of 1921, in an early meeting for the development of the Palos Verdes Project.
Early Home Construction:
Image shows elevated view of Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Sisson residence, located at 1745Via Montemar in Malaga Cove in Sept. 1927. View shows front of the two-story, six-room stucco house with tile roof. The house, which received Palos Verdes Art Jury honorable mention award for Best Architecture of 1927, was later owned by R.B. Doy. Other houses visible are the George Harrison home at right and William Ripley Door at left, both on Via Arriba.
The Palos Verdes Library has a wonderful on-line resource of historical photos, and also has a large collection of photos of individual homes that can be searched on-line using the home address at http://www.pvld.org/pvhistory/index.htm.
Palos Verdes Schools Palos Verdes school students, prior to 1925, attended schools in Redondo Beach, which was then part of the Los Angeles City School District. A separate Palos Verdes school district was created in 1925, however it was only for grades K-8. The first school constructed, in 1926 in Malaga Cove, housed all school grades from elementary school through eighth grade,with high school students continuing to attend schools in Redondo Beach. During the construction of Malaga Cove School, students temporarily attended classes in the Gardiner Building in Malaga Cove Plaza.
Palos Verdes High School was originally planned and constructed as a six year school for grades 7 through 12by the Los Angeles School District in 1960, but when the Palos Verdes Unified School District was formed to include high schools as well as grade school students, the partially completed campus of Palos Verdes High was converted to a high school in 1961 as the first high school of the Palos Verdes Unified School District. When the school opened, construction was not complete. Some classes had to be held in the lunch area and others met in the school busses. (PVPUSD owned a large fleet of yellow school busses at that time.)
Originally, the school had a print shop and an auto shop, but both were never used for those purposes.The architects idea was that students should look inward and study should be centered in the classroom. For that reason none of the rooms had windows other than a narrow set of louvers at the top.
Prior to the opening of Palos Verdes High School, high school students on the Peninsula attended such schools as Redondo Union High and Narbonne High. Rolling Hills High School opened in the fall of 1964 for grades nine through eleven. Seniors stayed at Palos Verdes High School. Miraleste High opened in 1968. In 1991, due to declining high school enrollment, the three high schools were consolidated on the campus of Rolling Hills High School, and renamed Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. "Peninsula High School" was the name that was supposed to have been given to the 4th high school that would have been built on the land across Crestridge Rd. from Ridgecrest Intermediate School. However, that school was never built, the land was sold for $6,000,000 to a developer (which caused quite a furor since many thought it was below market value) and so when the "consolidated" high school was named, it got the Peninsula High name.
At the time of consolidation, Palos Verdes High and Miraleste High were converted to intermediate schools, and the former intermediate schools at Malaga Cove and Margate were closed and temporarily leased to other preschools and prep schools. When Palos Verdes High school was reopened in 2002 (with just freshman and sophomores), the school at Margate was reopened as Palos Verdes Intermediate School, and Ridgecrest Intermediate School was converted from an elementary school site soon after. Palos Verdes High School and Peninsula High School are open enrollment schools, therefor any student in the district may attend either high school.
Malaga Cove School,as it looked upon completion in the Spring of 1926. (Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District)
Haggarty's Mansion/Neighborhood Church One of the more spectacular buildings in Palos Verdes was the mansion constructed in 1928 for J.J. Haggarty of Haggarty's Department Stores. In addition to the magnificent villa, Haggarty also built a pier extending from his property into the ocean for the purpose of launching his boats. False rumors claimed he used it for smuggling imports into the country. This pier, just to the south of the Swim Club, can be seen in old photographs of the Swim Club. The mansion was never occupied by the Haggartys, as Mrs. Haggarty preferred to stay at the family estate on Adams Blvd. closer in to the city of Los Angeles. Mr. Haggarty died in 1935, and the mansion was vacant for many years, and became to be rumored as haunted. Sometime in the early 1940's, an eccentric inventor purchased the property, and furnished it with a large collection of nude statues and paintings.Finally, the Neighborhood Church acquired the property in1950 for only $70,000,
Haggarty's Mansion, now the Neighborhood Church,at 415Paseo del Mar in Malaga Cove
Haggarty's point, just below theNeighborhood Church,has been a favorite surfing spot since the 1960's.
Haggarty\\\'s Point
Neptune Fountain One other significant landmark in Palos Verdes Estates is the Neptune fountain, located in the central plaza of Malaga Cove Plaza. This fountain, incorporating a statue of Neptune, the Roman god known as the King of the Sea, was installed in 1930. The fountain is a replica of the great bronze fountain of Neptune in Bologna,Italy, but it is onlyt wo-thirds the size of the orginal statue donated.
DedicationoftheNeptuneFountain(Picture Courtesy of Palos Verdes Peninsula Library District) This marble replica wasbrought to the United States by art collector Aldopho diSegni, and the replica was thought to be nearly one hundredyears old and had been obtained from the courtyard of an old villa north of Venice. After almost 40 years, the original statue finally crumbled, and was replaced in 1969 by a slightly smaller replica. Supposedly, the original city planner Cheney, after the original statue was installed in 1930, replied to a group of ladies who hinted shyly that they didn't like the fountain, undoubtedly because the mermaids on the pedestal were emitting water from their breasts, said "But ladies, we couldn't afford milk!"
Sketch of original proposed Neptune Fountain by harry Winebrenner - 1927. Note Neptune supported by horse heads (LA Public Library Photo)
Formation of the City of Palos Verdes Estates The Great Depression, which began in 1929, had an extremely debilitating effect on the Palos Verdes Project. Many lot owners defaulted on their property taxes, and the Palos Verdes Homeowners Association, which maintained the Project, was in deep financial straits. Shortly after 1929 the demand for lots greatly diminished, and the trustees and the selling agency were soon without funds. Notwithstanding that these properties were actually devoted to public uses, the land was taxable as private property because it was owned by a California non-profit corporation. In 1932 the trustee turned over to the residents the responsibility of the Homes Association.The maximum revenue which the Homes Association could raise from the annual assessments was approximately $18,000.00 per year. Out of this fund, it was necessary to pay taxes amounting to $5,000.00 per year, salaries of a manager, park superintendent, gardeners, and two police officers, and to make up the deficit in the operation of the golf Club which was between $5,000.00 and $6,000.00 a year, all of which more than exhausted the revenue obtained from assessments. To make bad matters worse, approximately one-third of the owners of building sites failed to pay their annual assessments.
By1938 the Homes Association owed the State of California for taxes on the parkways, shore line, Golf Club and Swimming Clubs approximately $50,000.00. Needless to say, the Board of Directors of the Homes Association and the residents became concerned for fear the State of California might sell these properties at tax sale, and the community would lose one of its most valuable assets.
Two plans were devised to prevent this disaster. One was to organize a city of the sixth class, and upon its organization transfer the park properties, shore line, and the golf and swimming clubs to the city, in which event the back taxes would be forgiven by the state, and the properties would not be taxable. The other plan is now academic, because an election was held in December, 1939, at which the voters decided to form a city of the sixth class to have taxing authority and to solve the financial crisis. Just prior to the election in 1939, the remaining property owned by Palos Verdes Estates, Inc. was sold at a huge public auction held in the Malaga Cove Plaza. Advertised as the "most sensational lot auction ever held in Southern California", and "the chance of a lifetime" (which it turned out it was),this sale disposed of 260 parcels totaling 1,100 lots, ranging from 60 foot lots to up to 157 acres. The 157 acres in Upper Lunada Bay were sold for $13.885.96, and an individual lot on Paseo del Mar in Margate, went for $321.
Immediately upon the organization of the City in July, 1940, all of the park lands, the swimming club and the golf club were transferred to the City, and the back taxes were forgiven by the State. The Miraleste section of the Palos Verdes project remained unincorporated, but subject to the deed restrictions of the Palos Verdes Homeowners Association and the Palos Verdes Art Jury.
In early 1965, the City of Palos Verdes Estates attempted to annex a portion of present day Rancho Palos Verdes totaling 2.92 square miles bordered by High Ridge Road to the east and the Pacific Ocean, including the Marineland Park, in an attempt to broaden its tax base. See LA Times Article. This effort failed, however.
The War Years Between 1940 and 1941, the rate of building accelerated after being nearly at a standstill during the depths of the Depression. In February 1941, 400% more building permits were issued than during February 1940. When World War II began, the residents of the Palos Verdes Peninsula prepared for war. Unfortunately, this included the internment of many of the Japanese farmers and their families that had lived on the Peninsula for years. Among these families interned were Mas Ishibashi and his wife May, along with their son Satoshi, who was seven years old at the time. They had lived on the peninsula since 1910. May Ishibashi sold strawberries on the side of the road and Mas farmed Rancho Palos Verdes for over 50 years, with the exception of the internment years. Their son Satoshi continued working with his father to farm rolling acres of barley and garbanzo beans for many of those years as well.
One of the first defensive positions was established at the Haggarty Estate in Malaga Cove. Battery installations werei nstalled at the current location of the Rancho Palos Verdes city hall, as well as at Rocky Point in Lunada Bayin 1943 that included two 16 inch guns. Barracks and support buildings were also constructed in Lunada Bay. An underground observation point was also constructed at Punta Place overlooking Bluff Cove and the South Bay.Lt. Richard Throne wrote about the "Battle of Los Angeles" as follows:
ONE OTHER SINKING TOOK PLACE ON CHRISTMAS 1941 WHEN WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A JAPANESE SUBMARINE WAS SIGHTED OFF OF REDONDO BEACH. THE AIR CORPS AND NAVY RESPONDED AND DROPPED SEVERAL BOMBS. THE ONLY THING SUNK WAS THE OLD FISHING BARGE THAT WAS ANCHORED OFF THE COAST. WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE BARGE WASHED ASHORE ON THE BEACH AT MALAGA COVE, IT WAS QUITE AN ATTRACTION FOR SOME TIME AND A NUMBER OF ITS PARTS WERE SALVAGED BY LOCAL BOYS. (Source: Oral History of Palos Verdes Estates Police Department )
Palos Verdes Memorial Garden - Located across from City Hall in Malaga Cove, was rededicated in 1996. Originally dedicated in 1947 to John Bleecker, Hammond Sadler, and Morris Shipley who lost their lives in World War II, the Garden now honors all members of the Armed Services who lost their lives in the line of duty and Police Officers, Captain Michael Tracy and Sergeant Tom Vanderpool, who were killed in service to their City, February 14, 1994.
With the death of Frank Vanderlip in 1937, control of the Palos Verdes Corporation, which owned the balance of the original Vanderlip property holdings other than that which was incorporated in the Palos Verdes Project, was passed to Vanderlip's son Frank. Control was then passed in 1943 to Harry Benedict, a friend and business associate of Frank Vanderlip. In 1945, Kevin Vanderlip took control of the Corporation and took up residentce in the Villa Narcissa house with his wife Elin.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula population grew rapidly after World War II.In 1946, construction began on several housing tracts in Hollywood Riviera. The best route for construction trucks at the time was up Hawthorne Boulevard, which at that time did not go all the way up the hill to the top of the Peninsula, but instead veared to the right at Via Valmonte (which at the time was Hawthorne Avenue, and was originally named Via Mirlo) and ended at the Palos Verdes Country Club. The residents of the Valmonte area of Palos Verdes Estates were so irritated and inconvenienced by the large amount of traffic of dump trucks, bull dozers, etc. traveling to the Hollywood Riveria housing tracts that they prevailed upon the City Council of Palos Verdes Estates in 1948 to construct barriers in the middle of Via Alameda, Via Pasqual, and Via Colusa just inside the PVE city limits, and they've been there ever since.
One interesting landmark that most people don't know the history of is the open land area to the south of Via Valmonte as you headeast on Via Valmonte, just past the city limits of Palos Verdes Estates, as you sit at the signal at Hawthorne Boulevard. It is blocked off by concrete blocks and a fence. This area beginning in 1944, before Hawthorne was extended past the current Via Valmonte, was a diatomaceous earth (dicalite) mine, that extended into the area now occupied by the Hillside Village shopping center. This mine at one time contained 300 acres and had been leased by the Great Lakes Carbon Corporation from the Vanderlip family, that still owned approx. 7,000 acres of the original 16,000 acres retained by Frank Vanderlip when he sold the land which made up the Palos Verdes Project.
Another rich deposit was known to exist on a 165-acre tract near the crest of the Peninsula. For two years, the Great Lakes Carbon Corporation had been unsuccessfully attempting to purchase this property from the Vanderlip family. Finally, in July 1953, the Great Lakes Carbon Corporation purchased all 7,000 acres from the Palos Verdes Corporation, the Vanderlip family's corporation. The Great Lakes Carbon Corporation, realizing that this land would be more valuable if developed,then created a master plan for the acreage, which later became the cities of Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, and the unincorporated area known as Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Palos Verdes Estates Police Department
Palos Verdes Estates has always had its own police department, dating back to 1924 prior to its incorporation as a city when it was The Palos Verdes Project governed by the Homeowners Association. Its first police chief was Chief William Woosley, from 1924 - 1942, followed by Chief Jack Smith through 1962. Since that time, the City has had eight other police chiefs.
The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department has a vintage, fully restored 1953 Ford police cruiser, that was acquired a number of years ago, but never saw service by the Police Department of Palos Verdes Estates, however it bears the markings of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department and is enjoyed by its citizens at community events and parades.
For many years, Palos Verdes Estates maintained its own fire department, and in the early years, it was a volunteer fire department, with the fire truck driven by one of the police officers. Ultimately, the City chose to contract fire services from the County of Los Angeles due to the far greater resources available from the County, such as paramedic services, helicopter rescue, and multiple units available to respond to brush fires, etc. Palos Verdes Estates continues to be the only one of the four incorporated cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula to maintain its own police department, with the other cities contracting with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.
The Wreck of the Dominator
One interesting event that occurred in 1961, which people still talk about, was the running aground of the Greek freighter Dominator just off of Rocky Point. The freighter was heading south along the Palos Verdes coast line, and thinking they had reached the Los Angeles harbor, made an ill-fated left turn too early and ran aground. Only a small amount of remnants of the ship can still be seen at low tide.
The freighter Dominator getting pounded by surf (see video)after running aground at Rocky Point
Bluff Cove Landslide:
A large landslide occured above Bluff Cove on Palos Verdes Drive West which caused 2 homes to be destroyed during the El Nino winter of 1982-1983. The City utilized corrugated metal pipes (which punched through the middle of the hillside) to drain water flowing from the interior of the City. These pipes failed during the heavy rains that winter. Effective May 1983, the City of Palos Verdes Estates initiated a 10% utility users tax to fund infrastructure improvements to prevent a reoccurence of such a land slide and to fund the costs incurred by the landslide. This tax was in place until 2003. The City continues to own six of the homes which they were forced to buy from the original owners, and the City Manager and several police officers live in the homes.
Lunada Bay Fountain:
Lunada Bay Fountain before refurbishment Original Plaque on Lunada Bay Fountain
The fountain in the median strip of Palos Verdes Drive West in Lunada Bay was a gift from funds raised by 250 neighborhood children orgainized by Jeane Burke, a resident of Rocky Point in Lunada Bay, and a plaque at the fountain displays the fountain's name: "Fuente de los Ninos" (the fountain of the children). When asked why she was inspired to create a fountain at the intersection with Yarmouth Road, Mrs. Burke replied, "I didn't want to say, "Turn at the gas station to get to my home'"(source:Peninsula News 6/1/2006). The names of the children are embedded in the fountain behind the memorial plaque.
The fountain is dedicated to G. Brooks Snelgrove, who was very active in Palos Verdes Estates community affairs for over 34 years, and the circle in front of Palos Verdes Estates City Hall is also dedicated to his memory (He died on November 22, 1962). Mr. Snelgrove was the original engineer for the Palos Verdes Project in 1923, and was responsible for the construction and engineering of the Malaga Cove Plaza Neptune Fountain. The fountain was refurbished in December 2008, paid for by the generous donations of Lunada Bay residents.
Today, the Palos Verdes Peninsula is home to some of the most exciting luxury homes and estates in the country. Although the original Olmsted Brothers' plan for the entire Palos Verdes peninsula was never realized, the concept of a controlled, exclusive, Mediterranean-style community continues at Palos Verdes Estates, and has been influential on the development of the other three peninsula communities.
Over the years, Palos Verdes Estates has maintained the high standards set by its founders for residential architecture based on the original deed restrictions. Palos Verdes Estates remains as one of the most ambitious and successfully planned suburban developments in the United States.
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I am indebteded to Delane Morgan, author of The Palos Verdes Story, and many excerpts from her excellent History of Palos Verdes have been included above. I would highly recommend purchasing her book, which includes numerous historical photos and a much more detailed history of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. This book may be purchased at the shop Nantucket Crossing located in the Town & Country Shopping Center on Silver Spur Road in RollingHills Estates.
Click on the following for additional information on the history of the South Bay beach communities:
A Large model of the Palos Verdes Peninsula used for sales presentations in the early 1920's. Howard H. Towle (1891-1972), an early salesperson in the Palos Verdes Project, notes in his oral history (Palos Verdes Local History Room, p. 3) at having seen the model above and below installed in the Auditorium Building (also known as the Temple Auditorium) on Fifth Street and Olive across from Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles in October of 1921, in an early meeting for the development of the Palos Verdes Project. 
Malaga Cove School under construction.
Image shows elevated view looking south with the Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. residence located on Rosita Place at far left overlooking the cliffs of Malaga Cove. The house was demolished in 1971 due to bluff erosion. Malaga Cove School is beyond the Olmsted house, with La Venta Inn visible along hilltop in background. (Picture Courtesy of 
Edward Gardner Lewis
