A block party celebrating the dedication of Hermosa Beach’s first historically designated home will be held on the 2100 block of Monterey Boulevard on Sunday, September 10. The street will be closed from 1 to 4 p.m. City officials will address residents at 1:30 p.m., and then the Hermosa Historical Society will install a historical designation plaque at the home.
The 1913 craftsman home, at 2204 Monterey Boulevard, belongs to Marsha Majka, who purchased the home over five decades ago.
“I hope there’s a resurgence of pride in our city and our past,” Majka told Easy Reader in an interview last year. “I’d like my home to be the first, but not the last.”
“This shingled beach bungalow retains youthful charm and color. It was built in 1913 by owner builder S.S. Kidder at a coast of $1,000,” Pat Gazin, Hermosa’s first female council member wrote in her 1977 book “Castles in the Sand.”
“While the Craftsman style is common throughout Southern California,” wrote a consultant retained by the city to assess the home, “not many intact examples remain in Hermosa Beach. The subject property embodies the style as applied to a modest, one-story house by an owner-builder.”
“The designation of Marsha’s home as a historical landmark is a momentous occasion. We are excited to honor her and her stewardship” said Hermosa Historical Society Vice President Jake Courtney. “It’s a day to appreciate the legacy of our community, rekindle our collective memories, and foster community ties.”
During the block party, the Majka home will be open for touring, as will a neighboring home at 2160 Monterrey. The neighboring International Modern home was designed by noted architect Earl Heitschmidt and built in 1938.
Hermosa’s City Council approved the Hermosa Beach Historic Resources Preservation Program in 1998. Since then, Bijou Theater, Bank of America, and the Community Center, are the only other buildings to have received historical designation. ER
