Marilyn Monroe home saved in Los Angeles as judge upholds Brentwood landmark status
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has upheld Historic-Cultural Monument status for Marilyn Monroe’s Brentwood home, blocking demolition and ending a lengthy preservation fight that secured the star’s only Los Angeles residence as protected cultural and women’s history.
- Historic ruling: Court affirmed the City’s June 2024 Historic-Cultural Monument designation, keeping the Brentwood house protected.
- Property details: 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, a 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival home Monroe bought in 1962.
- Ownership dispute: New owners who bought the site in July 2023 sought demolition and parcel consolidation; the court rejected their challenge.
Key information
Address: 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, Brentwood — a 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival home Monroe bought in February 1962. Read an interior profile at The Hollywood Home.
Purchase history: Monroe bought the house for $77,500 in 1962 (about $831,000 in today’s dollars). Detailed reporting is available from The Marilyn Report.
Recent sale and demolition plan: The property was bought in July 2023 for $8.35 million by Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank, who sought to demolish the house and combine it with an adjacent lot (Domain, The Marilyn Report).
Landmark status: The City of Los Angeles designated the house a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) in June 2024 after emergency action (National Trust / SavingPlaces).
Court ruling: In September 2025, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected the owners’ challenge and upheld the landmark status, effectively blocking demolition (Domain, The Marilyn Report).
The house and its history
The Brentwood property is a 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival house and is notable as the only home Monroe ever purchased and the last where she lived. She inhabited the house for approximately six months before her death at 36, making the site a powerful cultural touchstone for fans and historians alike.
Preservationists argue: even with later renovations, the site’s symbolic value extends beyond architectural purity — it serves as an essential link to women’s history in Los Angeles.
Recent ownership and the push for demolition
In July 2023, real estate heiress Brinah Milstein and producer Roy Bank purchased the Monroe property along with an adjacent parcel, intending to combine lots for redevelopment. The City issued a demolition permit on Sept. 7, 2023, which triggered rapid public outcry and the preservation campaign (Domain, The Marilyn Report).
Emergency preservation and city action
Neighbors, historians and fans mobilized quickly. Councilmember Traci Park led efforts to halt demolition and fast-track the site for HCM consideration. National and local preservation groups, including the National Trust / SavingPlaces and the Los Angeles Conservancy, joined the campaign to protect the home.
Debate over authenticity and value
Owners’ position: Milstein and Bank argued the house had been altered so extensively that it no longer resembled the structure Monroe lived in and therefore did not merit landmark protection.
Preservationists’ rebuttal: Advocates countered that the home’s cultural resonance and its role in public memory — especially for women’s history — justified the designation despite physical changes.
City landmark designation
After months of hearings and public comment, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously in June 2024 to list the Brentwood property as a Historic-Cultural Monument. The move reflected a broader push to diversify which people and stories are commemorated in the city’s official inventory of landmarks.
Court challenge and ruling
The owners filed suit to overturn the HCM designation, arguing procedural flaws and loss of historical integrity. In September 2025, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge sided with the City and rejected the owners’ challenge, affirming the monument status and blocking demolition for now (Domain, The Marilyn Report).
Historic preservation battle in context
The case illustrates tensions common in fast-growing cities: pressure for development and housing versus efforts to protect cultural landmarks. Preservationists note that only a small percentage of recognized city sites currently honor women’s lives — and that designating Monroe’s house helps address that imbalance.
Tourism and cultural value
Fans visit Brentwood to view Monroe’s former home, giving the site cultural and economic value beyond architecture. Advocates say protecting places tied to cultural figures supports heritage tourism and public education in ways that complement formal programs.
Owners’ viewpoint
Milstein and Bank maintained their plans aligned with property rights and market practices, arguing that combining parcels would better reflect neighborhood market needs. Their lawsuit framed the dispute as both a property-rights issue and a debate about what qualifies as preserved history.
Broader preservation implications
Experts say the decision could become a blueprint for similar fights. Cities must balance growth and preservation, and this ruling may prompt officials to refine processes for emergency action, designation timing and owner outreach.
Current status
As of the September 2025 ruling, the house remains a protected Historic-Cultural Monument. Any effort to change that status would likely face significant legal hurdles and public scrutiny given the judge’s affirmation.
Implications for The Inland Empire, California
Economic: Preserving Los Angeles landmarks helps sustain regional tourism that can benefit the Inland Empire via spillover visitors and spending.
Political: The ruling offers a precedent for regional officials weighing preservation versus development, potentially shaping local policy debates.
Social and cultural: The victory underscores the power of community activism and may inspire Inland Empire groups to identify and protect under-recognized local sites tied to women and other underrepresented communities.
Source notes and reporting
This report draws on court and city actions reported by Times Media Service researchers and on public accounts of the property’s history and preservation campaign. Key sources include:
For additional context and reporting, refer to the linked sources above.
