Marilyn Monroe's Los Angeles Home Granted Historic-Cultural Monument Status to Save It from Destruction

After a year-long battle, the Los Angeles City Council has saved Marilyn Monroe's home in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles from destruction by granting it Historic Cultural Landmark status, which aims to protect the house from destruction.

"Marilyn Monroe's residence in Brentwood is now a historical and cultural landmark! Today, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the nomination of Marilyn Monroe's last home. Thank you to everyone who showed their support, and a HUGE thank you to Councilmember Tracy Park and team!" the LA Conservancy wrote on X.

"Today we have the opportunity to do what should have been done 60 years ago. There is no other person or place in Los Angeles as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her home in Brentwood," said Councilmember Tracy Park in her speech before the vote.

"The loss of this piece of history, the only home Monroe ever owned, would be a devastating blow to historic preservation and to a city where less than 3% of historic designations are associated with women's heritage," added Tracy Park.

The fight for the house on 5 Helena Drive has been going on since last summer and has grown into a broader discussion about what is worth protecting in Southern California, a region full of architectural wonders and old Hollywood, where legends and celebrity gossip swirl.

Monroe's fans argued that the residence is an indelible part of Hollywood history; the actress bought the house for $75,000 in 1962 and died there of an apparent overdose six months later, making it the last house she ever lived in.