Los Angeles Department of City Planning...Sep 07, 2017 · The citywide historic resources survey, SurveyLA, identified the subject property as individually eligible for listing or

Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT

PROJECT: Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the

JOHN L. KENNEDY RESIDENCE REQUEST: Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument OWNER(S): Kevin E. Ebenhoch, Trustee, JN and LSS Trust 1056 Chautauqua Boulevard Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 APPLICANT: Max Solomon 784 Ocampo Drive Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

RECOMMENDATION That the Cultural Heritage Commission:

1. Take the property under consideration as a Historic-Cultural Monument per Los Angeles Administrative Code Chapter 9, Division 22, Article 1, Section 22.171.10 because the application and accompanying photo documentation suggest the submittal warrants further investigation.

2. Adopt the report findings.

VINCENT P. BERTONI, AICP Director of PlanningN1907 [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Ken Bernstein, AICP, Manager Lambert M. Giessinger, Preservation Architect Office of Historic Resources Office of Historic Resources [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Melissa Jones, Planning Assistant Office of Historic Resources Attachment: Historic-Cultural Monument Application

CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION HEARING DATE: September 7, 2017 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: City Hall, Room 1010 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

CASE NO.: CHC-2017-3323-HCM ENV-2017-3324-CE Location: 14999 West La Cumbre Drive Council District: 11 - Bonin Community Plan Area: Brentwood- Pacific Palisades Area Planning Commission: West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council: None Legal Description: Tract TR 9377, Block 5, Lots 10-11

CHC-2017-3323-HCM 14999 West La Cumbre Drive Page 2 of 3 SUMMARY The 1930 John L. Kennedy Residence is a 5,699 square foot, two-story, single-family dwelling and detached three-car garage with chauffeurs’ quarters located at the corner of La Cumbre Drive and Alma Real Drive in the Huntington Palisades neighborhood of the Pacific Palisades region of Los Angeles. It was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style by local contracting firm Rose and Rowell for prominent Nebraska attorney, banker, and United States Congressman, John L. Kennedy and his wife, Marguerite. Kennedy permanently resided at the subject property following his retirement from public service in 1933 until his death in August 1946. The property was subsequently sold in 1950 to Jerome Kummer, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles and first practicing psychiatrist in Santa Monica, and his wife Sylvia. Designed around an octagonal interior courtyard, the subject property is asymmetrical in plan and has a low-pitched tile roof with two arched chimneys at each end and whitewashed smooth stucco cladding. The primary, southwest-facing façade features a recessed entry flanked by two floral tile murals, a carved wooden front door, and a covered porch on the second floor with carved wooden columns and corbels. The rear-facing façade features a loggia on the first floor that looks out onto the octagonal courtyard that has a fountain at the center. Fenestration consists of multi-lite steel casement windows in deep, recessed openings with shutters or wrought-iron grilles. On the interior, there is a rotunda entryway with hexagonal Saltillo tile flooring, a carved stone column, hand-painted ceiling beams, and a staircase decorated with Hispano-Moresque tile and floral wrought iron railings. To the left of the rotunda is the living room that has a barrel-vaulted ceiling and a stone fireplace. Off to the right of the rotunda is a doorway that leads to the dining room, breakfast area, kitchen, and servants’ quarters. Most prominently featured in the breakfast area is a faux wood coffered ceiling as well as a white oak geometric parquet floor, and built-in cabinets with leaded glass doors. Private areas of the single-family dwelling consist of six bedrooms, three on the first floor and three on the second floor, which all feature coved ceilings, individual patios, and/or connected balconies. There are also six bathrooms with English Art Deco/ Art Nouveau themed tilework. The subject property has experienced a number of alterations throughout the years which include a kitchen remodel in the 1950s and the addition of an elevator in the 1980s. In addition, a few original interior features have been removed which include hand-forged bronze and iron lighting fixtures, two leaded glass windows, wrought-iron window grilles, and a wrought iron interior gate with a floral motif. The citywide historic resources survey, SurveyLA, identified the subject property as individually eligible for listing or designation at the national, state and local levels as an excellent example of Spanish Colonial Revival residential architecture in Pacific Palisades. CRITERIA The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites in which the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community is reflected or exemplified, or which are identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, State or local history or which embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction, or a notable work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his age.

CHC-2017-3323-HCM 14999 West La Cumbre Drive Page 3 of 3 FINDINGS Based on the facts set forth in the summary and application, the Commission determines that the application is complete and that the property may be significant enough to warrant further investigation as a potential Historic-Cultural Monument.

PROPOSED MONUMENT DESCRIPTION:

Built in 1930, the John L. Kennedy House is a 5,699 square foot, two-story, single family residence executed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style in Huntington Palisades . The Kennedy Residence stands on a triple lot at the 1

corner of La Cumbre Drive and Alma Real and was designed around an octagonal interior courtyard. The exterior is clad in whitewashed cement stucco and features a tiled low pitched roof complete with two arched chimneys at each end of the residence. A symmetrical ground plan with sheer volume and setback massing characterizes the exterior facade. The Northwest portion consists of a horizontal single story massing while the entrance utilizes vertical massing of the Southwestern-most corner for the second story which continues to the end of structure East along La Cumbre Drive.

Primary entrances to the house consist of the arched main entry, secondary entryway under the porte cochere off the Alma Real frontage, and servants entry at the Eastern most portion of the residence. The main entry is recessed within a raised arch and flanked by two Neoclassical floral “California” tile murals, striking examples of Los Angeles’ position as a tile manufacturing center of the period. Multiple carved bas-reliefs featuring various floral, geometric and Islamic designs as well as hand forged bronze hardware adorn the arched front door. Door types in the house vary from carved single panel to multi-paneled with decorative steel banding and hardware. Fenestration consists of multi-paned steel casement windows in deep recessed openings with either shutters or concrete grilles in alternating arrangements. Located on the Northwestern-most part of the property along Alma Real is the detached three car garage which includes

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Permit #8678, 4/17/19301

three original “Overland” retracting overhead doors, a detached porte cochere, and full chauffeurs quarters.

This home's interior space features excellent elements of late 1920s Spanish Revival design. These spaces have suffered few alterations besides being painted in the 1950s by the second owner. The rotunda 2

entryway is furnished with hexagonal Saltillo tile flooring, a carved stone Ionic column, a hand painted beamed ceiling and dramatic staircase decorated with Hispano-Moresque tile and floral wrought iron railings. To the to the left of the rotunda is a barrel vaulted living room featuring a twelve-foot-tall arched window on the end wall. Two six-foot-tall casement windows overlooking the front yard flank the stone fireplace. “Wallace Neff” style semi-elliptical sliding pocket doors on the opposite wall lead to the covered arcade and backyard. The right doorway off the rotunda leads to the dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, and servants quarters. A gothic arched hallway goes from the dining room to the library.

Most prominently featured in the dining room is the faux wood grained coffered ceiling. A large casement window overlooks La Cumbre, and now missing iron gates lead to the octagonal breakfast area. (They would have matched the stair railings.) Other dining room features include, a white oak geometric parquet floor, leaded glass china cabinets, a swinging door, and a pass-thru to the kitchen. From the dining room, a hallway leads to the library, which includes a corner fireplace and built-in bookcases lined in terra cotta tile from local manufacturer Santa Monica Brick Co(Monaco).

Two areas make up the kitchen, connected by an arched passageway and is decorated in yellow and electric blue Art Nouveau tile by H&R Johnson Ltd of England. It was updated in the 1950s with new appliances and counters. An elevator was also added in the 1980s. Otherwise, it is intact.

Interviews with the children of Jerome Kummer2

Private areas of the residence consist of six bedrooms. Three are on the second floor, and three are on the first floor, which includes the spartan servant quarters off the kitchen at the eastern most end of the home, a guest room off the covered arcade and yard, and the utilitarian chauffeurs quarters in the garage. Second floor bedrooms all feature coved ceilings, casement windows, individual patios, and/or connected balconies.Carpeting dating to the 1950s covers the original white oak flooring, it is the only major update to the second floor of the home. The six English Art Deco/Art Nouveau tiled bathrooms, also by H&R Johnson Ltd, have multi-coved ceilings with a central apex in their design. Each of these rooms showcases character defining features such as c.1930 American Standard toilets, tubs, sinks, and multi-head showers of various color schemes. They also contain custom medicine cabinets with adjustable candelabra styled arms. Most ornate is the Egyptian Revival style master suite, which includes a separate dressing room with original built-ins and an Art Deco mirrored vanity. Unfortunately some of the tile surrounding three of the main bathroom doorways has been damaged, but are still largely intact and restorable. (This has been confirmed possible by the original tile maker.)

Throughout the home, there once were hand forged bronze and iron lighting fixtures in the Spanish style ranging from large pendants, candelabras, and sconces by the exclusive B.B. Bell Co. of Los Angeles(contributors to Harold Lloyd’s Greenacres and Doheny’s Greystone Mansion). These have since been removed. Other noted items missing include two stained leaded glass windows, numerous multi paneled doors, color coordinated door knobs, deco backing plates, iron window grates and floral motif wrought iron interior gates. These are extensively documented from the prior owner’s photographic record.

Character defining features of this Spanish Revival residence include:

EXTERIOR:• Cement stucco cladding• Flagstone front porch• Italianate/Mediterranean detailing• Courtyard ground plan• Formal landscaped grounds• Mature & native plantings• Semi-circular arcade• Separation of exterior and interior space• Formal and natural landscaping• Fountain as garden focus• Trimmed major openings• Roman arches• Deeply recessed fenestration• Sculpted arched corbeling• Gothic arched chimneys• Cast concrete Ionic columns• Red tile roofing• Sheer surfaces and geometric volumes• Low pitch roofline• Multi-paned steel casement windows• Hand carved wooden structural detailing (beams, columns)• Half rounded windows• Hand wrought iron detailing• “California” tile murals

INTERIOR:• Arched doorways• Barrel vaulted wood ceiling

• Rotunda entry w/ hand painted wood ceiling• Faux wood finish coffered ceiling• Decorative iron and bronze railings/banisters• Iron and bronze interior gates• Carved stone Ionic columns• Half rounded arch doorways• “Wallace Neff” arched sliding pocket doors• Gothic vaulted cove ceilings• Art Deco/Art Nouveau H & R Johnson tiled bathrooms• c.1930 “American Standard” toilets, tubs and sinks in Art Deco colors• Hispano Moresque Tile Co. borders and stair risers• Saltillo tile floors• Peg & groove wood floors• Art deco door hardware• Art nouveau tile detailing• Parquet wood flooring• B.B. Bell Co. light fixtures• Stone fireplaces & mantels

DISCUSSION

The proposed landmark, the “John L. Kennedy Residence”, at 14999 La Cumbre Dr in the Huntington Palisades successfully meets three criteria put forth by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Ordinance. First is embodiment of “distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of period, style or method of construction” as an exemplary example of residential Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style from 1930. It secondly clearly “reflects the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community” due to its historical roots in the formative development and cultural integrity of the Huntington Palisades and surrounding region. Lastly, “the proposed monument is identified with historic personages or important events in the

main currents of national, state, or local history” due to the first and second owners residency. Under these criteria, the property qualifies for designation as a Historic-Cultural Monument.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCECRITERIA:

1) “The property reflects the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, state or community.”

2) “The proposed monument embodies the characteristics of an architectural-type specimen inherently valuable for a study of a period, style, or method of construction.”

3) “The proposed monument is identified with historic personages or important events in the main currents of national, state, or local history.”

John L. Kennedy residence broadly embodies economic, cultural, and social history of the region due to recurring themes indicative of California’s roots that surround its creation. A wealthy immigrant, John L. Kennedy, came out West in order to take part in the idyllic California lifestyle that had been propagated by advertisements, development, motion pictures, and literature. At its core, this consisted of a Spanish style home near the coast that maximized comfort and luxury in order to take in the pleasures nature had to give. Historically, the choice of the Huntington neighborhood could not have more accurately embodied these ideals, as it extolled those very values from its conception. From what the community was able to give to Kennedy to invest in, he in turn gave back to the local economy by the residence’s construction. His home ranked as one of the leading permit values in the area and showcased manufactured materials from local companies. In the decades after its construction, the property was identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, state, or local history. Due to these factors, the John L. Kennedy Residence strengthens the cultural integrity of the Huntington Palisades,

exemplifying these architectural, artistic, economic, and social ideals put forth for the community during its formative development.

Built in 1930 for prominent Nebraska attorney, banker, and 59th United States Congressman John L. Kennedy, the two-story ten-room residential 3

building was constructed at 14999 La Cumbre Drive in the newly developed Huntington Palisades neighborhood. It was permitted on April 17th, 1930 and completed just four months later on August 29th at the reported cost of $31,225. It was commissioned by Kennedy as a place to retire with his wife Marguerite and three adult children after a long life in the financial and public service sector in Omaha Nebraska. He commissioned the local contracting firm of Rose & Rowell of Santa Monica to construct the 4

residence, and the firm made use of the design best suited to the cultural and geographic ideals of the region at the time, Spanish Colonial Revival. He lived in the home permanently after retiring in 1933 until his death on August 30th, 1946. Subsequently the home was sold by his surviving 5

children in 1950 to Jerome and Sylvia Kummer.

From the Huntington’s conception, intrinsic natural beauty and subsequent developmental features were paramount. It was described as “the supreme exemplification of Nature’s lavishness” . No architectural style could have 6

been more complementary than the reigning Revivalist mode, as “Spanish-type homes on Spanish named streets is becoming the order at Huntington Palisades, wooded mesa community on the north shore of Santa Monica Bay”. One of the first notable homeowners to seize this opportunity was 7

http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/kennedy5.html#R9M0J2R1K3


Find-A-Grave: 5

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7406623

Los Angeles Times, Advertisement, Pg. 14 8/21/19276

http://www.newspapers.com/image/157132199/

Los Angeles Times,Spanish Homes 12/18/19277


director, producer and muralist, Hugo Ballin. He extolled that no other place existed “so beautiful, so restful, so inspirational a spot as Huntington Palisades on Santa Monica Bay” . Within one year, the creators had 8

reached “a new epoch in the early realization of advantages and developments that have served greatly to enhance values in this exclusive residential park…” The ultimate blending of geographical advantages and engineering improvements had been achieved as according to the Santa Monica Land & Water Co: “Here there is everything that inspired happiness…a matchless climate; invigorating sea air; vast panorama of ocean, mountains and canyons framed by majestic trees; seclusive isolation with easy access; a private bathing beach and Palisades Park; and positive assurance of permanent architectural beauty” .9

Innovations of the development such as streets being contoured to the land and lack of arterial roads and alleyways were first seen as radical, but in time became a widely used standard . Not only had “every previous 10

conception of the homeplace(sic) beautiful been outdone” , but leading 11

home values for the entire district had been set by four residences, one of which was Mr. Kennedy’s La Cumbre Estate . 12

There are a number of names for this style of architecture which is divided into two distinct phases: Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival. Mission Revival, which lasted from roughly 1890-1910, came first with buildings created with materials and forms taken directly from California Missions, but were applied to contemporary layout and design practices

Los Angeles Times, Advertisement, Pg. 6, 6/27/19288

Los Angles Times, Advertisement, Pg. 12, 9/7/1928 9

https://www.newspapers.com/image/157135802/

Loomis, Jan. 2009 Images of America: Pacific Palisades. Chicago: Arcadia. (72)10



Los Angeles Times, “Home Permits Give District Lead in Values” Pg. 79. 5/4/193012


used within the Victorian and Arts and Crafts aesthetics. Its initial phase was strengthened by the immense popularity of Helen Hunt Jackson’s 1884 novel Ramona, which primarily poeticized the Hispanic colonial lifestyle and contributed to a lasting overall identity for the area in doing so. The early phase is often thought to originate from California historically due to Spanish Missions and Mexican buildings being assumed as a vernacular style. Utilization of the same materials of the Navajo pueblo sparked this assumption, although it was ultimately incorrect as it held no roots to indigenous history prior to the Spanish and Mexican occupations of 1769 and 1825 respectively. Mission Revival was essentially a romanticized version of these that lacked essential detail and specificity indicative of the later iteration.

Spanish Colonial Revival came to encompass various design cues from Art Nouveau, Churrigueresque, Mediterranean, Moorish, and Spanish Baroque Revival architecture. Credited for its regional, state and nationwide popularity was the Panama-California Exposition of 1915, designed by Bertram Goodhue and Carlton Winslow Sr. Hallmark characteristics of 13

Spanish Colonial Revival also included but was not limited to elements as: arched doorways, barrel vaulting, balconies, beamed ceilings, “California” tile detailing, carved wooden features, cement walls, columns, courtyards, decorative ironwork, exterior sculptural massing, floral motifs, Gothic detailing, horizontal massing, iron lighting fixtures, extensive outdoor areas, landscaping, low pitched roofing, painted ceilings, recessed openings, roman arches, tiled staircases, terra cotta flooring, tile roofing, utilization of natural light and water features - all of which the Kennedy estate features.

By the late second phase, it had established its own cultural precedent as a serious architectural style, firmly rooted in the ideals of the state- especially the coastal areas. Essayist D.J. Waldie clearly described the impact and

Gebhard, David. Spanish Colonial Revival in Southern California (1895-1930). May,1967 13

effect in Sombras Romanticas within Diane Keaton's book, California Romantica: “Their owners and their architects sought a perfect confluence of a place and dwelling that would, they thought, redeem modern life from its addictions to speed and anxiety. Nearly a century later, the houses still remind us that utopian aspiration was important to Californians at the start of the twentieth century.” Spanish Colonial Revival now incorporated a 14

clear, all encompassing, design relationship between location, people, and the structures instead of being a novel facade that lacked order in addition to geographic and social relevancy. 15

As seen with the Kennedy house, spaces were not only a nod to the past, but were dramatically innovative in details and materials. Even new nationally trending design idioms such as Art Deco introduced in the mid-1920s were included within the existing Spanish template. Commonly applied Art Deco features included; tiled bathrooms and kitchen installations, in addition to lighting and plumbing fixtures. Tile installations at 14999 La Cumbre created by Deco tile maker H&R Johnson Ltd of England are not just intact, but are exemplary in stylistic execution and multiplicity of their kind. Both styles complement each other due to analogous design characteristics such as color, geometric form, materials and patterns. All of these are apparent within the surviving original interiors of the residence.

National and regional appeal of the Spanish style was further bolstered by its reigning popularity with the Hollywood crowd and explosive residential growth in Los Angeles. Many of the most highly regarded examples of the period were designed by master architects; Wallace Neff, George Washington Smith, John Byers, Reginald Johnson, Elmer Grey, Julia Morgan, and Richard Requa. John Byers in particular designed a number

California Romantica. “Sombras Romanticas” D.J. Waldie. 2007. (13)14

Waldie, 2007. (14)15

of homes in the Huntington, contributing excellent examples of Spanish Revival residences to the division.

During this second phase in the 1920s is when it matured into a uniquely Californian and genteel lifestyle that wholeheartedly embodied the best aspects of the period. In his 1967 essay about the movement, David Gebhard clearly summarized: “While there is little argument that a number of major monuments were realized within this later aspect of the Spanish Colonial Revival, probably its greatest contribution to the architecture of this century was in the larger area of planned groups of buildings, of city planning, and of landscape gardening” . Sophisticated public structures 16

such as the Palisades Business Block(1924), Castellamare Community Center(1928), and Palisades Charter Elementary lent initial civic infrastructure to the new Huntington. Other areas in Los Angeles county that were developed in the Spanish Colonial Style include Carthay Circle, Miracle Mile, Pasadena, San Marino, Westwood Village and Whitely Heights. It spread even further and was fully implemented across coastal Southern California in Montecito, Ojai, Rancho Santa Fe, Santa Barbara, and San Clemente.

Economic depression due to the 1929 Stock Market collapse had been a contributing factor to Spanish Revival’s fall from prominence. It lost popularity with the general public due to the economic climate, overall commercialization, and subsequent “watering down” of the aesthetic in the following years . It unfairly came to embody ostentation and excess that 17

were contributing factors to the Depression. In addition, the Modern aesthetic was increasingly accepted, and it ridiculed Revivalist architecture. Spanish characteristics like sculptural massing and the separation of

Gebhard, David. Spanish Colonial Revival in Southern California (1895-1930). May, 1967. 16

Waldie, 2007. (14)17

interior from exterior went against the modern ideal of linearity--although materials and basic forms were shared by both.18

For the next decade, Spanish Revival waned in popularity for residences, divisions and commercial structures. More “progressive” styles such as International, Streamline Moderne and Hollywood Regency had taken over. By the 1940s and 50s, even those had been replaced by the California Ranch and Modernist movements as the most popular type of regional architecture, and is clearly apparent in the now architecturally varied Huntington Palisades and greater Los Angeles area.

Most prominent of the Huntington neighborhood today are its original Spanish homes, chief among them the Kennedy residence on the corner of La Cumbre and Alma Real. This visual prominence is due in part to Alma Real/Corona Del Mar being one the main scenic boulevards of the entire division from the outset . Recent resurgence has been influenced by 19

popular opinion, fortunate examples in area are revered for their now long standing contributions to the community. Spanish Revival style is again being implemented in current citywide developments such as the recently completed Andalucia Apartments in Pasadena . Despite this, increasing 20

numbers of Spanish Revival homes dating to the formative years of the original Huntington division are being demolished. Most recently, one of three first model “spec” homes of the division formerly at 521 Ocampo Dr has been demolished. The John L Kennedy Residence has even been mentioned in local publications as residents fear for demolition and subsequent loss of Palisades history. This irreversible loss tears at the 21

Gebhard, 1967. (147)18

Loomis, Jan. Pacific Palisades. 2009 (46-50)19

Elijah Chiland 3/9/17 http://la.curbed.com/2017/3/9/14864180/apartments-for-lease-new-pasadena-spanish-style

Palisadian Post “Residents Fear Historic Home Will Be Demolished” Primo, Jacqueline 6/11/201521

https://www.palipost.com/residents-fear-historic-home-will-be-demolished/

very cultural and historic identity of the division and region. Historic designation of 14999 La Cumbre would in turn save one of the most endearing and quintessential visual anchors of the neighborhood, setting a much needed precedent for the future social, cultural and historic integrity of the Huntington Palisades.

Villa Ruchello, located nearby in Rustic Canyon, is a property that showcases the compound potential that the Kennedy residence also holds. It was also built by the firm Rose & Rowell -although in 1932 and in a 22

more Mediterranean style. Its pedigree, double lot, and extant features commanded a premium in the market in excess of $20m. Details noted as strikingly similar are the; H&R Johnson tiled bathrooms, original fixtures, landscaped grounds, rotunda and stonework. Villa Ruchello clearly shows the potential of the John L. Kennedy residence if proper action were taken to sensitively restore the property and grounds.

Important structures in Los Angeles similar to and/or near the John L. Kennedy Residence in the Spanish Colonial Revival style include the: Beverly Hills Waterworks Building/Fairbanks Center(1928); Bradbury Residence (NRHP # 24, HCM #594, 1923); C.E. Toberman Residence (NRHP #204, 1926); The Clock Market/Beverly Hills Porsche (1929); Enchanted Hill (1926; demolished); Eastern Star Home (HCM # 440, 1931); El Mirador Apartments (1929); Garden of Allah Hotel (1926, demolished); International Institute of Los Angeles(1932); Los Altos Apartments (1925, NRHP #127); Miles Playhouse(1929); Palisades Business Block (1924); Santa Monica Professional Building (1928); Union Station (NRHP #134, 1939); Villa Aurora (HCM #589); Wadsworth Theater (1940); and W.I. Simonson Mercedes Benz (1928). It should be noted that W.I. Simonson showroom in Santa Monica had caught fire in 1986 and was completely

Nelson White Preservation, 609 E. Channel Rd, Pg. 6,. 22

http://nelsonwhitepreservation.com/pdf/609_E_Channel_Rd.pdf

destroyed. It was later rebuilt to match the original in every detail and is again a prominent feature on Wilshire Blvd . 23

The John L. Kennedy Residence bears similarity to Villa Aurora (HCM #589), also located in Pacific Palisades. It was designed by notable landscape architect Mark Daniels as the Los Angeles Times Demonstration Home of 1928. In addition, Daniels also has direct connections to the Huntington Palisades, as he was appointed Landscape Architect and Engineer of the 15,000 acres that comprised the Riviera and Huntington Palisades collectively. He also designed the following significant structures in the area: The Hotel Bel-Air (1922); The Bel Air Bay Club (1927); The Bel-Air Administration Building (1927); Castellamare Community Building (1927); and the Mount Saint Mary’s College Chanlon Campus (1928).

Daniels partnered with the Los Angeles Times in creating what was described as a “masterpiece of home-building typical of California life and in harmony with those features of landscape and topography which are exclusively Southern California. Embodying the beauties and scenic vantage points of the highland areas of the south slope of the Santa Monica Mountains between Los Angeles and the sea, the Times Demonstration Home site is an ideal of all that combines the appealing charm of the Southland.”24

Features of Villa Aurora that bear resemblance to 14999 La Cumbre include: late 1920s retracting garage doors, decorative ironwork (balconies and stairway railings), beamed ceilings, exterior sculptural massing, painted ceilings, octagonally shaped courtyard/garden(lost to erosion), symmetrical geometric ground plan, tiled master bath, molded interior

Kenyan, Roseanne. Los Angeles Times,”Ravaged by Fire, Landmark Mercedes Dealership Is Rebuilt With Love, Sweat.” 23

2/11/1988 http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/we-42183_1_landmark-mercedes-dealership

Los Angeles Times, “Times” To Build Master Dwelling as Demonstration , Pg. 1, 8/7/1927 https://www.newspapers.com/image/24

157130744/

cornices, interior iron gates, iron entry gate, and centrally located water feature.

In addition to its architectural relevancy, 14999 La Cumbre is “identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, state, or local history” due to the second owner of the home. Jerome Kummer M.D., was a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA, the first practicing Psychiatrist in Santa Monica, a consultant for the National Safety Council, and the representative of the American Medical Association on the subject of abortion. His work was cited during Roe v. Wade, and is continually referenced today in the medical field25. In addition to his medical contributions to the public, Jerome was a prominent figure of the Huntington Palisades community during his time as a resident- from 1950 until his death in 1975. He founded Kehillat Israel Synagogue(Palisades Reconstructionist Synagogue) which in its earliest years utilized his home as its congregational meeting place until the Synagogue was built. Formative meetings and functions for the Southern California Psychiatric Society and The California Doctors Symphony Orchestra were also held at the residence due to Jerome holding foundational roles in each. Historic personages, some of which were neighborhood locals, had attended functions at the property during this period of ownership including; Charles Z. Wick, Deborah Kerr, Donald O’Conner, Esther Williams, Henry Temianka, Gregory Peck, John Forsythe, Jerry Lewis, Mehli Mehta, Mel Blanc and Ronald Regan.26

Garrow, David. Liberty and Sexuality. (2015)25

Interviews with Jerome Kummer’s surviving children, Neil, Roberta & Darlene.26

BIBLIOGRAPHY


The Political Graveyard: Kennedy, J. http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/kennedy5.html#R9M0J2R1K

Find-A-Grave: John Lauderdale Kennedyhttps://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7406623

Los Angeles Times, Advertisement, Pg.102, 6/6/1926 http://www.newspapers.com/image/157956024/

Los Angeles Times “Spanish Homes Projected for Spanish Streets” Pg. 88. 12/18/1927 http://www.newspapers.com/image/157154398

1936 California Voter Records

Los Angeles Times, Advertisement, Pg. 14 8/21/1927http://www.newspapers.com/image/157132199/

Los Angeles Times,Spanish Homes 12/18/1927http://www.newspapers.com/image/157154398/


Los Angles Times, Advertisement, Pg. 12, 9/7/1928 https://www.newspapers.com/image/157135802/

Loomis, Jan. 2009 Images of America: Pacific Palisades. Chicago: Arcadia. (46-50, 72)

Los Angeles Times, Advertisement, Pg. 12, 9/7/1928http://www.newspapers.com/image/157135802/

Los Angeles Times, “Home Permits Give District Lead in Values” Pg. 79. 5/4/1930


Gebhard, David. Spanish Colonial Revival in Southern California (1895-1930). May,1967.

California Romantica. “Sombras Romanticas” D.J. Waldie. 2007. (13-14)

Palisadian Post, “Residents Fear Historic Home Will Be Demolished” Primo, Jacqueline 6/11/2015 https://www.palipost.com/residents-fear-historic-home-will-be-demolished/

Kenyan, Roseanne. Los Angeles Times,”Ravaged by Fire, Landmark Mercedes Dealership Is Rebuilt With Love, Sweat.” 2/11/1988 http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/we-42183_1_landmark-mercedes-dealership

Los Angeles Times, “Times” To Build Master Dwelling as Demonstration , Pg. 1, 8/7/1927 https://www.newspapers.com/image/157130744/

Nelson White Preservation, 609 E. Channel Rd, Pg. 6,. http://nelsonwhitepreservation.com/pdf/609_E_Channel_Rd.pdf

Personal Interviews with the surviving children of Jerome & Sylvia Kummer; Neil, Sharon, Darlene, & Roberta in addition to historic documentation fromfamily archive.

Liberty and Sexuality: The Right to Privacy and the Making of Roe v. ... https://books.google.co.il/books?isbn=150401555X David J. Garrow - 2015 - Social Science The Right to Privacy and the Making of Roe v. Wade David J. Garrow. Koppelman ... Kummer, Jerome M “Don't Shy Away from Therapeutic Abortion!” Medical Economics 37 (11 April 1960): 165-71 Kummer, Jerome M. "New Trends in Therapeutic Abortion in California" Obstetrics and Gynecology 34 (December 1969): 883-887 Kummer, Jerome M., "Criminal Abortion--A Consideration of Ways to Reduce Incidence." California Medicine 95 (September 1961): 170-175 Kummer, Jerome M., "Abortion and the Population Crisis: Therapeutic Abortion and the Law; Some New Approaches." Ohio State Law Journal 27 (Fall 1966) 647-678

Kummer, Jerome, M. "Criminal Abortion: Human Hardship and Unyielding Laws." Southern California Law Review 35 (Winter 1962) 123-148

PERIOD IMAGES

-Exterior photograph of 14999 La Cumbre Dr, Huntington Palisades and Santa MonicaBay c.1930

- Courtesy of Santa Monica Land & Water Co. Archives(Jan Loomis)-

c.1950 Exterior of John L. Kennedy Residence-Courtesy of the Kummer Family-

Early 1940s Aerial of Huntington/La Cumbre Dr-Source: Pacific Palisades by Jan Loomis-

C. Early 1950s Period Images

-Courtesy of Kummer Family-

Interior Courtyard-Courtesy of Kummer Family-

PRIMARY EXTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS -2014

EXTERIOR-2017

COURTYARD & SECONDARY YARD~BACKYARD~ 2014

-EXTERIOR GROUNDS-~FRONT YARD~

-Porte Cochere & Garages-

-Porte Cochere Detail-

-Garage, Yard & Gate-

2014/15

COVERED PATIO(ARCADE) & COURTYARD DETAILS 2014/15

HAND-CARVED WOOD DETAILING~ EXTERIOR~

Front Door:Floral & Moorish Bas-Relief Carveing<-----

2nd Sotry Balcony Columns:

Ionic & Floral design----->

Close up of beam detail

2nd Floor Grecian and Floral support beams

2014

“CALIFORNIA TILE” DETAILS

Hispano Moresque Tile Border-1st Floor Mens Room<------

Comparison: Villa Aurora HCM#589H&M Tile Border

Saltillo Diamond Motif Flooring-1st

Floor Hallway---->

Neoclassical Tile Murals-Main Entry

H&M Tile Stair Risers

- Staircase--->

2014

DECORATIVE “SCROLLWORK/FLORAL” IRON & COLUMN~INTERIOR~ 2014

EXTERIOR-DECORATIVE WROUGHT IRON

-Secondary Gate ~ Backyard--Window Grilles~Living Room-

-Detail of Window Grilles-

-Banded Diamond Window Grilles ~ Backyard-

-Dual Banded Diamond Window Grilles~Guest Room- -“Juliet” Balcony~Second Floor-

2014

ROTUNDA DETAILS

-Arches, Column & Stairs- -Staircase & Tile Riser Detail-

2014

-BEAMED & HAND PAINTED WOOD CEILING-~ROTUNDA~ 2014

B.B. BELL LIGHTING FIXTURES

Period advertisement for B.B. Bell & Co in March 1930 issue of California Arts & Architecture Magazine.

Bronze & Iron Scrollwork Pendant - Rotunda

Bronze & Iron Candleabra Torches-Living Room

“Mission” Star Fixture-Arched Hallway

Iron Hanging Latern- Patio

Closeup of Living RoomTorches-removed for rewiring by 2nd owner.

Iron & Brass Art Nouveau/Mediterranean inspired Candelabras-Dining Room

2014

Excerpt from Art Deco Tiles by Hans van Lemmen(2012) H&R JOHNSON TILE-

BATHROOMS & KITCHEN 2014

H&R Johnson LTD Stamped Bathroom Tile


Egyptian Revival Master Bathroom-Lusterware Tile by H&R Johnson Ltd-

-Fixtures by American Standard-

EXEMPLARY EXAMPLE OF ART DECO TILE-WORK

ADDITIONAL MASTER BATH DETAILS 2014

BATHTUBS AND TILED ALCOVES

“Ming Green” Bath “Orchid of Vincennes” Bath “Rose Du Barry”/ Egyptian Revival Bath

c. 1930 American Standard cata-log illustration of same model of bathub.

Toilets

Multi-Head Shower Illustration->

<-Intact Multi Head Shower Installation

-Illustration-

(Source: c.1930 American Standard Catalog)

Sinks Fittings & Showers

-Illustration-

-c.1930 Faucets-

-Illustration-

Illustrated Art Deco Colorways

ORIGINAL BATHROOM FIXTURES

LADIES POWDER ROOM~FIRST FLOOR~

OCTAGONAL BREAKFAST AREAGeometric Parquet Floor Arched Leaded Glass Cabinets

<- Pointed Coved Ceiling, Iron Gates & Overview

2014

INTERIOR SPACES

Barrel Vaulted Living Room

Semi- Elliptical French Doors & Coffered Ceiling

~Dining Room~

Corner Fireplace & Bookcases~Library~Fireplace

~Living Room~

2014

BEDROOMS~SECOND FLOOR~

Master Suite

3rd Bedroom/Office

ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION PERMIT

L.A. TIMES ADS FOR THEHUNTINGTON PALISADES

Downloaded on Dec 21, 2016

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Fri, Mar 8, 1929 · Page 9

Ocampo Spanish Home AD

Clipped By:

mxsolomon21Wed, Dec 21, 2016

Copyright © 2016 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved.

Original Huntington Spanish “Spec” Model HomesSource:LA Times Fri, March 8th, 1929

^ 744 Ocampo Drv 521 Ocampo Dr (Demolished December 2015)

LOS ANGELES TIMES ARTICLES WITH MENTION OF JOHN L. KENNEDY

RESIDENCE

Henri Temianka-Founder and Conductor of The California Chamber Symphony Conducting in the Backyard of 14999 La Cumbre c.early 1960s


Jerome Kummer & Doctors Symphony OrchestraMaterial

City of Los AngelesDepartment of City Planning

8/11/2017

PARCEL PROFILE REPORT Address/Legal Information

PIN Number 123B129 343

Lot/Parcel Area (Calculated) 15,807.4 (sq ft)

Thomas Brothers Grid PAGE 631 - GRID A7

PAGE 631 - GRID B7

Assessor Parcel No. (APN) 4411022010

Tract TR 9377

Map Reference M B 129-3/7

Block 5

Lot 11

Arb (Lot Cut Reference) None

Map Sheet 123B129

Jurisdictional Information

Community Plan Area Brentwood - Pacific Palisades

Area Planning Commission West Los Angeles

Neighborhood Council None

Council District CD 11 - Mike Bonin

Census Tract # 2627.06

LADBS District Office West Los Angeles

Planning and Zoning Information

Special Notes None

Zoning RE11-1

Zoning Information (ZI) ZI-2442 Preliminary Fault Rupture Study Area

ZI-2462 Modifications to SF Zones and SF Zone Hillside AreaRegulations

General Plan Land Use Very Low II Residential

General Plan Footnote(s) Yes

Hillside Area (Zoning Code) No

Specific Plan Area None

Special Land Use / Zoning None

Design Review Board No

Historic Preservation Review No

Historic Preservation Overlay Zone None

Other Historic Designations None

Other Historic Survey Information None

Mills Act Contract None

CDO: Community Design Overlay None

CPIO: Community Plan Imp. Overlay None

District None

Subarea None

CUGU: Clean Up-Green Up None

NSO: Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay No

POD: Pedestrian Oriented Districts None

SN: Sign District No

Streetscape No

Adaptive Reuse Incentive Area None

Ellis Act Property No

Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) No

PROPERTY ADDRESSES

14999 W LA CUMBRE DR

ZIP CODES

90272

RECENT ACTIVITY

None

CASE NUMBERS

CPC-30628

CPC-29838

CPC-24311

CPC-2005-8252-CA

CPC-2000-4046-CA

ORD-157731-SA44A

ORD-144022

ORD-129279

DIR-2016-1523-CDP

DIR-2015-3510-CDP-MEL

ENV-2016-1524-EAF

ENV-2005-8253-ND

ENV-2001-846-ND

EIR-75-623-SUD-O

This report is subject to the terms and conditions as set forth on the website. For more details, please refer to the terms and conditions at zimas.lacity.org(*) - APN Area is provided "as is" from the Los Angeles County's Public Works, Flood Control, Benefit Assessment.

zimas.lacity.org | planning.lacity.org

CRA - Community Redevelopment Agency None

Central City Parking No

Downtown Parking No

Building Line None

500 Ft School Zone No

500 Ft Park Zone Active: Potrero Canyon Park

Assessor Information

Assessor Parcel No. (APN) 4411022010

Ownership (Assessor)

Owner1 EBENHOCH,KEVIN E TR JN AND LSS TRUST

Address 1056 CHAUTAUQUA BLVD PACIFIC PALISADES CA 90272

Ownership (Bureau of Engineering, LandRecords)

Owner EBENHOCH, KEVIN E THE JN & LSS TRUST

Address 1056 CHAUTAUQUA BLVD PACIFIC PALISADES CA 90272

APN Area (Co. Public Works)* 0.654 (ac)

Use Code 0100 - Residential - Single Family Residence

Assessed Land Val. $9,000,000

Assessed Improvement Val. $400,000

Last Owner Change 07/08/2016

Last Sale Amount $9,400,094

Tax Rate Area 67

Deed Ref No. (City Clerk) 798988

29739

210474

175243

164254

164253

Building 1

Year Built 1930

Building Class D11D

Number of Units 1

Number of Bedrooms 6

Number of Bathrooms 7

Building Square Footage 5,699.0 (sq ft)

Building 2 No data for building 2




Additional Information

Airport Hazard None

Coastal Zone Calvo Exclusion Area

Coastal Zone Commission Authority

Farmland Area Not Mapped

Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone No

Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Yes

Fire District No. 1 No

Flood Zone None

Watercourse No

Hazardous Waste / Border Zone Properties No

Methane Hazard Site None

High Wind Velocity Areas No

Special Grading Area (BOE Basic Grid Map A-13372)

Yes



Oil Wells None

Seismic Hazards

Active Fault Near-Source Zone

Nearest Fault (Distance in km) Within Fault Zone

Nearest Fault (Name) Santa Monica Fault

Region Transverse Ranges and Los Angeles Basin

Fault Type B

Slip Rate (mm/year) 1.00000000

Slip Geometry Left Lateral - Reverse - Oblique

Slip Type Moderately / Poorly Constrained

Down Dip Width (km) 13.00000000

Rupture Top 0.00000000

Rupture Bottom 13.00000000

Dip Angle (degrees) -75.00000000

Maximum Magnitude 6.60000000

Alquist-Priolo Fault Zone No

Landslide No

Liquefaction No

Preliminary Fault Rupture Study Area Santa Monica

Tsunami Inundation Zone No

Economic Development Areas

Business Improvement District None

Promise Zone None

Renewal Community No

Revitalization Zone None

State Enterprise Zone None

Targeted Neighborhood Initiative None

Public Safety

Police Information

Bureau West

Division / Station West Los Angeles

Reporting District 823

Fire Information

Bureau West

Batallion 9

District / Fire Station 69

Red Flag Restricted Parking No



CASE SUMMARIESNote: Information for case summaries is retrieved from the Planning Department's Plan Case Tracking System (PCTS) database.

Case Number: CPC-2005-8252-CA

Required Action(s): CA-CODE AMENDMENT

Project Descriptions(s): AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PERMANENT REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE MELLO ACT IN THE COASTAL ZONE.

Case Number: CPC-2000-4046-CA

Required Action(s): CA-CODE AMENDMENT

Project Descriptions(s):

Case Number: DIR-2016-1523-CDP

Required Action(s): CDP-COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT

Project Descriptions(s): A COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT PURSUANT TO LAMC SECTION 12.20.2 FOR THE DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING 5,699S.F. SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING ON A 28,290 S.F. SITE IN THE RE11-1 ZONE AND THE SINGLE-JURISDICTION AREA OF THECOASTAL ZONE AND THE BRENTWOOD - PACIFIC PALISADES COMMUNITY PLAN AREA.

Case Number: DIR-2015-3510-CDP-MEL

Required Action(s): MEL-MELLO ACT COMPLIANCE REVIEW

CDP-COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT

Project Descriptions(s): MELLO DETERMINATION FOR THE DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING SFD.

Case Number: ENV-2016-1524-EAF

Required Action(s): EAF-ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Project Descriptions(s): A COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT PURSUANT TO LAMC SECTION 12.20.2 FOR THE DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING 5,699S.F. SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING ON A 28,290 S.F. SITE IN THE RE11-1 ZONE AND THE SINGLE-JURISDICTION AREA OF THECOASTAL ZONE AND THE BRENTWOOD - PACIFIC PALISADES COMMUNITY PLAN AREA.

Case Number: ENV-2005-8253-ND

Required Action(s): ND-NEGATIVE DECLARATION

Project Descriptions(s): AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PERMANENT REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE MELLO ACT IN THE COASTAL ZONE.

Case Number: ENV-2001-846-ND

Required Action(s): ND-NEGATIVE DECLARATION

Project Descriptions(s):

Case Number: EIR-75-623-SUD-O

Required Action(s): SUD-SUPPLEMENTAL USE DISTRICT ("K" DIST., "O" DISTRICT, ETC.)

O-METHODS AND CONDITIONS - OIL DRILLING CASES

Project Descriptions(s): Data Not Available

DATA NOT AVAILABLECPC-30628

CPC-29838

CPC-24311

ORD-157731-SA44A

ORD-144022

ORD-129279



ZIMAS INTRANET 2014 Digital Color-Ortho 08/11/2017City of Los Angeles

Department of City Planning

Address: 14999 W LA CUMBRE DR Tract: TR 9377 Zoning: RE11-1

APN: 4411022010 Block: 5 General Plan: Very Low II Residential

PIN #: 123B129 343 Lot: 11

Arb: None

Streets Copyright (c) Thomas Brothers Maps, Inc.

Documents

Los Angeles Department of City Planning...Sep 07, 2017 · The citywide historic resources survey, SurveyLA, identified the subject property as individually eligible for listing or