Palos Verdes Estates, CA

Before Palos Verdes Was Palos Verdes

Like most all land in North America, Palos Verdes Estates was once Native American Land. The bluff above Malaga Cove is a large and important archaeological site. For a period of perhaps 8,000 years, the Tongva set up camps among the shores of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Four levels of Native American occupancy have been discovered with each characterized by tools, implements and weapons.

Incorporation

The City of Palos Verdes Estates, incorporated on December 20, 1939, is the oldest of the four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. New York financier Frank A. Vanderlip, Sr. purchased the land from the Bixby family in 1913 with the idea of building a planned, residential community. The new community was laid out and landscaped by the famous Olmsted Brothers, sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., who designed Central Park in New York City. Gently winding roadways, green hillsides, paths, stands of eucalyptus, pepper, and coral trees were established, and a full 28% of the land area was dedicated to be permanent open space. This early planning and dedication of parklands gives the City its unique rural character and has resulted in its international reputation for scenic beauty.

Vanderlip's plans were slowed by World War I, but subdivision of the land and construction of the first Spanish style homes in what is today Palos Verdes Estates began in the early 1920's. Deed restrictions were imposed on the land in 1923, when the Bank of America, as trustee for Vanderlip's Palos Verdes Project, drafted a trust indenture and outlined provisions for development. The area was unincorporated and governed by the Palos Verdes Homes Association, which was liable for taxes on all parkland. After the economic crash in 1929, the Association owed taxes to Los Angeles County and residents, concerned that the parklands might be sold for payment, in 1939 voted for City incorporation. In 1940, the parklands were deeded by the Homes Association to the new City.

Over the years, the City’s staff and policymakers have been guided by the vision of the original founders with an emphasis on preserving, protecting and enhancing the quality of life and natural assets that make Palos Verdes Estates unique.

Palos Verdes Estates Landmarks & Architecture

Palos Verdes Estates, situated on the north coast of the the Palos Verdes Peninsula, affords a vista for the Santa Monica Bay, the Channel Islands National Park, and the greater Los Angeles Basin. Build on top and between rugged bluffs and lush, chaparral hillsides, PVE does not lack in scenic, sunset views and temperate pacific breezes. Palos Verdes Estates is not only known for it's Mediterranean climate, but also our complementary architecture. In the words of Frank A. Vanderlip, "the most exciting part was that this gorgeous scene was not a piece of Italy at all but was in America, an unspoiled sheet of paper to be written on with loving care.

The hearth of our community is the La Venta Inn, the first building erected in Palos Verdes Estates. Designed by the Brothers Pierpont and Walter Swindell Davis, the building follows the form of a Spanish villa and boasts a half-land half-sea view of the Santa Monica coastline.

The centerpiece of Palos Verdes Estates' Mediterranean revival architecture is the Malaga Cove Plaza, which has been officially named to the National Register of Historic Places. The plaza is the host of many of Palos Verdes Estates local businesses and an picturesque location to spend an afternoon of leisure. Vehemently standing atop Malaga Cove, is the city's Neptune statue and fountain. The Flemish artist Giambologna designed the statue and the one standing on Malaga Cove's fountain was imported from Italy by Arnoldo Adolfo Di Segini. In 1930, the Palos Verdes Project purchased the fountain for $1 and subsequently gifted it to the City. 

However, the oldest fountain in Palos Verdes Estates is the Farnham Park Fountain, which is similarly registered with the National Register of Historic Places. The namesake of the park, Farnham Martin, was an associate of the nationally revered Olmsted architecture firm and the first superintendent of parks in the Palos Verdes Homes Association. The park and water feature pre-dates the adjoined Malaga Cove Public Library and Art Gallery by 2 years. Despite this, the Malaga Cove Library hosts an extensive local history collection and is an exemplary expression of Palos Verdes Estates' cultural and intellectual values.

The third location listed in The National Register of Historic Places in Palos Verdes Estates is the Mirlo Gate Lodge Tower, a two-story, medieval-style stone tower. Designed by architect Clarence E. Howard, known for his design of the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial, the guard's house was indented to be part of the gated entrance to the newly created Palos Verdes Project. But since the idea of making Palos Verdes Estates a gated community was scrapped, the rest of the gate was never constructed. Throughout the years, the Palos Verdes Homes Association has allowed various tenants to maintain the tower, and as a result, today we have a wonderful piece of our local history available for all to see.

The Palos Verdes Golf Club is one of the our communities most perpetual institutions. opened in 1924, the course is a classic example of the "Golden Age" of golf course design. Designed first by William "Billy" Bell and George C. Thomas, in recent years, restoration efforts have been spearheaded by golf course architect Todd Ekenrode. The course is 6433 yards and par 71. The front nine is what is called a "perfect nine" in that there are no two consecutive wholes with the same par. The clubhouse, like La Venta Inn, is one of the original structures erected on the Peninsula during the time of Vanderlip, and has been a favorite social gathering place for our community for more than a century.

Located next to the Palos Verdes Golf Club and similarly part of Palos Verdes Estates' concession agreement, The Palos Tennis Club is another beloved institution of the PVE community. It hosts 12 high quality, well-maintained, regulation courts, 10 of which are lighted. Before the 1960's there where no public courts on the peninsula. As such, a dozen residents met to discuss the possibility of providing a tennis facility in Palos Verdes Estates and they left that meeting with the idea of a telephone campaign that successfully convinced hundreds to attend a meeting on June 23, 1959. Five dollars was requested as earnest money, and our cooperative effort towards a PVE Tennis Center was underway.

The Palos Verdes Stables, which was originally established in 1926 during the original development of what is now our City. It is home to 52 stalls which include eight in-and-out stalls and fourteen pipe stalls, three was areas, one of which has warm water, two day pens, one round pen, three riding arenas, two that are lighted. The stables also offer both English and Western riding lessons as well a summer programs for children. They also offer year-round boarding and guided trail rides.

The fourth concession operated in Palos Verdes Estates is the Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club. Like many of our City's landmarks, The Palos Verdes Bathhouse and Beach Club was built by the Palos Verdes Project in 1930. The building was designed by architect Kirtland Cutter and hosts our familiar PVE Mediterranean revival style. The facility, located on the beach of Malaga Cove, was acquired by the City from the Palos Verdes Homes Association in 1939. After sometime in disrepair, The Club reopened in July of 1993 as as the Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club. Still today, it's a place community members can spend an ideal summer day swimming and taking in the pelagic atmosphere.

The Malaga Cove School is Palos Verdes Estates first school building completed in 1926. Malaga Cove provided a kindergarten through 8th grade education; at the time high school student attended Redondo Beach High School until Palos Verdes High School was built. It's ocean-view tower is one of Palos Verdes Estates most recognizable buildings. Today, this sunny, seaside building is occupied by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District's office.

Just down the street from the Malaga Cove School, The Neighborhood Church of Palos Verdes occupies a 1928 Mediterranean-style mansion. Built in 1928 by Italian Architect Armand Monaco, the 15,000-suqare-foot cliffside estate was originally intended to be the home of J.J. Haggarty. Due to the financial struggles of the great depression, Haggarty only occupied the home for five years, eventually being purchased by The Neighborhood Church. Still, the building maintains much of it's original charm: lush olive trees, seaside walkways, a private pier, and the cool pacific breeze.

Situated on the other side Malaga Creek, under a canopy of eucalyptus trees, lies St. Francis Episcopal Church. In some ways, St. Francis diverges from PVE's Mediterranean revival architectural style. St. Francis' architecture certainly is reminiscent of the Spanish-California Style derived from our states missions, but at the same time, the building takes from the gothic, ecclesiastical architecture seen throughout Europe's places of worship.

Much to the credit of Palos Verdes Home Association and Art Jury, the integrity of Vanderlip's original vision of an all-American version of the Sorrentine Peninsula has been preserved. From the red roofs of the residences, to stucco arches, Palos Verdes Estates is truly a unique take on Southern California architecture. Ultimately, the reason all this is possible is due the truly awe-inspiring land we occupy. Chaparral is very scarcely placed around the globe, yet it is essential to indoor-outdoor architectural principles. Our natural landscape is just as important as our constructed one.

The Environment of Palos Verdes Estates

Like many other Southern California cities, Palos Verdes Estates is sunny, dry, and temperate. But our geology is completely unique. Unlike the rest of the Los Angeles area, the Palos Verdes Peninsula is igneous. Palos Verdes was once one of the channel Islands. During the Pleistocene epoch, the island began to attach to the Los Angeles Basin. During periodic uplift, PV experienced the erosive waves, creating visible terracing along the peninsula's drastic cliffs.

Another way Palos Verdes Estates is unique is our flora and fauna. The Palos Verdes blue butterfly is endemic to only the Palos Verdes Peninsula. In 1980, it was one of two groups of butterflies to be listed under the Endangered Species act, and by 1983, the Palos Verdes blue was thought to be driven to extinction due to habitat destruction. But to quote the Essig Museum of Entomology, "In 1994, on a small batch of southern California locoweed (Astragalus trichopodes var. lonchus), a sighting of the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly renewed hopes for the survival of this lycaenid." Many butterflies and moths are monophagous, they are highly specialized and are only hosted by a singular food plant. Until the blues' rediscovery in 1994, it was thought that their only host plant was milkvetch (locoweed), but it was later realized that this new population's also utilized deerweed for larval food. While habitat is actively being preserved for the ~200 remaining individuals, habitat fragmentation remains a real and important challenge to overcome. Both deerweed and milkvetch are available for purchase at the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy's Native Plant Nursery, two important plants that are becoming more and more scare on the peninsula.

Palos Verdes Estates Today

Palos Verdes Estates stands as a testament to thoughtful planning, rich history, and a deep respect for both the natural environment and architectural heritage. From its indigenous roots to its transformation into a vibrant coastal community, PVE continues to honor the vision of its founders.