Marilyn Monroe’s final home in LA saved from demolition

A controversial bid to tear down the final home of screen legend Marilyn Monroe has taken a turn after outrage from fans. See the photos.

The final home of screen legend Marilyn Monroe has been saved from demolition after Los Angeles officials intervened to protect the historic property.

Fans were shocked last week when it emerged that the new owner of the house at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, in the Los Angeles celebrity haven of Brentwood, had filed for demolition permits after purchasing the property for an estimated $13 million.

Los Angeles city councilwoman Traci Park received hundreds of calls urging her to save the Spanish colonial-style house, The Los Angeles Times reports.

An aerial view of Marilyn Monroe’s home in Brentwood home, which has been temporarily saved from demolition. Picture: Getty Images

Ms Park introduced a motion to temporarily save the home at a council meeting and the council unanimously voted to move forward.

Monroe’s house, which was the only property she had ever owned and the place where she died, will now undergo the process to be declared as a historical landmark.

Fans of Marilyn Monroe were shocked when the demolition plans were revealed. Picture: Getty Images

“This will be the first step in ensuring that we can protect this home against demolition,” Ms Park said.

“For people all over the world, Marilyn Monroe was more than just a movie icon,” Ms Park told a news conference.

“Her story, from her challenging childhood growing up in orphanages and foster homes to becoming a global sensation, is a shining example of what it means to overcome adversity.

“The overwhelming sentiment here is clear this home must be preserved as a crucial piece of Hollywood and the City of Los Angeles’ history, culture and legacy.”

The Brentwood house where Marilyn Monroe tragically died was under threat. Picture: Supplied

Marilyn Monroe on the night she sang Happy Birthday to John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden. Picture: Cecil Stoughton/White House Photographs, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum via AP

Lifelong fan Scott Fortner, of The Marilyn Monroe Collection, told CBS News the Brentwood home represented a new beginning for the tragic star after her divorce from playwright Arthur Miller.

“This home is the equivalent of Graceland. It’s that place where people go to remember Marilyn and just consider the fact that this was where she was happy and really wanted to start something new — a new chapter in her life and just to memorialise the fact that that is where she passed away in 1962,” he said.

Monroe purchased the home for $77,500 in February 1962, just six months before her mysterious death, which was ruled to be a barbiturate overdose.

Friends later said the Hollywood icon was ecstatic about being a first-time homeowner and had delighted in buying new furnishings.

The kitchen has been extensively renovated. Picture: Supplied

The swimming pool at the former home of Marilyn Monroe. Picture: Supplied

The star’s former home features the original blue-tiled fireplace. Picture: Supplied

The 1929-built residence, which is modest by today’s Hollywood standards, has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The original architectural features include beamed ceilings, terracotta tile floors and casement windows.

The sprawling estate also includes a sparkling pool and a citrus orchard that adds to its Old Hollywood glamour.

The bedroom where Marilyn Monroe was found dead. Picture: E. Murray/Fox Photos/Getty Images

The star considered the house to be a safe haven after decades of mental health issues, broken marriages and drug abuse.

Despite Monroe’s death being ruled an overdose, no note was ever found and the strange circumstances surrounding the night she died prompted a flurry of conspiracy theories.

Some investigators have even alleged the CIA was involved in her death.

The star had been dead for hours before her psychiatrist smashed her bedroom window to gain entry after her housekeeper raised the alarm.

Since Monroe’s death, the guesthouse has been merged with the main structure and several alterations have been made.

The door to Monroe’s bedroom has been relocated and the bathroom and kitchen have been renovated.

A poignant coat of arms, which was there when Monroe bought the property, adorns the property’s front door.

It bears the inscription “Cursum Perficio,” which translates as “My Journey Ends Here” in Latin.

Originally published as Marilyn Monroe’s final home in LA saved from demolition