OrnageCounty

Villa Rockledge, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

We don't have many pictures of this one but Villa Rockledge is a beautiful older home in the expensive seaside town of Laguna Beach in Orange County, California. Unlike many of the town's expensive cliffside homes this one has a long history. The Press-Enterprise reports that it was built over a four year period from 1918 to 1922 for Frank Miller, former owner of the Mission Inn in Riverside, who built the home as a gift for his second wife Marion and called it Mariona, a name which is still shown on a brick arch in one of the home's entry points. The residence was added to the National Registry of Historic Places by the State of California and the U.S. National Park Service in 1984.

The 8,065 square foot compound includes a main house, six guest houses which are rentals and a secluded beach. The current owner, Roger W. Jones, bought the home in 1973 for $420,000 and has researched the history of Villa Rockledge even writing a book "The History of Villa Rockledge," published in 1991. Celebrities from the grand ages of moviemaking including Errol Flynn, Clifton Webb and Bette Davis visited the home which was designed so that even the bathrooms have ocean views. Jones has said that he he restored Villa Rockledge closer to its original condition exposing beams and brick.

The fact that the home is on the National Registry of Historic Places means it can't be torn down but it does seem to be in need of some major renovation. It is listed with Susan Weir for $34.9 million but an MLS listing shows a couple more pictures that reveal a very dated kitchen. It's likely that any new owners would want to spend a significant amount of money on renovation. Because of its idyllic location and charm Laguna Beach hasn't been hit as hard by the real estate market slump as other parts of Southern California but prices in this town have fallen off in the past year. This home seems to combine the best parts of Laguna Beach, the stunning ocean views clear to Catalina as well as the quirky rustic style that graces some of the older homes in the area.

Gallery: Villa Rockledge