Corona del Mar: 1940 & Today

Photo credit: Sherman Library

1940 Aerial View of CdM that shows Avocado, Acacia, Begonia, Carnation, and part of Dahlia Ave. With the Big Blue House now gone (can you find it in this photo?), a dozen structures from this 80 year old photo remain today. ​

Let's take a look at each of the 12 remaining buildings, starting at the north end of Avocado. There are 2 surviving homes on Avocado, both built in 1931.  

604 Avocado is a unique, storybook style 2 bed / 2 bath two story home that sold in 2015 for $1.5M.  518 Avocado has a distinctive look and is listed as a 2 bed / 1 bath, 1000 sq ft home.  Here is a close-up of them from the aerial view and what they look like today:

604 Avocado, Corona del Mar, CA (2015) Photo: MLS

518 Avocado Ave., Corona Del Mar, CA (2019) Photo: CDM Historical Society

Acacia Avenue has several surviving homes.  We'll start out by PCH with 708 Acacia Ave. which is somewhat hidden as a back house today but it retains its original look from 1924 and is quietly one of the 10 oldest remaining homes in CdM. 

708 Acacia Ave., Corona Del Mar, CA (2019) Photo by Ron Yeo

Across the street and down a block, 615 Acacia Ave. was the only house on the odd side of the 600 block of Acacia when it was built in 1940. It maintains its distinctive look today with a large 2nd story dormer and curved arch over the front door entry.

615 Acacia Ave., Corona Del Mar, CA (2018)

Another block down is 503 Acacia Ave. which was also built in 1940 and retains a very original look today with its cedar shake roof and board and batten siding.

503 Acacia Ave., Corona Del Mar, CA (2020) Photo by CdM Historical Society

Across the street from 503 Acacia are 2 homes that were once part of the same lot –500 Acacia Ave. & 2320 2nd Ave.  The original owner of the land, the Hayward family who lived in Pasadena, bought that lot and also the lot for 502 Acacia in 1925. In 1934, they built a house at 500 Acacia and then carved up the 2 lots so that their friends in Pasadena, the Clarks, could build a house next door at 2320 2nd in 1936. The lot for the house at 2320 also encompasses a good portion of what would have been the back of the lot at 502 Acacia.

500 Acacia Ave., Corona Del Mar, CA (2020) Photo by CdM Historical Society

2320 2nd Ave., Corona Del Mar, CA (2020) Photo by CdM Historical Society

Joining 708 Acacia on the list of the 10 oldest surviving homes in Corona Del Mar is 419 Acacia Ave.  Also built in 1924, it has had very few owners in its 96 years. The Johnson & Harmer families from San Dimas shared ownership of the house from 1927 to 1960 after buying it from Clara Middleton. They sold it to Andrew Campbell, a lifelong resident of San Marino and it remains in the Campbell Family today.

2201 Waterfront Dr., Corona Del Mar, CA (2011) Google Maps Photo

A few lots down from 419 Acacia (the lot extends down the hill to Waterfront), 2201 Waterfront Drive was one of many CdM lots that Newport Beach took possession of for unpaid taxes during the 1930s. Harry Welsh, a drafting engineer for an oil company bought the lot from the city in 1938 and the house was built the following year.  The Welshes would live there for over 30 years.

2201 Waterfront Dr., Corona Del Mar, CA (2018) Google Maps photo

There are two more pre-1940 survivors on beautiful Pacific Drive which offers some of the best views in Corona Del Mar.

2235 Pacific Drive was built in 1936 and maintains a spectacular view from its position overlooking the bay. The back of the house seems to have a more original look but there appear to be original details and exposed beam ceilings throughout. The 3 BR / 3 BA / 1600 sq ft home sold for $2.45M in 2003 and has been listed as a rental for $15K/mo in the past few years.

2223 Pacific Drive is tucked away below street level on Pacific but still has a very big view for such a small cottage (1 BR / 1 BA / 650sq ft).  Built in 1922, it is one of the 5 oldest surviving homes in CDM and maintains an original look today.

2235 Pacific Dr., Corona Del Mar, CA

2223 Pacific Dr., Corona Del Mar, CA

​The final surviving structure that we have identified from this 1940 aerial photo is the Sherman Library Adobe House. It was designed and built by Lawrence and Pauline Lushbaugh in 1940. The small, fired-adobe house is now an exhibit room used to highlight some of the Sherman Library’s special collections. To learn more, please visit their website at thesherman.org.

Do you see any other houses or structures in this photo that have survived today that we missed?   Do you have any stories or photos of any of them that you can share?  If so, please let us know if the comments.