Saying Adios to an Old Spanish Home

Call it the cycle of change in local real estate. The original homes in Manhattan Beach keep getting razed for new construction.

One of the recent victims is 3116 Alma. This was one of the very first homes built up on the sand dunes of the north end of Manhattan Beach.

In 1927, a father and son built the home themselves, using reclaimed wood. Where'd they get the wood? From the grandstands of a former airplane racing venue in Culver City.

Many years later, a local surfing legend, "Jeep" Schaeffer, spent 10 years meticulously adding on and giving the home a unique Spanish-inspired flavor.

The home was unique and conjured visions of some of the other great old Spanish homes you could find scattered around parts of LA. From 1999-2012, actor Matthew Fox owned the home.

But now, the sand dune is completely built up. Modern homes are taking over everywhere – including right next door.

This cool Spanish could not stand up to the trend of demolition and replacement.

It's gone now. A little piece of MB history went with it.

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For more, see this new post on MB Confidential, or a 2007 review of a tour of the home when it was on the market: "Old's Cool."