PACIFIC URBANISM
PACIFIC URBANISM

CASE STUDY

REES

PLAYA DEL REY | LOS ANGELES, CA

Built-in 1929 and one of the first residential homes along the peninsula of Venice, it went through historical transitions, which withstood the changes of time and became one of few left buildings standing which saw the formation of what Venice Beach and Marina del Rey is now. The start of the 1920s saw the oil boom along the coastline of California, but nowhere else was mainly more notable than the shores of Venice Beach and Marina del Rey. This building is part of history and part of a thriving community and a tourist destination.

Fast forward to the 21st century, this residential home is taking on a new distinction of a Spanish Mission revival. Its interior was newly redone, which opens the living room, the fireplace, and stairway to invite natural light into the building harmonizing the interior and connecting with the Marina Del Rey weather, a stark contrast to when it was first built.

INTERIOR DESIGNER Verdego

 
VerdegoDesign-121-Rees-PlayaDelRey-Matt-Titone--199.2.jpg
 

Down Memory Lane

During the Great Depression, oil was discovered when the Venetian entertainment industry had little disposable income, providing enormous wealth opportunities for the community. On December 18, 1929, the Ohio Oil Company installed a Wildcat fountain in a county plot east of the Great Canal on Avenue 35 (now East Wind on the Marina Peninsula), just two blocks from the sea. The well initially produced 3,000 barrels of deep sand oil per day from a depth of 6,199 feet. The company then requested another zoning that would allow oil to be drilled within the city limits of the Venice Peninsula.

In 1932 on each side of Venice Call, south of Washington Street, wells were erected.

The excitement of the city soon turned into an oil fever. Land and mining rights were immediately traded. Residents only talked about oil and the money they could make from the wells in their backyard. On January 9, 1930, 2,000 people met with city officials at the Old Town Hall and demanded re-dedication to enable oil drilling. Almost 95% of the population supported the change. Residents of Ocean Park were not so lucky as Santa Monica opposed excavation. 4,444 Los Angeles city planners lifted the ban on January 28 but were cautious and allowed drilling only south of Leona (Washington Street). They established a rule permitting up to two fountains per block and issued 15 permits. Stamping them two weeks later.

Playa del Rey c. 1920

Source: University of Southern California Libraries and California Historical Society

  1. Playa del Rey lagoon showing Del Rey Hotel, Playa Del Rey Pavilion, and Pier, Los Angeles, ca.1908

  2. View of the Playa Del Rey lagoon and the fifty room Del Rey Hotel, ca.1885

  3. View of oil derricks along the beach in Playa del Rey, [s.d.]

  4. View of a Playa del Rey (Venice) oil field, ca.1925

  5. People frolicking on the beach near an oil field in Playa del Rey, [s.d.]

  6. View of Venice-Del Rey Oil fields spaced along a river, September 1930

  7. Playa Del Rey Oil fields near Venice, in March 1930

  8. Playa del Rey (Venice) oil field, looking north on Pacific Avenue, Los Angeles, March 1, 1930

Playa Del Rey - Before and After Oil Fields

Source: University of Southern California. Libraries and California Historical Society

Source: California Department of Parks and Recreation

Lot Description & Information

Source: 1964 USGS Topographic Map of the Venice Quadrangle

Source: Los Angeles Assessor's Office

Source: Los Angeles Assessor's Office

 Interior Finish