Santa Monica Celebrates 150 Years

Image courtesy of santamonicapier.org

 
Santa Monica Celebrates 150 Years

by Sweiskloss
July 24, 2025
Santa Monica is celebrating 150 years with festivities kicking off this month and continuing through the end of the year. The city has a rich history, a lot of which is reflected in its striking and diverse architectural styles.

From the Santa Monica Pier to the Georgian Hotel to City Hall, the city boasts a unique blend of designs ranging from Craftsman to Spanish Colonial Revival to Mid Century Modernism. These styles reflect the historical shifts through the decades and have come to define the southern California aesthetic.

Shotgun Houses

Image courtesy of smconservancy.org

With three rooms lined up in a row, a covered front porch and gabled roof, shotgun homes were built as vacation cottages and affordable rentals for tradesman. Due to their flimsy construction, only a few remain today (Santa Monica Conservancy). Under the guardianship of the Santa Monica Conservancy, the last intact Shotgun House in Santa Monica, built in the 1890’s, was rehabilitated and became the city’s Preservation Resource Center (2520 2nd St).

California Craftsman

Image courtesy of smconservancy.org

Popular in the early 1900’s, the Craftsman style emphasized a connection with nature and placed an importance on handmade objects over mass-produced items. Built in 1910, the John W. and Anna George House at 2424 Fourth Street, exemplifies the Craftsman style bungalow with its low-pitched roof, shaded porch, multiple eaves, simple decorations and harmony with its surrounding, including a glassed-in sunroom and large picture windows.

Spanish Colonial Revival

Image from Santa Monica Public Library Archives, courtesy of smconservancy.org

From terra-cotta clay tile roofs and white stucco walls to soft arches and carved wooden doors, the Spanish Colonial Revival style of the 20’s and 30’s is still prevalent throughout southern California. Featuring decorative ironwork, vibrantly colored tiles, a multi sided tower and a red tile roof, the landmarked Parkhurst building on the corner of Pier and Main Streets is a prime example of this style.

Art Deco
The Georgian Hotel, City Hall and the Clock Tower Building all boast elements of the Art Deco style that flourished in Santa Monica in the 1930’s and 40’s. Known for their “sleek, linear appearance…door and window fluting, and stepped-tray ceilings” (nilhudson.com) these buildings also showcase lavish ornamentation, geometric forms, intense colors and exotic patterns. Think of the Georgian Hotel’s bright turquoise coloring and geometric lines, City Hall’s smooth façade, rich paneling, and beautiful murals, and the Clock Tower Building’s zigzag geometric pattern, clean lines, alternating wide and narrow pylons and stepped clock tower.

Mid-Century Modernism (MCM)

Photo courtesy of Satin and Slate Interiors

Emerging post-World War 2 and ending circa 1975, MCM buildings emphasize open floor plans, functionality, walls of glass and blend indoor-outdoor living. Perhaps no structure epitomizes MDM more than the Eames House in the Pacific Palisades with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that provide tons of natural light, scenic vistas and direct access to nature, as well as boasting innovative materials such as glass and steel, ergonomic shaped furniture, muted colors and warm earth tones.

Modern / Post Modernism

Image courtesy of nilihudson.com

Irregular fragmented shapes, bold colors, and unique building materials are typical of the modern / post-modern style of the 80’s - 2000’s. Frank Gehry is one of the most influential architects of this period and, according to MoMa, it was during the “rebuilding of his own house, an existing bungalow in Santa Monica (1978-1988) that his reputation as an experimental avant-garde architect was established” (moma.org). Incorporating materials ranging from corrugated aluminum, unfinished plywood, and chain-link fence, he created a vibrant collage-like space. His predilection for using galvanized metal, concrete and stucco can also be seen in his renovation of Edgemar, a mixed-use shopping center and museum on Main Street that combines an original 1908 warehouse, a 1940’s Art Deco building and new construction.

Contemporary

Today’s buildings are revamping Santa Monica’s skyline. Incorporating sustainable and environmentally conscious elements while still maintaining elements of previous styles including open floor plans and blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors, today’s new construction is blending beauty with functionality.
Perhaps no structure is more iconic than the Santa Monica pier. While it originally was built in 1908 “to carry sewage pipes beyond the breakers, it quickly became a beloved recreational spot for locals and tourists alike” (oconnorestates.com). It now represents the relaxed seaside culture that resonates throughout the city.
 
Laura McMahon