Shotgun House Returns Home to Ocean Park

On Saturday, March 29 at approximately 8 am, Santa Monica’s 1890s shotgun house will be moved to its new permanent location on Second Street across from the Ocean Park Library, ending more than a decade in storage.  

Moving Day

The public is invited to witness the house as it is towed on a flatbed trailer from 16th and Colorado to its final destination at 2nd Street and Norman Place. Click the link Moving Flyer for a map of the route.

A Teaching Moment

The Conservancy has put together an activity guide for local schoolchildren that uses our “Moving Day” to help students think through the process of a house moving and changes in the local community.  The activity booklet was created to teach children about historic preservation and sustainability. The guide describes the importance of the Shotgun House, how it will be moved, and how to prolong a structure’s lifespan through reuse.  Click here to view the activity guide:  House on the Move Guide

A House on the Move 

Fourteen years ago a largely unaltered 1890s shotgun house was nearly demolished and with it an important part of Santa Monica history. But due to the combined efforts of concerned residents, the former Ocean Park Community Organization (OPCO), the Church at Ocean Park, the Santa Monica Conservancy, and the City of Santa Monica, the house was saved and designated a landmark. Now, after more than a decade in storage, the house will move to its permanent site on Second Street across from the Ocean Park Library where it will soon become the Conservancy’s Preservation Resource Center. It will take its place among a cluster of other historic buildings, including the California Heritage Museum, Merle Norman Cosmetics office, the Carnegie branch library, and the Third Street Neighborhood Historic District.

The transformation of the Shotgun House into a Preservation Resource Center is supported by a $1.6 million fundraising campaign that includes hiring the Conservancy’s first executive director and expanding programming and community education. The Resource Center will be a clearinghouse for practical, user-friendly information about historic resources in Santa Monica and the methods and benefits of preserving older buildings while serving as a model for how older structures can serve contemporary needs.

About the Shotgun House

Click here to learn more about the history of the Shotgun House.