Second Roy Jones House

Built in 1907, the 6,189-square-foot clapboard house was designed by noted architect Robert Farquhar. Its 20 rooms include a sunroom and billiards parlor plus six bedrooms and six baths. One of the big bonuses to this property are the majestic canyon and ocean views.

This large home is the second of two houses built by Roy Jones, founder and officer of the Bank of Santa Monica. Jones worked on the City Charter and was influential in the early economic and political development of the City. Jones helped organize the Ramina Corporation, one of the most extensive developers of northern and southern California.

The Second Roy Jones House, which is now in the shade of two high rises, was the first property on Adelaide Drive. Observe that the side gable roof boasts triple roof dormers. Strips of weatherboard siding and linear bracketed eave overhang accentuate the rectangular structure.

The house is listed in Los Angeles: An Architectural Guide, with the description, “A big, wholesome example of the turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival.”

Subsequent owners have loved and maintained 130 Adelaide. Many of the owners have been celebrities in their own right, such as silent-screen heartthrob Ramon Novarro. Another resident was writer Marion Hargrove, whose chronicle of his World War II service as an Army recruit, was made into the movie “Private Hargrove.” He went on to become a busy and prolific screenwriter. His credits range from movies such as “The Music Man” and “Cash McCall” to a number of television series, including “I Spy” and “Eight Is Enough.”

Sources:

1. Santa Monica Landmarks.
2. Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory.