The Adamson
House, a.k.a. Malibu Lagoon Museum, at 23200 Pacific Coast Highway,
is on the ocean between the lagoon and a surfing beach. The classic Malibu home was built in 1930 for Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband, Merritt Huntley Adamson.
Rhoda's mother and father, Rhoda May Rindge and Frederick Hastings
Rindge, had owned about 26 miles of coastline, purchased in 1892 for
$140,000. This stretch of land, Rancho Malibu, forms the entire
waterfront of what is now the city of Malibu.
When Frederick died he emphasized to Rhoda May
that she should keep the rancho intact. In 1904, the Southern Pacific Railroad applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission to build tracks linking the Long Wharf in Santa Monica with their northern tracks at Santa Barbara. The connection proposed was a straight line right through the Malibu ranch. A loophole in the ICC law prevented condemning a right-of-way parallel to an already existing railroad, so the Rindges decided to build a private railroad through Rancho Malibu to keep the bigger railroad company out.
Frederick Rindge died in 1905 but Rhoda May Rindge carried on with the plan and built 15 miles of standard gauge tracks called the Hueneme, Malibu and Port Los Angeles Railway.
Rhoda May also prevented a highway from being
built through the property. After Adamson house was built in
1929-1930, there was still no road until
1935, which delayed the Adamson family from moving into their new house.
|