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| Landmark #367 | Los Angeles County | Visited: May 14, 2011 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The public home of “Lucky” Baldwin, built for his fourth wife but converted to memorialize his third! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Designed by A. A. Bennett for entertaining, the cottage was constructed by Elias Jackson (‘Lucky’) Baldwin in 1881. Since there was no kitchen, meals were served from the nearby adobe (built by Hugo Reid in 1839) where Baldwin actually lived. The building was restored and dedicated May 18,1954 as part of Los Angeles State and County Arboretum.
OTHER TIDBITS: “Lucky” Baldwin got his nickname from a number of really lucky investments, largely in real estate and the Comstock silver boom of 1860! He made his fortune after failing to get his accountant to sell his stocks while he was on a voyage across the world; during that time, his stocks rebounded and made him a multi-millionaire! He cheated death twice, once at the hands of an angry native tribe while moving to California, and once when an old woman put a gun to his head… and missed! However, his reliance on luck in horse betting and gambling left him with a crumbled empire in the end, but after he died, his “worthless land” was revealed to contain the super-prosperous Montebello Oil Field! The cottage itself was also featured on TV in Fantasy Island and on the big screen in Meet the Fockers! This landmark is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Los Angeles State and County Arboretum 301 N Baldwin Ave Arcadia, CA 91007 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~19mi (31km) — 0.4hrs |
| When should I go? | You can visit the Arboretum 7 days a week, 364 days a year (except Christmas) from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Or, if you’re a member, you can show up at 8:00 AM! |
