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| Landmark #205 | Orange County | Visited: April 14, 2013 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The home of Helena Modjeska is still open for tours! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Famous as the home of Madame Modjeska, one of the world’s greatest actresses, the house was designed by Stanford White in 1888 and built on property called the “Forest of Arden.” Sold soon after her retirement, it remains a monument to the woman who contributed immeasurably to the cultural life of Orange County.
OTHER TIDBITS: Helena Modrzejwska (“Mod-zhayf-skah”) was born in Kraków, Poland in 1840 and dreamed of the stage from a very young age! In 1876, after acting in Warsaw for seven years, she came to southern California with her family to set up a utopian colony of fellow Poles near Anaheim! She named her home Arden after the Forest of Arden in Shakespeare’s As You Like It! The following year, she made her stage debuts in San Francisco and New York, going on to widespread fame as a Shakespearean actress. She was also the first person to produce Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House in the United States! 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: Modjeska Canyon 500 ft E of intersection of Modjeska Canyon Rd and Harding Canyon Rd 8 mi NE of El Toro, CA 92676 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~55mi (89km) — 1hrs |
| When should I go? | The house is open for tours by appointment, so you’ll have to contact Heritage Hill Historical Park directly! |
