Quiet Sparkle

‘TIS THE SEASON

Holidays at the Adamson House

BY LAURIE HARTT

Malibu has long been known as a city of quiet sparkle. So perhaps it comes as no surprise this season that we see extra twinkles in the windows of the Adamson House — home to the city’s founding family and a living testament to Malibu’s hardworking spirit.

Built in 1929 by Rhoda and Merritt Adamson as a summer beach house, the home resides elegantly between Surfrider Beach and Malibu Lagoon, just down PCH from the iconic Malibu Pier. Built on what was originally Chumash Indian land and later the Malibu Spanish Land Grant, the home is now a museum open to the public, preserved in time to honor the city’s beginnings.

“It’s an important piece of Malibu’s history,” Jules Hershfeld, Treasurer of the Malibu Adamson House Foundation, said.

In 1892, Rhoda’s parents, the esteemed Rindge family, bought 14,000 acres — essentially all of Malibu — for $140,000. Rhoda’s mother later gifted her and her new husband, Meritt, 13 acres of land for their marriage in a highly desirable portion of the overall acreage. The couple hired the acclaimed architect and family friend Stiles Clements to create a home in the Spanish Colonial style, a popular design at the time and in keeping with their childhood upbringings.

They divided their time between the beach house and their home in Hancock Park in Los Angeles until they moved to Malibu full-time with their children in 1936. The family established and managed the world-renowned dairy and farm Adohr Stock Farms nearby. Merritt and Rhoda remained in the home until their deaths in 1949 and 1962, respectively.

Today’s visitors to the home can experience first-hand the incredible design of the 4,500 square-foot house, 5-bedroom home, which is furnished with about 95% of the original furnishings. Most notable in decor is the extensive use of tile

throughout the home, all sourced from the shortlived but world-famous Malibu Potteries company founded by May Rindge in 1926 after discovering rich clay deposits on her Malibu property.

Vibrant examples of the Mayan, Moorish, Moroccan, Saracen and Persian-style designs are evident throughout the home.

“Because of the quality, most of the tile is still as pristine as when it came out of the kiln,” Hershfeld said.

From ornate doorways to spectacular tile Persian carpet to the famed peacock fountain and a tiled bath for washing the family pets, the house is truly a work of art in and of itself.

“My favorite room in the house is Merritt Jr.’s bedroom,” Hershfeld said. The house was built during the early part of the Depression when jobs were in high demand. “The Adamson and Rindge families were really good to their employees, and the employees reciprocated. The ceramicists from the Malibu Potteries factory manufactured large 12” x12” tiles depicting sailing ships using the photos from the boy’s favorite book. These were never sold to the general public and can be seen on the tour.”

For visitors who make their way to the home in December, it’s even more spectacular in its holiday dressings. Members of the Malibu Adamson House Foundation, who now oversee the museum, decorate the home in periodauthentic finery, from glass-blown ornaments to crystal drinking cups, elegant wreaths, bows, and other finery.

“It’s special because every room of the house will be decorated similar to the way the Adamson family had it done in the late 1930s through the 1950s,” Hershfeld said. “We have Christmas cards that were sent back then, and we have some of the original decorations donated back by the family. There’s a lot of authenticity.”

Holiday tours bring extra festivities to the home with lighted Christmas trees in nearly every room, hot apple cider and yuletide music bringing holidays of old to life. “The Twelve Days of Christmas at the Adamson House” runs Fridays and Saturdays from November 25 to December 31.

Today, the Adamson House celebrates a key piece of Malibu history under its protection as a California Historical Landmark, a designation it received in 1985 with help from the Malibu Historical Society. The Malibu Adamson House Foundation, formed in 1981, oversees the day-to-day operation of the home as a museum, the maintenance of the grounds, and public education about the house and overall history of Malibu.

Along with State Parks, the Malibu Adamson House Foundation is also actively involved in mitigating the effects of encroachment by the rising sea. “If nothing is done,” Hershfeld said, “we will lose this historical building and cultural history.”

Glaze-a-Tile days include champagne, lunch, tours of the estate, and, most importantly, a class about glazing your own tiles in the style of the historic Malibu Potteries. Adamson House is one of Malibu’s most brilliant gems, a cultural experience impossible to replicate anywhere else. Whether you’re visiting for the first or 51st time, ‘tis the season to take a step back in time and take in a piece of living history. Brush up on your best carols and make your way to Adamson House for an extra-special holiday experience this year.