Originally known as the Durfee House, it has been designated a Los Angeles Historic Monument and the neighborhood designated as part of the HPOZ (historic preservation overlay zone), in the St James District- a part of the West Adams neighborhood- and more specifically North University Park.
In order to receive designation as a national historic monument the PINK LADY had to meet the stringent requirements by validating the property age, significance, and integrity. The property had to be old enough to be considered historic. It had to be associated with the lives of people who formed the past. It had to show that it is an architectural achievement. Most importantly it had to show it had potential to yield information about our past.
In 1880, Richmond Durfee built the Durfee house as a farmhouse in Florence California, five or more miles from it’s present location. In 1889 the widow and daughter of Richmond Durfee moved the family farmhouse to property her husband had purchased ten years before. The neighborhood West Adams then thought of as West Los Angeles. The address: 1007 West 24th.
In 1934, the house sold after four generations of Durfees had grown up in the house. Following the fate of other homes in the area, it became a boarding house and at one point it was divided into four apartments.
In the 1960’s the Santa Monica Freeway split the district right down middle, it was bisected creating northern and southern portions. Hundreds of homes were demolished, and property values plummeted.
Bob and Jack Deane
In 1970 Bob and Jack Deane rescued the Durfee House and gave the house its name The Pink Lady, named after the famous painted ladies of San Francisco.
The Deanes never lived in the house after purchasing it in 1970. They restored it for the purposes of being a showplace. Extensive landscaping, Bradbury &Bradbury wallpaper, plumbing and electricity were all among the many upgrades and restorations completed by the couple before theirs deaths in 1987 and 1988. Theirs deaths prompted the sale of the house through probate.
Ed and Ann Dorr
We purchased the Pink Lady in 1989. We lived here for three and one-half years while my son attended USC.
In 1994, after the Los Angeles riots and the neighborhood became dangerous, we moved back to Pacific Palisades and leased the Pink Lady to Bob Byers who opened Maison Magnolia, a restaurant.
We returned in 1996 and continued the restoration adding heat, air conditioning and other major improvements. You can view these improvements in the Gallery Section of this website.
Fame comes to The Pink Lady
The Pink Lady became famous - tours, HGTV Shows, magazine spreads, films and commercials. Everyone fell in love with the house, for it has that special magic.
The Pink Lady began to began to be a site for events - luncheons, meetings, tours, dinners for organizations, businesses and families. Along with the two adjoining houses, it became a Bed and Breakfast site for USC.
It became the hub for a series of purchases that eventually became the North University Park Properties (NUPP) entity, whose purpose is to rent to USC students.