Historic California Craftsman house meets wrecking ball
A California Craftsman home in the Hill Section is demolished on July 2. Photo by Lee Chadwick Two women with a combined 124 years living near the intersection of 9th Street and Highview stood with tears in their eyes on the morning of July 2. They were witnessing the violent departure a beloved neighbor — a century-old California Craftsman home, which was being demolished by a large excavator complete with excavator attachments. “It’s very sad,” said Lee Chadwick. “It’s like seeing an old friend cut down.” The house, located at 828 Highview Avenue and constructed of redwood and oak, made groaning sounds as it fell. “It was as if the house was trying to tell a story about not wanting to go,” said Jan Dennis, a former Manhattan Beach mayor, and now the city’s unofficial historian. “It was just an emotional thing for me.” On top of the hill, just behind the house, Scott Wood watched its destruction with mixed emotions. He and his two siblings, the children of Judge W. Mark Wood, had grown up in the house. His father died in 1999 and his mother in 2012, after which the family sold the home. For a few years, the home was a rental for another family until it was resold again last year…
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