HISTORY

The development of the Palos Verdes Peninsula really began in 1913 when Frank Vanderlip Sr., an east coast banker, purchased 16,000 acres of Rancho de los Palos Verdes sight unseen. Vanderlip, considered to be the “Father of Palos Verdes,” chose to build his home, the Vanderlip Estates, in the area that he considered to have the best weather and best views in the peninsula, the area known as Portuguese Bend.

The geographic borders of Portuguese Bend are between the points below the Trump National Golf Course and the resort known as Terranea, formerly the location of Marineland of the Pacific, including Inspiration and Portuguese Points and Abalone Cove. What is known as SeaView Palos Verdes today is located on the eastern section of the Portuguese Bend; however, the original name of the neighborhood was the Portuguese Bend Estates.

In the mid 1950’s, the Linde Construction Co. began grading the land and master planning the Portuguese Bend Estates.

A study conducted over many months concluded that the fundamental underlying geologic conditions under the Portuguese Bend Estates were different from those conditions under the Portuguese Bend landslide area; so, it was decided that construction and sales of homes outside the active slide area would be permitted. However, because the name Portuguese Bend was featured on an almost daily basis in the news about the fast-moving landslide that was destroying homes, it was decided to change direction and re-brand the project. In the summer of 1957 the Linde Construction Co. rebranded the existing homes in the neighborhood as the “Marina Highlands.”

In 1923, Williams became the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects.  In April 1957, Williams was given the honor of Fellowship and membership in the College of Fellows in the AIA for his “notable contribution in Public Service.”

Prior to working on SeaView, Williams had designed residential properties for famous clients like Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Danny Thomas, and Cary Grant, as well as other stars and top executives. He also provided architecture services to modest income clients. In addition to his residential work, Williams developed important commercial properties including the First AME Church, Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Los Angeles County Courthouse, and the Beverly Hills Hotel, among literally thousands of other projects in Los Angeles, the country, and the world. However, the SeaView development was the only significant tract home project he did in his long career.

Eight of the nine floorplans were given names: the Biscayne, Riviera, Marina, Copacabana, Bermuda, Monte Carlo, Eden Roc, and Lido. However, Williams designed much more than just those nine floorplans. By developing forty-one unique front façade elevations, he kept the neighborhood from having the repetitive cookie-cutter-look of many tracts. Though all the homes were classic mid-century modern designs, the roof styles varied.

Some were flat, some peaked, some dramatically vaulted, and three were built with a butterfly-style roof. There were also nine different garage door patterns, each of which were used on different floorplans. Exterior material details varied and included several different decorative cinderblocks, local Palos Verdes stone, “Driftwood” stone, and a milled quarry stone that came from Texas.

For the interiors, Williams used decorative screens to separate foyers or hallways from the living room while still allowing light to flow into those spaces. The homes also featured dramatic stone fireplaces, shoji screens, spacious kitchens, and large sliding glass doors that led out to backyard patios for that indoor-outdoor style of living.