Cline Residence and Museum, Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #854
Built: 1903 Declared: 10/11/2006
This house was designed by the architectural firm of Dennis and Farwell in 1903 for Archie C. and Edith Freeman. It was then sold to Robert Northam who, in turn, transferred the property to the Cline Family that owned it until 1936. The Clines were involved in Los Angeles government with one of the four brothers, John C. Cline, serving as the Los Angeles County Sheriff in the 1890s. In 1906, the family had the architectural firm of Dennis and Farwell design a structure at the rear of the property that is referred to as a “museum” on the building permit, although the publication Builder and Contractor referred to it as a “storage building.” It is possible that the Cline’s intention was to use the new building to house many of the artifacts of their family history, as it dated back to before 1870 in Southern California. The property was originally part of a neighborhood that was built around the Los Angeles Country Club. However, the country club eventually relocated and the land was subdivided. The Cline property was split in 1953, placing a small guest house on the second property. The main house and museum building appear to be essentially intact, retaining both original configurations and most of their original detailing. The house was showcased in the Los Angeles Times on November 1, 1903 and appears virtually unchanged on the exterior since that date.