My First meeting With The Queen was anything but royal. I finally got a chance to go and see this charming but wistful Queen Anne home sitting up on a hill overlooking the Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro, CA.
She is an untouched, sincere specimen that in all her sadness, touched my heart and soul. I fell in love with her peeling paint, weathered architectural details and her quiet strength and sheer determination to hold her gables high and carry on.
She has sat on this land for 123 years. It’s amazing that she has been able to withstand the test of time, the salt air, harbor explosions, numerous tenants and later falling into disrepair.
The photos you are about to see will leave you wondering why on earth I would want such a sad, degraded dwelling.
This is a life-size Dollhouse!
She simply captured my heart!
Oh, and the ocean view isn’t bad. .
As a bonus, only a couple of blocks away from Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club
Somebody had to SAVE her!
After finding The Queen in a real estate search engine I set out to see her in person.
This was a probate sale with a pending offer. There was to be a Court Confirmation Sale in a few weeks.
The idea of going to court to try and win her terrified me. After-all, what the heck did I know about such things?
NOTHING!
I went online and signed up for a tour thru Redfin. A very nice young man called me to say he would be happy to show me the house.
He met me at the home and had a nervous look about him.
As he let me into the home, the first thing I noticed was a gaping hole in the floorboards in the entry. Oh Goodie!
Suddenly, a feral cat came screeching down the stairs, claws out, it literally threw itself in the air and came barreling down at us. It was unnerving!
The cat startled the agent and he almost fell on his behind. I was howling with laughter as this poor, terrified creature was bouncing off the walls trying to get out. Thankfully he made his way out the front door…
….the cat, not the agent, lol.
The agent then showed me around the rest of the interior. It was quickly noted that the house smelled…
Horrible!
Obviously, many cats have been living in the home.
Defecating….
Hair-balling…
Killing rodents…
and whatever else feral cats do in an abandoned home.
Thus, Pretty much every room in the house was laden with cat urine, cat poop, rodent droppings and many layers of dirt and dust and unimaginable grime.
There were also random areas where the plaster was falling off the wood lathe.
None of this deterred me from the decision I had already made!
The agent then said to me:
THIS IS THE WORST HOUSE I HAVE EVER BEEN IN!
(Yes, he actually said that!)
I was just standing there in a state of awe chanting, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE it, I really LOVE it, I must have it!
I realize now that I must have been crazy.
But I fell for her right then and there! No turning back!
If you are wondering why this house is in the state it is:
Owning any home is a lot of upkeep and work. Owning an old historical home is even more of a challenge.
The previous owner seemed to have good intentions but he sort of ran the house into the ground.
Then, 3 years ago, he passed away unexpectedly, .
Whoever purchased this home also had to take all of the stuff in it too.
There is a lot of STUFF. I mean a lot.
All of it sitting in the home for those 3 years, with said cats, dirt, dust and grime…not fun!
Did I mention he also had about 4 very large Pit Bull type dogs and several of his own cats when he passed away?
These creatures did a fair amount of damage to the home, especially when they spent a few days in the home before anyone noticed the owner was missing?
(For those wondering or perhaps worrying, the dogs & cats in the house were rescued and all received new homes.)
Big pups clawing at the window sash. Major Doggy Damage to this front window and some moisture issues.
The yard is yet another story! It’s the perfect size.
This house sits on an easy to maintain 5000 sq ft.
Nice little front yard and just the right size backyard.
But it is an overgrown tangle of shrubs, weeds and 2 massively, overgrown trees that are infected with every insect you can think of.
You can barely walk through the yard.
The weeds and oddly tons of rampant, possibly killer tomato plants stand over 4 feet high.
Something is definitely buried underneath this open area in the photo above.
God knows what I am walking on when I do try to make my way to the back of the yard.
Oh Lord, is that an old Spa? Yep, Wait, is that an old Car in the bushes?
Backyard view near alley access, yes that is an old Volvo buried in a tomb of vines.
And why do I want this house?
After touring this once beloved beauty I just knew I had to restore her.
My First Meeting With The Queen – The Scary Photos
Click here to see a gallery of the Inside of my Queen . Not a pretty sight. It will take a lot of work to get all of this stuff outta the house and yard.
