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# Third Street District aging quite gracefully
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/third-street-district-aging-quite-gracefully/
- Published: 2004-08-18T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:42:51.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*By DAYS ON THE MARKET BY JODI SUMMERS*

(Editor’s note: This is the last installment of a six-part series about the landmarked properties in Santa Monica.) The Third Street Neighborhood Historic District — bounded by Ocean Park Boulevard, Second, Hill and Third streets — possesses aesthetic significance to Santa Monica in that the area displays a high percentage of original, turn-of-the-century structures — from Victorian to Gothic to American Colonial Revival to California Craftsman to Spanish Colonial Revival. The neighborhood provides a visual representation of the neighborhood’s development through the 1930s. ■ Merle Norman House, 1935 2523 Third St. Just north of the historic district, this Mediterranean Revival-style villa designed by Ellis Martin was the principal residence of the renowned cosmetics goddess Merle Norman. Mrs. Norman’s cosmetics business began in a garage in Ocean Park, where she created her own line of cosmetics to help women care for their skin and enhance their natural beauty. During the Great Depression, Norman offered free samples of her products to neighbors, believing they would return as paying customers. Free had a lot of value during that era. Norman built a loyal customer base. The cosmetic company is an active family-owned business today. ■ Charles Warren Brown House, 1908 2504 Third St. Everything you could possibly want in a turn-of-the century Craftsman — built and occupied by Charles Warren Brown — a turn-of-the-century councilman who liked civic affairs, Brown also was a speculator, buying land and building homes, like this local charmer. ■ Third Street Historic District Bound by Ocean Park Boulevard, Second, Hill and Third streets, Santa Monica’s first historic district consists of 38 buildings constructed between 1875 and 1930\. The neighborhood offers many of the historical and architectural patterns around the city. Many of the properties were once the homes of “persons of significance” to Santa Monica.

Early on, the Third Street Historic District was the “backyard” of the home of Mrs. Nancy A. Lucas, the first Caucasian to own property in Ocean Park. Lucas arrived in 1874, and purchased 861 acres just east of the ocean and south of what is today Pico Boulevard for $11,000, or $14 per acre. The property at 237 Beach St. was originally a farmhouse on her property. The house built by Moses Hostetter in 1893, located at 2601 Second St. (with adjoining properties on 236 and 242 Beach) still stands. It is a single-family residence with two rental units. There’s another Hostetter home at 2623 Third St. Hostetter was a member of the Santa Monica Board of Trustees between 1896 and 1900, as well as chairman of the police, fire and light committees.

Another significant property in the neighborhood is the Colonial Revival four-square with a hipped roof and clapboard siding at 245 Hill St. It was built the late 1890s by Alvin Archer — founder of Ocean Park’s first volunteer fire brigade — and his wife Louetta, Ocean Park’s first postwoman. (For a complete list of the properties in the historic district e-mail to or visit h t t p : / / p e n 1\. s a n t a - monica.org/planning/planningcomm/third streethistoric.html). ■ Moses Hostetter House, 1893 2601 Second St. Moses Hostetter was an Iowa farmer who migrated to Santa Monica in 1893\. He served on Santa Monica’s first Board of Trustees, and was chairman of the police, fire and light committees. In 1893, he bought lots at what are now 2547, 2601 and 2628 Second St.; 236, 237 and 242 Beach St. and 2623 Third St. for $45 each. Choosing to live next door to his son, he built a home at 2601 Second St., the second oldest house in the Third Street area. ■ Methodist Episcopal Church, 1875- 1876 2621 Second St. The First Methodist Episcopal Church at 2621 Second St. is the fourth oldest historic building still standing in the Third Street district and the original First Methodist Episcopal Church of Santa Monica. The structure was originally built at the corner of Arizona Avenue and Sixth Street in 1875, and was moved to its Second Street location in 1900\. In 1923, the Ocean Park congregation built a new church (at what is now the site of the Church in Ocean Park) and sold the building to the Stephen Jackson Women’s Relief Corps No. 124 of the Grand Army of the Republic, which held meetings there until 1971, when it was sold to an individual as a private residence. ■ Craftsman-style Residence, 1913 502 Raymond Ave. This property typifies residential development of the Ocean Park neighborhood during the first quarter of the 20th Century. The main structure was added in 1913; the guest house added in 1940\. ■ Governator Plaza, 1986 3110 Main St. A personal vote for a local structure of note would be the office plaza at 3100 Main St. The most noteworthy aspect of property, which houses the eatery Schatzi, cigar emporium, is the mural of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger back in his Terminator days and currently delights many local visitors. It has finally made it into the Japanese tourist guides, along with Zuma J boardshop. (If you have stories to tell of early Santa Monica and its property, share them with us. For your real estate needs, , or call (310) 309-4219).

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 18, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081804.pdf?ref=smdp.com)