Three Arch Bay is a 29-acre (12 ha) private gated community located in the South Laguna neighborhood of Laguna Beach, California.[1][2] It is named for a formation of three natural arches in the rocky cliffs along the ocean.[3][4] The community features some oceanfront homes with swimming pools built into the intertidal rocks which are replenished by the incoming tides.
History
editAccording to a letter of Dana Point developer Sidney Woodruff, the entire 29 acres (12 ha) site was purchased in 1926 for $135,000.[5]
The first rock pool was created in 1929 by film producer Edward H. Griffith. Griffith built his property, which included a lighthouse, for use as a backdrop in feature films.[6] Early movies filmed in Three Arch Bay included Warner Bros.' Captain Blood (1935) starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, and Paramount Pictures' Give Us This Night (1936).[7]
By 1939 lots in the area were sold for $100 down on a $3,000 lot. The original sales promotional advertisements warned of "Rattlesnakes Galore."
References
edit- ^ "Edward and America Griffith Residence NR Draft" (PDF). ohp.parks.ca.gov. March 30, 2022.
- ^ Diamond, Babara (August 30, 2007). "Three Arch Bay pays for privacy". Coastline Pilot. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ Los Angeles: A Guide to the City and Its Environs. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. 1941. p. 366.
- ^ Thurston, J.S. (2017). Laguna Beach of Early Days. The History Press.
- ^ "What did Three Arch Bay sell for?". Three Arch Bay California. light-headed.com. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ^ "A Little Piece of Hollywood History – Edward H. Griffith's Three Arch Bay Estate". Luxatic. July 24, 2014.
- ^ Brennan, Nick (November 2003). "Three Arch Bay". Orange County Home: 126–7.