Wilson, Warren, Beach House
Also known as: Venice Beach House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1911 a few hundred yards from the Venice Pier, this two-story Craftsman Bungalow served as a beach retreat for Warren Wilson, owner and editor of the Los Angeles Daily Journal, his wife and eight children. It has a multi-gabled roof with deep overhangs, a stucco first floor, shiplap upper story, brick porch walls, a port cochere and many multi-paned casement windows. Inside are boxed beam ceilings, built-in bookcases, brick fireplaces and wide woodwork with corner blocks. The house stands on three lots, unusual for a home so close to the ocean, and much of its original fabric survives despite some enclosed porches and repairs after a fire. Wilson was known for editorials favoring women's suffrage and justice reform, and two of his daughters married sons of Venice founder Abbot Kinney. The house is valued as the best single-family Craftsman example in Venice and as a reminder of the resort community's heyday between 1905 and 1922. It now operates as a bed-and-breakfast.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the finest single-family Craftsman Bungalow in Venice, larger and more refined than others in the community. It is also tied to Warren Wilson and Abbot Kinney, both significant in Venice and Los Angeles history. It illustrates beach-area settlement patterns and early twentieth-century vacation customs.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86001666, listed July 17, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 15 Thirtieth St., Venice |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | July 17, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001666 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (built 1911) |
| Architectural style | Craftsman Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in excellent condition, altered; now used as a bed-and-breakfast inn. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.97963, -118.46666 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86001666.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7970593
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.