Marilyn Monroe's former home declared as a historic cultural monument

The old home of the late Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe, where she was discovered dead, has been spared from imminent destruction.

Just six months before she was discovered dead in August 1962 at the age of 36, the Hollywood icon purchased the 1929 Spanish-style hacienda on 5th Helena Drive in Los Angeles. However, a permission to demolish the house was obtained in September, according to aceshowbiz.com.

On Thursday, January 18, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission, however, unanimously decided to designate the land as a historic cultural monument.

According to People magazine, the commissioners observed that while Monroe lived at the property for only a few months—she was discovered dead there in 1962 at the age of 36—it was the only house she had ever purchased for herself.

Though the commission is permitted to postpone destruction for 180 days while alternative options for preservation are considered, the house's status as a historic cultural landmark in Los Angeles "does not guarantee that the property cannot be demolished."

The nomination would next be reviewed by the Planning and Use Committee of the city, followed by the LA City Council, in an attempt to rescue the property.

The idea of moving the house to a more prominent location where it can be seen by the public more easily than its current neighbourhood will not go away just because it has been designated as a historic site; however, moving the house would be a difficult and costly process.

As a member of the Monroe Preservation Group, Scott Fortner, presenter of the "All Things Marilyn Podcast," was instrumental in efforts to save the house by revealing historical value to the site that predates the arrival of its renowned inhabitant.