7 - Venice of America House 1223 Cabrillo Avenue

7 - Venice of America House

1223 Cabrillo Avenue

Officially designated the “Venice of America House” by the Department of the Interior, this late Victorian residence built 1904-05, features a byzantine dome and stacked double arched front porches. The home, one of the oldest in Venice, achieved status as both a National Historic Landmark as well as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument for its rare architecture, which blends Queen Anne with Colonial Revival.

Because early city and county records of home ownership did not include Venice of America, the original owner or perhaps renter, is a mystery. However, the home was built by the Abbot Kinney Company, which later sold it for a land swap plus a ten-dollar gold piece. The first record of purchase is in 1918 to John Fonnell. Vintage photos show the two-story Victorian already standing as the canals were being built. Period postcards indicate the presence of a foot bridge near the house, spanning Cabrillo Canal.

Honored for preservation by the Venice Historical Society, the Venice of America House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and became Los Angeles Historic- Cultural Monument #270 on 10/1/2002.