Cottage #18 – The Sunset Bungalow
Tucked atop the northern bluffs and surrounded by panoramic ocean views rests one of the oldest cottages in Crystal Cove. Built in 1926, Cottage #18—the Sunset Bungalow began as project of some college boys from Pasadena before transitioning ownership to Ruth Starr, Bess Marshall, and Margaret and Lela Geyer.
The quartet happened upon the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a cottage when the boys ran out of money and could no longer continue paying for the lease. The master leaseholder made the partially constructed cottage available to anyone who could pay the remaining balance.
Friends, family, and cottage neighbors pooled together their expertise to help finish the cottage. Furnishing the cottage became a piece meal affair, with the first pieces of furniture being scavenged from friend’s castoffs.
Throughout the years, friends who were professionals in their fields would bring over leftover materials to add new features to the cottage. In exchange, many of the people who donated their labor stayed in the cottage, often spread throughout the porch and top deck with sleeping bags.
Today, Cottage #18 has been converted into one of four unique cottages reserved for ADA Disabled guests. With a front deck overlooking the ocean, guests can experience the same Crystal Cove charm that the original quartet stumbled upon.
For more information on reserving a historic cottage, please visit the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages website.
‘Reserving A Cottage’ information at Crystal Cove Beach Cottages
Then: Photo courtesy of Douglas Miller