What is behind the large gate on the ocean side of Palos Verdes Dr. South just south of the Wayfarer’s Chapel?

Across the street from the Portuguese Bend Gatehouse and the entrance to the Portuguese Bend community is a house behind a beautiful Gatehouse. This house, known as “The Harden House”, was built by Vanderlip’s beloved sister Ruth and her husband Eddie Harden. Vanderlip had given Ruth the 48 acres of coastal land on the ocean side of Palos Verdes Dirve South. They constructed a four bedroom home with a 6 car garage. They had planned to build a grand villa out on Portuguese Point, but again the Great Depression foiled those plans. Interestingly, the gate entrance to the estate was used in the movie “It’s a mad, mad, mad world” as the entrance to the fictitous “Santa Rosito State Park” and the scene with the crossed palm trees was also filmed on the Harden House grounds.

The actual park site of “Santa Rosita State Park” was the grounds of a private residence at Portuguese Point in Rancho Palos Verdes, just south of Abalone Cove Shoreline Park. The parking lot sequences were shot at Peck Park in San Pedro (Western & Summerland, back end of the driveway), with a façade standing in for the gate.

After Ruth died, the Harden House estate was reduced from 48 acres to approx. 2 acres, with the balance of the property acquired by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes as The Abalone Cove Shoreline Park.

Aerial View of Harden House with Gate Entrance at lower center of the picture

Entrance gate to the Harden House Estate , Photo by Tash

For more interesting things about the Palos Verdes Peninsula and it’s history see Palos Verdes Secrets & Little Known Facts and HISTORY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES