The historic home of late actor Will Rogers was lost in the Los Angeles fires.
As the fire in the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood—one of several wildfires engulfing Southern California—spread over 17,000 acres, exacerbated by hurricane-speed winds, more than 2,000 structures have burned in its wake. And among those lost in the wake of the devastation include the American vaudeville performer’s 31-room ranch house among other historic buildings at the Will Rogers State Historic Park.
“California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area,” State Parks Director Armando Quintero said in a Jan. 8 release. “Since yesterday afternoon, we are directing all available resources into the emergency response effort and working to secure and protect as much as we can at affected nearby state parks.”
Rogers was one of the most popular actors of the mid-1930s after his vaudeville performances launched him to stardom. He then became known as a radio personality, movie star and avid lover of aviation. And the Hollywood icon—who died in a plane crash in 1935 at age 55—had come to build a ranch that spanned 359 acres in Pacific Palisades, consisting of a massive ranch house, riding trails, stables and even a golf course.
