Modjeska came to America with her husband in 1876 from
Poland, and created a retreat for when she was not performing on stage. To design a large
Victorian country house, she hired one of America's leading architects, Stanford White. They named it "
Arden" after the forest setting of
Shakespeare's play
As You Like It and planted gardens with olive trees, palms, roses, oleander and lilac. It was their home from 1888 until 1906.
Post-Modjeska years After the property was sold, the romance associated with Modjeska's life attracted developers who marketed parcels of the property for vacation homes. In 1908, Gustave A. Schweiger bought the home and operated it as a
bed and breakfast. In 1922, local
Rotary groups discussed buying the property to use as a country club. In 1923, the Walker family of Long Beach purchased parcels of land in the canyon that included the Modjeska house and its surrounding wooded area.
Historic site Modjeska House was declared a
California Historical Landmark in 1935. and established it as a historical site. A major restoration occurred before the site could be opened to the public. The original house had no indoor plumbing or utilities. The grounds are open four days a week and tours of the home are available by appointment. Contact the park to make a reservation. It was declared a
National Historic Landmark in 1990. ==Marker==