CURSUM PERFICIO | THE SERIES
My Tour of Marilyn Monroe’s Property
12305 Fifth Helena Drive, Brentwood
Marilyn Monroe purchased the Spanish style home at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles in early 1962, making it the only residence she ever owned in her lifetime. The modest hacienda style house, set behind high walls and surrounded by gardens, reflected Marilyn’s desire for privacy and stability after years of living in rented apartments and hotels. She moved into the home shortly after returning from New York and began furnishing it with pieces collected during her travels to Mexico.
This series documents my first ever tour of her property.
This series brings together my unpublished photographs and personal reflections from my tour of Marilyn Monroe’s Brentwood home. Walking the property offers a rare opportunity to experience the spaces where Marilyn lived during the final chapter of her life. The garden paths, courtyard, pool, and interior rooms provide a glimpse into the environment she carefully shaped as her own sanctuary.
Each post in the Cursum Perficio series explores a different part of the property through photographs and observations captured during my visit. These images document architectural details, the layout of the grounds, and the quiet atmosphere that still surrounds the home today.
For admirers of Marilyn Monroe and those interested in Hollywood history, the Brentwood residence remains one of the most significant locations connected to her life. It stands not only as the only home she ever owned, but also as a place closely tied to the final moments of one of the most iconic figures of the twentieth century.
Through this series, readers are invited to step inside this historic property and see it as I experienced it during my visit.
The History of Cursum Perficio
It’s widely believed that “Cursum Perficio,” which is a Latin phrase on tiles placed in cement at the front door of Marilyn’s house meant, “My journey ends here.” However, The Monroe Preservation Group, a group of fans and researches working to assist in protecting Marilyn’s home when threatened with demolition in 2024, discovered that the phrase actually means “I will persevere.” The crest and phrase were place at the home originally by the family of famed LA architect Harbin Hunter. The crest is their family crest. To learn more go here, and read about our research on People.com here.
