In 1913, Frank A. Vanderlip, Sr., then a successful banker based in New York, purchases the land of Palos Verdes, some 16,000 acres. Though the peninsula had been utilized for crops and cattle since the 1880s, Vanderlip envisions the rural farming community of Palos Verdes as a location with great potential for development as a residential city by the sea even more magnificent than those on the Italian coastline. The green-patched hills, sweeping ocean views, and ranches that dotted the coastline catalyzed Vanderlip’s excitement and his vision.
Photo courtesy of: Phillips, John. Palos Verdes Estates (Images of America) (p. 9). Arcadia Publishing Inc.