Adamson House, Malibu
historic place
The Adamson House, a historic place in Malibu, Los Angeles County, California, was built in 1929. Located within Malibu Lagoon State Beach park, architect Stiles O. Clements designed it for Rhoda Rindge Adamson and Merritt Huntley Adamson. Rhoda was the daughter of Frederick Hastings Rindge and May Knight Rindge, the last owners of the Malibu Spanish Land Grant. The house showcases a Mediterranean Revival style, blending Spanish Colonial Revival and Moorish Revival influences. It is particularly renowned for its extensive decorative ceramic tiles. These unique tiles, produced by Malibu Potteries from 1926 to 1932, feature a wide range of artistic and colorful designs, earning the house the nickname, 'Taj Mahal of Tile'. The Adamson House became a California Historical Landmark in 1977 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. A historical marker was erected in 1989. Today, it operates as a museum, preserving this unique architectural and artistic heritage.