Mariona (Villa Rockledge)
Villa Rockledge, originally known as Mariona, was built in Laguna Beach as a summer home by Frank Miller, developer of the Mission Inn in Riverside. Begun in 1918 and primarily finished in 1921, the major portion of Villa Rockledge was designed by architect Arthur Benton who worked closely with Miller on this building in much the same way as he had on the Mission Inn; a one unit addition on the northerly wing was designed by Laguna Beach architect Thomas Harper in 1929. Roger Jones purchased the estate in February 1973. After the property suffered an accident in June 1973, Jones restored the damaged property, made improvements to the grounds and added a building used primarily as a garage. The property was last sold in 2020 and the signs of deterioration and vandalism seem to indicate that it has been neglected since. Mariona is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Laguna Beach, Orange County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt