J. Paul Getty Museum, Ranch House, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, Los Angeles County, CA

Significance: The Getty property, including the Ranch House, was originally part of an early nineteenth century Spanish land grant. In the 1920s, Claude I. Parker, a Los Angeles attorney, purchased a portion of the property from Perfecto Marquez, a descendent of one of the area's original settlers. Parker constructed a house, the core of the extant Ranch House, and several outbuildings. In 1945, Parker sold the property to J. Paul Getty, a successful American businessman, art collector, and philanthropist. Getty made additions and major alterations to the Ranch House, creating the house that stands on the property today. In 1953, he established the Getty Museum and opened the gallery spaces at the eastern end of the house to the public. Getty added a new gallery wing adjacent the courtyard in 1957 to house his expanding collection. The eastern end of the house continued to function as the museum until 1974, when the Villa opened as the primary repository for Getty's art collection. With the Villa acting as the new museum quarters, portions of the Ranch House were altered to accommodate museum administration and conservation laboratories. Major modifications to the interior of the Ranch House and the construction of new buildings in the courtyard were carried out during the mid-1980s. The significance of the Ranch House lies in its association with J. Paul Getty, an important figure of national recognition, and specifically with his establishment of the Getty Museum within the house. The period of significance for the property is from 1954, when the museum first opened to the public, to 1974 when the Getty collection was relocated into the newly completed Villa. J. Paul Getty is significant as a successful American businessman and as an art collector, and philanthropist. It was his interest in providing public access to his art collection that resulted in the creation of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Since Getty's death in 1976, the Museum and its affiliates have developed into one of the leading art institutions in the world, significant not only for the collection of art works, but also for contributions to art history, art education, and conservation research. The Ranch House has undergone many changes in the last twenty years. Most occurred during the 1980s renovations when the conservation laboratories were built in the original gallery spaces. However, the overall character of the building's exterior, as it appeared during the period of significance, remains intact. The property appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, for its association with the establishment of the "original" Getty Museum, and Criterion B for its direct association with J. Paul Getty.
Survey number: HABS CA-2723-A
Building/structure dates: 1922 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1948 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1957 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: ca. 1985 Subsequent Work