The LA Times reports on the loss of two landmarks in the California fires – Malibu Castle Kasban and Malibu Presbyterian Church.
Lost to the flames was the Castle Kashan, the fairy-tale-like structure that stood for 30 years atop a Malibu hill, recognizable from below by its turrets and round towers. Also ravaged was Malibu Presbyterian Church, a high-steepled place of prayer and community action that had barely escaped destruction in the November 1993 infernos, which burned more than 300 homes in Malibu, Topanga and Calabasas.
The castle, filled with paintings and Elvis Presley memorabilia, was one of several homes of socialite-philanthropist Lilly Lawrence, known as “Princess Lilly.” Castle Kashan was named after the village of her father, Reza Fallah, a former Iranian oil minister under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
About 6:30 a.m., Lawrence and a house guest were trapped inside her sprawling home, but they managed to escape.
Wearing a bathrobe, slippers and oversized sunglasses, Lawrence returned later to survey the wreckage and retrieve some belongings and emerged about 1:40 p.m. with friends carrying shopping bags. She thanked firefighters who remained outside battling the blaze.
“My possessions don’t possess me. My house does not possess me,” she told them. “I’m thinking about our boys in Iraq. I’m thinking about you boys.”
Earlier this year, the six-bedroom, eight-bathroom castle overlooking Malibu Lagoon was listed for sale at $17 million. The 10,500-square-foot compound was in escrow briefly — “for a minute” — at an undisclosed price before Lawrence canceled the sale, she said Sunday. Lawrence said might consider rebuilding: “I’m keeping an open mind.”
The mansion was built in 1978 by a doctor, Thomas Hodges. Lawrence bought it in 1998 and spent a considerable fortune on remodeling. Television shows such as “The Rockford Files” were shot there and the castle was available to rent for weddings amid its romantic archways and lion sculptures.
Lost in the fire were many works of art, family heirlooms, Faberge eggs and museum-worthy collections. Lawrence’s library included signed photos from U.S. presidents.
Also lost, Malibu Presbyterian Church:
In November 1993, fire had come up to the front door of Malibu Presbyterian Church. On Sunday, things turned out much worse for the 60-year-old house of worship, which has a congregation of more than 450 people.
Its modern sanctuary, remodeled in 1984, was left a collection of charred, twisted wood and concrete columns. Its steeple and cross were gone, as was the large glass window that offered million-dollar Pacific views.
“We will rebuild. We will gather together. We will plan and be stronger,” said the church’s pastor, Greg Hughes, who was surveying the damage.
The church on Malibu Canyon Road had been a beehive of activities all week, with a preschool for about 90 children, programs for college students from nearby Pepperdine University and meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.
“You knew from the outside, this was a church, but inside it was very casual,” Hughes said. “We are a very casual beach community. People would come to worship in their shorts and flip-flops.”
The pastor, called up to the church hours before the scheduled start of Sunday morning services, was at first told by firefighters that it was not immediately threatened. He and colleagues removed important documents and computers from the hilltop building. But it wasn’t long before Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies told them to leave.
“When we did, embers were flying, and we knew that that was a wise decision,” Hughes said. “I got home turned on the TV and we watched it burn down.”
