The Breathtaking Mansion In Southern California You Must Visit This Year
By Natasha Kayes|Published November 04, 2022
×
Natasha Kayes
Author
I was born and raised in sunny Southern California and will never tire of the West Coast, although I spent several years living in Southeast Asia, about as far from California as you can get. Wherever I am in the world, I love straying from the beaten path, experiencing local life, and discovering hidden gems - camera in hand. The beach is my happy place and when I am not there (or writing), you will usually find me baking, watching movies, and cuddling my pugs. I have traveled around the country and around the world, and it never, ever gets old. Being able to combine my passion for travel and my love of writing is nothing short of a dream.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Queen Anne Victorian architecture began to make an appearance in the United States. Today, a few residences built in this style remain preserved in all of their turn-of-the-century splendor. Long Beach Heritage has called this Victorian mansion in Southern California “the single most important example of this style of architecture remaining in Long Beach today” and we definitely agree.
Also called the Green-Rankin-Bembridge House, this breathtaking residence was built in 1906 by Stephen and Josephine Green. It was purchased by Thomas Rankin in 1918 and his daughter, Dorothy Bembridge lived in the house until 1999.
The mansion was designated a Long Beach Historic Landmark in 1981 and, following the death of Dorothy Bembridge, was purchased in 2000 by the Long Beach Heritage, an entity that is responsible for preserving the structures and landscaping on the property.
Typical of Queen Anne Victorian architecture, the Bembridge House has a deep wraparound porch, bay windows, stained glass, a tower with its cone-shaped roof, a high pitch gable roof, and a large number of beveled windows.
The house has a total of 18 rooms, which included four bathrooms. There were some alterations and additions to the house in the 1920s, which have remained unchanged since.
Advertisement
Take time to appreciate the craftsmanship and details, at once delicate and ornate, that characterize every part of the mansion's interior and exterior.
Beside the main house, and constructed at the same time, sits a two-story carriage house in the same Victorian-era style. There is also a bird aviary on the property.
The interior remains intact with its original grand staircase, woodwork, stained glass windows, mirrors, gas lighting fixtures, pocket doors, tiled fireplace, and built-in buffet.
Many of the original furnishings and personal items remain preserved throughout the rooms in the home. This is as close as you can get to actually living when this stunning structure was new.
A "Little Library" mirroring the style of the mansion has found a home at the front of the property. Visitors are encouraged to take a book or contribute one for someone else to discover.
