Monroe’s life was troubled from the beginning and she never got accustomed to a stable home. Born to a young, unwed mother who was institutionalized on and off throughout Monroe’s life for mental illness, the actress (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) lived in often-abusive foster homes and an orphanage and attended nine schools while growing up. Her first marriage was in her teens to a neighbor of her foster family, who was a soldier during World War II. Located at 12305 5th Helena Drive, Monroe’s L-shaped Spanish Colonial Revival originally had adobe walls and a red-tile roof. It also had two bedrooms instead of the four it has now, along with a small guesthouse. To decorate in the home’s Spanish style, Monroe went on shopping trips to Tijuana and Mexico City, where she bought tiles, tin masks, mirrors, and textiles. Although Monroe owned homes during her marriages, with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, this house was the first she bought without a spouse. She described her casa as a “fortress where I can feel safe from the world,” according to the book, Cursum Perficio: Marilyn Monroe’s Brentwood Hacienda. When the 23,200-square-foot property went up for sale in 2017, it was listed at $6.9 million and sold for $7.25 million. Monroe’s bedroom has a fireplace and doors leading to a simple, but attractive, courtyard patio. Like the bedroom, the office opens out to the patio and pool area, blending indoors and outdoors in true Southern California style. It’s nothing extravagant—especially by today’s standards—but it became a tranquil haven for the actress. According to an article in Architectural Digest, the actress casually referred to the hacienda as “a cute little Mexican-style house with eight rooms." Inscribed on tiles embedded in the front stoop of Monroe’s house were the Latin words Cursum Perficio, which means “End of my journey” or “I have completed my journey.” Sadly, the words came true for Monroe six months after moving into the Los Angeles area home. During remodeling by Hamel and her husband, surveillance and bugging equipment was found in the roof and walls. The equipment was thought to have been installed secretly during the time Marilyn Monroe was allegedly involved with John F. Kennedy or Robert Kennedy in the early 1960s, although this has never been verified.
