Lincoln Riley Scores His First Win as USC Head Coach By Phil Wahba
Lincoln Riley Scores His First Win as USC Head Coach
By Phil Wahba
The new USC Head Football Coach, Lincoln Riley, just scored his first win when he purchased his iconic home in Palos Verdes Estates. The Spanish revival style home includes 7 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms and boasts just over 13,000 square feet. However, did you know this was actually one of the homes to the first mayor of Palos Verdes Estates?
The 3.17-acre lot was first purchased and built on by Donald Lawyer, who was the first sales manager for the Palos Verdes Project. Lawyer had cherry picked this lot and commissioned a 6,500 square foot Spanish colonial revival home built. Later in 1937, Mayor Fred Roessler would move into the estate. The lot sits on a hilltop with ocean views throughout the home. The original home would later be reconstructed and expanded in 2006.
Mayor Roessler played a big part in incorporating the city of Palos Verdes Estates that we know today, on December 20th, 1939. He was the city’s first mayor from 1939 until 1965 when he passed away at the age of 71. Fred Roessler was known as the “Father of the City”. Born in 1893, he moved to the Peninsula after serving in World War I in 1931. Before PVE was incorporated, the area was known as the Palos Verdes Homes Association. Roessler was president of this association; and after a 2 year long fight, he was able to transform the association into the city we know today as Palos Verdes Estates.
Roessler was credited with building the Seaside Pool in 1930, in the same place we know today as the Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club Pool. He is also credited for helping establish Chadwick by contributing $100,000. The school would later open in January, 1938. Roessler has a statue outside of PVE City Hall, as well as a point perched on the cliffside, which boasts of some of the best views of the Pacific Ocean. It is known as “Roessler Point”. Roessler is also known for keeping the city as a sleepy bedroom community, by ensuring there was a limited commercial business presence: no street lights and no traffic lights. He also ensured that approximately 25% of the city’s land be designated as parkland.
Lincoln Riley can definitely be proud of this “win” and discovering this house, after signing his lucrative contract with USC. This is a big, spectacular purchase for Riley. He and his family will soon understand our best kept secret, called Peninsula Living.
Images courtesy of Zillow/CRMLS
Philip Wahba is a graduate of Palos Verdes High School. Growing up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, he was always fascinated with the local history. Coming home has given him a new perspective and interest in the South Bay, past and present. His interests include local real estate and architecture. In his free time, he enjoys watching and cheering for the Los Angeles sports teams, especially the Dodgers.
Related Articles
