How the Community Is Rallying Together to Save Walt Disney's First Home

When the community heard that Walt Disney's first home was going to be demolished, they quickly came to the rescue. Civic leaders requested an emergency "historical cultural monument" nomination in order to protect the 1914 Craftsman bungalow in Los Feliz, CA.

"Councilmember Ryu feels very strongly that this property is significant," said Estevan Montemayor to Los Angeles Magazine.

The nomination is meant to delay the demolition process for 75 days while the Cultural Heritage Commission considers its significance. If the property becomes a Historical Cultural Monument, it would be a win for the neighborhood.

For the new home owners, however, their plans to convert the home into a newer, single-family residency have been stalled. "My sister and brother-in-law want to build a single family residence. The one there is quite old," Hyunbae Kim explained. "When we bought it we didn't know until the tenant told us that this is where the Disney studio started."

The current twp-bedroom home once belonged to Walt's aunt and uncle and stayed in the Disney family for 30 years before being sold in 1977. Walt had lived in the house during July of 1923 as he pursued his dream of becoming a film director. Although it's tough to say what will happen to the home presently, one thing is for sure — no one wants to see a part of Disney destroyed.

"The Valley Relics Museum in the San Fernando Valley just called, and they're interested in moving the property," Kim said. "I'd like to know what Disneyland thinks. Anything is possible. At this point, anything is possible."