Driftwood Cottage

Driftwood Cottage, often simply called Driftwood, is a historic home located on Carmel Point at the southern city limits of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It has views of Carmel Bay, Carmel River, and Point Lobos. It was the first house built on Carmel Point and became the home of actress Jean Arthur. Architect George W. Reamer built the house in 1908 for Florence E. Wells.

History


After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Driftwood Cottage was the first house to go up on Carmel Point at the southwest corner of Scenic Drive and Ocean View Avenue. The property fronted the Carmel River lagoon at a time when the Point was without trees and any other homes.

The 3000 sqft home is set on five lots and has two single-story buildings made of redwood and stone. The main house and guest cottage are connected by a 20 ft hallway. There are four rooms in the main house, which open onto an atrium with a glass dome. The floor is covered with blue Japanese slate. A 6 ft redwood fence borders the grounds for privacy. Reamer built the home with his signature lava rock fireplace.

Driftwood Cottage was once home of actress Jean Arthur (1900–1991) and her mother Johanna Greene. She first rented the house from Wells in 1937, and then bought it after World War II. Arthur remodeled the house and created a large outdoor garden, with landscape artist George Hoy, in a Japanese architecture style, including a Japanese bronze dragon gate latch.