Cultural Resource Designation Sought for Jim Morrison’s Former WeHo Home

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Cheri Amor, 8214 N. Norton Ave. (Photo by Cheri Norton)
Cheri Amor, 8214 N. Norton Ave.  (Photo by Cheri Woods)

The West Hollywood Historic Preservation Commission will be asked next week to declare rocker Jim Morrison’s Norton Avenue apartment as a cultural resource.

The Door’s Morrison lived in the building known as Cheri Amour, with his girlfriend, Pamela Courson, in 1970 and 1971. They reportedly had a stormy relationship, with frequent fights at home. Morrison moved from West Hollywood to Paris in March to live with Courson. He died there in July 1971 in the bathtub from what some have said was a heroin overdose.

The building, at 8214 W. Norton between Fountain Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, was purchased in 2003 by Cheri Woods, who is asking for the cultural resource designation. Woods also is asking that the commission grant a rehabilitation incentive for the property, which gives an owner a financial or other incentive to rehabilitate a property.

To date the city has designated 82 historic and cultural resources in West Hollywood.  The Historic Preservation Commission will meet at 7 p.m. on April 28 at the Plummer Park Community Center, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd.

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JEFF YORK
JEFF YORK
10 years ago

There are many properties in WEHO that could be designated and wouldn’t cost the city anything but the plaque. One that comes to mind for many celebrities is 8439 Sunset. It was formally apartments and has a beautiful new life as offices.

kab1200
kab1200
10 years ago

Eh!

Riley
Riley
10 years ago

I agree with @Chris Sanger, plaques and signage would be great! WeHo is full of history.

Alison
Alison
10 years ago

I believe the owner of this property is looking for city money to rehabilitate her property. “Woods also is asking that the commission grant a rehabilitation incentive for the property, which gives an owner a financial or other incentive to rehabilitate a property.”

I’m sorry, but just because Morrison lived there at one time does absolve an owner from taking care of the property themselves. This owner bought the property in 2003. What has kept her from rehabbing the property since then?

Chris Sanger
Chris Sanger
10 years ago

I’d love for the city to do multiple designations like this, like are done in NY and Paris. The problem is with all the tour bus companies, property owners and neighbors are understandably wary of drawing this attention. I’ve done this for my own neighborhood, and found lots of tidbits and alleged stories (not all confirmed). Out of WeHo, but just north of Sunset on Wetherly is a house – still in the same shape it was in earlier decades, quite nice – that Igor Stravinsky lived in for more than 25 years, longer than any other place he lived.… Read more »

Christopher
Christopher
10 years ago

Nothing against Morrison, but there are all sorts of apartments in West Hollywood that housed entertainment legends that have never been considered for such a designation. Marilyn Monroe lived at Harper and Fountain and later, around the corner on De Longpre. Cary Grant lived on both Havenhurst and Sweetzer at certain times. Dorothy Dandridge passed away while living in an apartment on Fountain and La Cienega. What makes the Morrison apartment so special?

Terry Bowdoin
Terry Bowdoin
10 years ago

Been a doors fan 45 years, is there any proof that Jim is alive today or at least after 1971?