PHOTOS: Historic California Mansion Crumbles Into Ocean After Landslide

Rail service remained unavailable in southern Orange County today thanks to a landslide that damaged the historic Casa Romantica Cultural Center in San Clemente and sent dirt and debris cascading down a hillside toward coastal railroad tracks.

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Casa Romantica continues to crumble into the ocean after each landslide, causing it to remain closed to the public. According to SF Gate, the nearly 100-year-old San Clemente structure, responsible for housing weddings and other celebrations, endured yet another landslide this week and certainly did not make it out unscathed. Photos of the property show the beloved ocean terrace reaching closer and closer to the ocean as the dirt crumbles beneath it. By the look of things, there is no telling how many more landslides the property can endure before the entire structure slides down the edge of the cliff.

A nearby railway line that runs below the property has also been shut down until further notice.

Photo: Getty Images

SF Gate mentioned that issues with the property began on April 19th, and continued to get worse throughout the month. What started as a mere crack in the terrace turned into a much larger problem than anyone could have anticipated. Orange County Congressman Mike Levin traveled to Casa Romantica to access the damage and was very "overwhelmed."

“It’s really overwhelming when you see just how much debris there is. Just from looking at this, not being a geologist myself, I think we’re looking at a disaster here and we really have the opportunity to get out in front of it.” A fundraising campaign was recently created to off set renovation costs and to help keep the timeless structure standing.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content