‘We did what we got here to do — we saved it’: Courtroom of Mysteries homeowners at peace with shifting on
Known as the “Court of Mysteries”, the Westside property has aroused curiosity in Santa Cruz and beyond for decades, and a massive renovation and construction project there in recent years has brought the historic space more into focus.
The news that it was on the market less than 15 months after its owners crossed the finish line on this marathon project started a new question: why?
Why in fact, after years of often granular detail work at 515 Fair Ave. on the restoration of the brick temple familiar to generations of locals and the construction of a 3,000-square-foot home and garage with an in-law unit and lap pool, are Artina Morton and Douglas Harr ready to move on?
The short answer, as it turns out, is that it’s just too much for the two of them.
“There was just something that told us that it just didn’t make sense that we should only do this with two people,” said Morton, a self-proclaimed jill-of-all-trade mix of British majors / artists / tech industry veterans / hairstylist, “because when you get older, looking after a property of this size by yourself, it becomes a lot.”
After purchasing the property in 2016, Morton and Harr – who also has the tech industry in his background – began to focus on building what is known as an “ohana connection,” with a home for them on one side of the courtyard and buildings for Friends on the other.
Detail of the gate of the Court of Mysteries estate on the westside of Santa Cruz.
(Kevin Painchaud / Santa Cruz Lookout)
But their “We want to retire with our friends” broke up amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the friends took root where they sought refuge and got Harr and Morton under control of what property management was for the two would mean of them.
With the asking price of $ 4.625 million and the property tied with some bureaucratic shackles due to its historical status, the couple know they need just the right buyer – much like the overgrown, unloved property they bought in 2016 .
Douglas Harr describes himself as “a child of the Santas and Sans – San Fernando Valley, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco”.
(Kevin Painchaud / Santa Cruz Lookout)
“It could be anyone from a couple to a family of four and or beyond, maybe they have a grandmother who wants to stay in the unit above the garage,” said Harr. “It’s special – you see, the listing is a lot of money. So, you know, it’s going to be a certain kind of mood. “
The couple’s next move hasn’t come into focus yet, but they want to stay in the area – maybe there’s a handyman in Seabright or Midtown in need of some Harr-Morton-esque TLC – and keep this passion project on their toes.
Given how much they learned about the 515 Fair property from local historians and neighbors, Harr wouldn’t rule out putting a book together (though he’s experienced enough to say, “It’s a great way to lose money. “); Morton says she would like to get in touch with the next owner “just so we can come over and say hello”.
Although “it’s a bit of a heartache to let go,” Morton said, there is no doubt about it.
Artina Morton describes herself as “Jill of all trades”, a mixture of English major, artist, veteran of the tech industry and hairstylist with a dose of general contractor knowledge.
(Kevin Painchaud / Santa Cruz Lookout)
“We’re just like, OK, let’s just go with this flow and be at peace with letting this go, to someone who can love it for the next stage,” she said, “and just know we did what we came ”do.
“You make peace with things and you know that sometimes you just let go of things like, ‘We did what we came to do. We saved it. ‘ It will be safe for the next 100 years and we are very pleased about that. “
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The Court of Mysteries on Fair Avenue in Santa Cruz.
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Detail of the gate of the Court of Mysteries estate on the westside of Santa Cruz.
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Artina Morton describes herself as “Jill of all trades”, a mixture of English major, artist, veteran of the tech industry and hairstylist with a dose of general contractor knowledge.
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Douglas Harr describes himself as “a child of the Santas and Sans – San Fernando Valley, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco”.
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A staircase inside the brick temple now leads nowhere, but the builders intended to add a second floor.
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A meeting room in the original brick building separates two individual garages that Artina Morton and Douglas Harr used as an art studio and music room / man cave.
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The restored fireplace is flanked by corner niches, each of which has a view of the fireplace itself.
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The brick building, built more than 80 years ago, has a garage for one car on each side, which the owners Douglas Harr and Artina Morton used as a studio space.
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The 70-foot lap pool and spa behind the original brick structure offers a lot of privacy.
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Custom-made windows were built into the restored brick temple structure.
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The builders, the Kitchen brothers, had a special way of making bricks that helped the structure withstand the devastation of earthquakes and time with very little damage.
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View of the new fountain in the courtyard with the gate and Fair Avenue behind.
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The stonemason Michael Threet from Capitola was instrumental in the restoration work.
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A special feature are abalone shells, either original or collected as part of the restoration project.
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More abalone and masonry details.
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The 3,000-square-foot Spanish-style home is on the south side of the Fair Avenue property.
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Some of the dozen of tiles excavated under the original bathroom.
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Artina Morton in the new bathroom of the brick building, in the lower part of which the tiles were buried that she is holding in her hand.
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The project has also unearthed old railway spikes.
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More abalone shell and brick detail.
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Fair Avenue view.
