From 1924 to1932, Richard Peter Shea and his wife, Ellen, kept a 'de luxe apartment' in the Gaylord. Mr. Shea having made his financial fortune through real estate investments in the wealthy enclaves of Los Angeles and the development of Hancock Park before selling all of his holdings in these properties for a staggering amount of money. The article, at top, appeared in the March 1925 issue of the Gaylord's monthly publication, 'The Buzzer.' Mr. & Mrs. Shea spent 1924 & 1925 building their dream castle out in the Antelope Valley, just south of the California Poppy Reserve. They split their time for 5 years between their apartment here at the Gaylord and their castle in the desert, hoping to improve Mrs. Shea's health. During the Stock Market Crash of 1929, they lost everything and the bank took over the castle. In October of 1932, Mrs. Shea passed away from pernicious anemia. Two months later, Mr. Shea either walked into the ocean or jumped from the Santa Monica pier and his body washed up to the Venice pier with the ashes of his wife attached to him. It is a tragic love story and part of the Gaylord history
Photo above is of Shea's Castle as it appears today.
