Local SOCAL WATER TOWER LANDMARK HITS Market

seeking $4.95 million

In Sunset Beach stands one of California’s quirkiest homes: an 87-foot-tall structure that serves both as eye candy for Pacific Coast Highway passersby and a reminder, in an era of rapid redevelopment, that some things are worth saving.

The landmark water tower dates from the 1890s, when it serviced railroad steam engines traveling along the California coast. Nine decades later, it was transformed into a house. Now, it’s up for grabs at $4.95 million.

Towering above the houses crammed along the sand near the border of Seal Beach and Sunset Beach, the striking residence has become beloved by locals in the decades since it was built — but it has a tumultuous past.

That’s when Long Beach City College math professor George Armstrong stepped up. In response to a community-wide “Save Our Water Tower” movement, he bought the property and remodeled it into a home in the 1980s, saving it from destruction.

1/16The four-story home.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

2/16The front door.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

3/16The plaque.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

4/16The entry.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

5/16The living room.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

6/16The dining area.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

7/16The kitchen.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

8/16The elevator.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

9/16The bedroom.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

10/16The bathroom.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

11/16The hot tub.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

12/16The lounge.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

13/16The rotunda.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

14/16The bar.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

15/16The water tower.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

16/16The ocean view.  (Sheldon / IVESTER creative inc.)

It traded hands a few more times in the decades since and most recently sold to real estate investors Scott Ostlund and Barret Woods for $1.5 million in 2016. The pair quickly restored the home to its former glory, opening it up for public tours and renting it out for around $1,000 a night.

Listing photos show the structure is in the best shape it’s ever been. Spanning 2,800 square feet, it features four stories of unique spaces with some of the most impressive views around. Glass windows and a wraparound deck overlook the Pacific Ocean on one side and the city and mountains on the other.

An elevator and spiral staircase made of imported oak navigate the home, which gives new meaning to vertical living. The ground floor features two garages and a storage room, as well as a skylit space that leads to a bedroom and loft. Above that, there’s a deck with a hot tub.

The top floors house the kitchen, a pirate-themed bedroom complete with a porthole window, and an owner’s suite with sunken showers and stained-glass windows. At the very top, there’s a rotunda lounge encircled in windows complete with a custom bar and built-in fish tank.