A one-of-a-kind home next to San Diego’s iconic 50-acre Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is on the market for the first time since it was built in the 1960s. Priced at $3,200,000, 705 Cornish Drive offers an unprecedented opportunity to purchase a piece of Point Loma history.

Rosamaria Acuña in our La Jolla Prospect office is listing agent for the four-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,023-square-foot home with multiple ocean views.

The original owners of the property, Roy and Katie Klumpp, played a pivotal role in the conservation of the parkland and Point Loma community.

In the mid-1960s, the Klumpps bought the lot with a vision to build a unique family home where their children could enjoy the “forever views” and vast, coastal land just beyond their new backyard. During construction, Katie Klumpp, a passionate advocate for equality in education who would be named San Diego’s Woman of the Year in 1988 for her efforts, spent significant time meticulously selecting materials that would flow with the home’s natural landscape. Roy, a Korea War veteran with a Ph.D. in psychoacoustics, worked closely with the contractor and Del Mar-based architecture firm Jung & Cloyes on the finest of details. Roy personally sanded all the ceiling beams in the house so they were perfectly smooth. The architect’s vision for the house was that all but four angles would be 60 or 120 degrees, and they placed the home on the lot in such a way to capture the incredible views, which were echoed by the wood-burning fireplace, which Katie had the builders rehang to get it just right. The den/family room was inspired by removing all the wasted hallway walls to make a wonderful area for the children to play in.

A Mid-Century Modern coastal home

When construction was completed in 1967, the Klumpps had strategically helped craft a coastal, Mid-Century Modern home as artistic as it was aesthetic, with soaring wood-beam ceilings, a floating staircase, and an interior stone accent wall in the living room. Roy used the garage as his personal workshop, where he created custom pieces for the home, including contemporary chandeliers and windows. Katie continued her social justice work, and was inspired by the panoramic, Pacific Ocean-lined view and natural surroundings she lived in every day to learn more about the historic significance of the land outside her front door.

During the late 19th century, the area now known as Sunset Cliffs Natural Park was covered with fruit trees and vegetables, a place where cattle roamed the cliff-side terrain. During World War II, the Army used the land, which then became utilized by several universities until it was sold to the city of San Diego as one of the few remaining stretches of undeveloped coastal land in the area. When talk arose to develop the land, the Klumpps played an active role in the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park conservation project and in 1983, the Hillside Section of the park was formally dedicated by the city. Recognizing the land’s importance, the city designated the Hillside Section as a Multiple Habitat Preservation Area (MHPA). It has been a beloved staple of the community ever since.

Rosamaria, an award-winning REALTOR®, is the corresponding secretary of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and spearheads the annual Spring Festival of Flowers in addition to several other beloved community events. Like Katie Klumpp, Rosamaria is a strong advocate for women, equality, and diversity, and is deeply committed to conserving and enhancing the Point Loma community in which she lives.

“I can see why they selected this lot,” she says about the property. “It’s just like a beacon. When you look out, nature and the ocean surround you in every direction.”

Rosamaria says it’s the very same scene she witnessed as a child when she first visited Point Loma from her hometown of Calexico, California, deciding she’d one day call this place home. “That was when I first noticed how magnificent the Pacific Ocean was,” she recalls. “It makes sense that the Klumpps were so engaged from start to finish in the process of completing this special home for their family, and I’m honored to play a part in 705 Cornish Drive’s next chapter as a new generation discovers its magnificence all over again.”

Take a tour of 705 Cornish Drive here.

About Rosamaria Acuña

Rosamaria is dedicated to offering her clients superior service by providing the latest innovations in marketing and technology to facilitate every transaction. Contact Rosamaria Acuña today for a complimentary consultation, to receive up-to-the-minute details about the real estate market or to stay in touch about ongoing community events.

705 Cornish Drive listing information