Shirley Temple Black’s Childhood Home Sells For $2.5 Million

Shirley Temple Black’s childhood home was apparently a popular item.

After just two weeks on the market, the Santa Monica home sold for its asking price of $2.489 million.

While the home carries some historic value as the early residence of the most famous child actresses of all time, it also had nice features that warrant the big sale price. Built in 1926, the house has vaulted wood beam ceilings and a backyard with apricot, apple, and plum trees. Inside, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms spread out in 1,966 square feet of living space.

This was the home where Shirley Temple lived with her family in the years before she turned into a mega-star in Hollywood. She was actually already acting in movies at the time the family lived there — Shirley made her film debut in 1932, when she was still three years old — but it was the 1934 movie Bright Eyes that truly showcased her talent.

She broke out two years later, starring in hits including Curly Top and Heidi and even earning a special Juvenile Academy Award. By the mid-1930s, Shirley Temple was a nationwide sensation, with a string of hit musicals that showcased her singing, dancing, and dimpled cuteness. There was even a merchandising boom to capitalize on her popularity, which included dolls, dishes, and clothing.

But by her teenage years, Shirley Temple started to distance herself from the movie business, appearing in only a handful of films that met with mixed results. Shirley retired from films in 1950, when she was still just 22.

She would not stay away entirely. In 1958, the child star made a comeback with a television anthology of fairy tale adaptations, and she continued to make guest appearances on television shows. As she got older, Shirley got involved in several charitable endeavors, and after an unsuccessful run for Congress she was appointed United States Ambassador to Ghana in 1974 and to Czechoslovakia in 1989.

The owners of the Shirley Temple Black house turned a nice profit on the deal. Property records show that the home was last purchased in 2011 for $1.85 million.