By Maya Minwary
Staff Writer

As Pepperdine students head back into another semester of school, it won’t be long until the homework piles up, and midterms come creeping up behind.

For some, it can be the utmost stressful time, especially those days that are so noisy in the dorms, it’s enough to make them hit their heads on the desk in frustration.

The only alternative place to study seems to be the library, a dull place at times. What other options could there be to study in Malibu? Just five minutes away is the beautiful Serra Retreat.

Trees and quaint houses surround the road as you drive up to Serra Retreat. In a matter of minutes, the Serra Retreat house appears. The house is a mansion built for May Rindge in the early 1930s.

Rindge acquired the land from her husband Frederick Rindge, who purchased the vast property to build a ranch for their livestock.

The original mansion had 50 rooms complete with exquisite, custom-made designs and intricate patterns on the floors and walls. The doors, paneling and frames were of fine solid, carved mahogany. May Rindge also had elaborate wrought iron doors, balcony railings and gates imported to complete her dream house.

Unfortunately, she never got the chance to live in her dream mansion. The mansion was boarded up in 1932 when funding ran out. In 1942, the Franciscan Friars of the Saint Barbara Province of California bought the property to establish a seminary. 

A year later, the friars reconsidered using the newly purchased estate for a seminary. Instead, they decided to take a new venture, and use the house as a spiritual retreat for laymen. 

A devastating fire struck in 1970 that destroyed the mansion. Now, instead of the intricate custom designs of May Rindge, the Serra Retreat looks similar to California’s missions. Its design is simple but soothing.

Magnificent statues depicting Jesus’ crucifixion border the side of the house. Its stunning garden, and flowered pathway located in the back along the side of the house make it a soothing environment perfect for studying.

Lilies, roses, and wildflowers of numerous colors surround the pathway around the house. The environment is perfect to sit, relax and enjoy a book in the benches conveniently placed along the flowered pathway, while listening to birds chirping.

The Serra Retreat also offers a panoramic view of the winding creek of Malibu Canyon that joins the Pacific Ocean.

The Serra Retreat is a place of refuge from the fast-paced world of college, a place of peace and serenity. The next time you find yourself frustrated by the endless pit of reading and homework, try to calm yourself at the Serra Retreat.       

January 24, 2002