Munchkin Houses

Have I mentioned that we are living on a small mountain?  It is a rather famous little mountain in San Diego for several reasons, but the main one is because there is a huge white cross on the very top that is a Veterans Memorial.  I posted a picture here: http://frecklefacegirl.blogspot.com/2009/08/views-near-our-house.html. 

There is a lesser known attraction on the mountain as well.  It is more of an Urban Legend.  I first heard the story about four years ago, when I came out to La Jolla to visit my mom.  She told me all about the "Munchkin Houses."  According to the legend, several little people that starred in the Wizard of Oz used their earnings to build small houses on Mount Soledad.  I immediately liked the story.  It just sounds cool, but I was skeptical because I had read a story about how the little people didn't get paid very well from the movie.  She even took me to see the houses:

They really are cute houses with small doors, steps, and gates. Supposedly, according to the legend, there were four original houses, but a few of them have been renovated for regular sized people. I decided to look it up on the internet recently. I read that it is just an Urban Legend.

That is probably true, but there has to be more to the story. It also said that the houses don't have smaller features. That part of the fact finding is wrong. Perhaps, they were not built for little people, but the doors, steps, gate, and a few other things are definitely not normal sized. It also says that the houses sit down from the road making them look smaller. That isn't true either. In fact, the second picture definitely shows that this one is quite higher than the road. I took this picture sitting in my vehicle, which is a crossover and fairly high off the ground.

While the story is interesting, the best part about the houses is how unique they are. I happen to like architecture, but these houses are special. They have inspired a whole Urban Legend for heaven sakes.