Special Report: Imperial County’s iconic Smurf House
Karina Bazarte
Karina bazarte sat down with the creator who drew his family home known as the Smurf house.
BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County is known for its iconic landmarks and in the City of Brawley, there’s one unique house that always catches the eye.
For Brawley, it is known as the Smurf House, but for the people that built it, it’s just their sweet home.
In the area of South Ninth Street and H Street sits a bright orange house that’s hard to miss.
A two-story house with several rooms, a long staircase and unique windows shaped as circles. The house did not always look like this.
After returning from the Vietnam War in 1968, Rudy Lopez returned home to Brawley and bought a small cottage house.
“I had $2,700 saved from Vietnam. They gave you extra money for being in combat and I saved so I got money. It’s funny how it is…that is what the guy wanted, $2,700, so that’s why I got the house,” said Lopez.
Before he started to work on his dream house, he married the love of his life in the backyard of the house.
Lopez says he drew his dream house and was inspired when he used to live in Sacramento.
“And I used to see a lot of beautiful boats…Wooden boats…Mahogany boats, and the idea sparked,” said Lopez.
Lopez always wanted to be a woodworker and this was his chance to build something of his own.
He says it took him about 25 years. But in 2008, tragedy struck as a storm hit the Imperial Valley. A tree fell down in his backyard, causing an electrical fire.
A fire burned down their home and although the structure was still intact, inside the home it was a different story.
“When the fire happened, the structure held everything together because the metal held everything together,” said Lopez.
Here’s an image from what was left from the fire.
Lopez says he had no inspiration to rebuild his home as he was also dealing with the death of his father, but the City of Brawley was not ready to let the iconic house go.
“The kids gave us a bunch of money, cans of coins, to do it again. A lot of people told me to do it again. You can’t give up so that is what made me. Everyone needs a drive and that is the drive I got,” expressed Lopez.
With the help of his two sons and an uncle, the Smurf House was reborn.
Lopez says he build it with recycling material just like the staircase carpet.
Going up stairs, you are able to find the bedrooms and a bathroom all created by Lopez, and finally, the bathroom which has recycling materials from the Brawley High School gym.
Although it took seven years to rebuild, Lopez and his family never gave up on their dream house.
“It’s a monument that’s what I say. I feel good that people feel proud that I did something for Brawley…for La Raza, you know what I mean, for La Raza. Not for the westside or whatever side…doesn’t matter where you are from, we are all the same,” said Lopez.