Villa Francesca was the estate of Harry E. Benedict (1890-1977), an associate of Frank A. Vanderlip, the initial developer of 16,000 acres of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Benedict completed the gatehouse and the farmstead in 1930. The name "Villa Francesca" honors his wife, Mrs. Francis Homberg Benedict. The architect was Gordon B. Kaufmann, one of Southern California's masters of the Mediterranean style. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.