The US version of Blarney Castle, located in the Sunland-Tujunga district of Los Angeles, has been granted cultural preservation status to protect it from development.

Inspired by and named after Cork's famous castle, the stateside Blarney Castle was given Historic-Cultural Monument status by LA city council at a meeting last week.

Built in 1919, little is known about why a model of Cork's Blarney Castle . . . hugely popular with generations of IrishAmericans . . . was erected in California. Its current owner, Sarah Olson, who works for Warner Brothers, bought the LA site 18 months ago but had long admired it.

"I used to go out of my way to drive by it", she told the Sunday Tribune. "One day I was driving by and I saw a 'For Sale' sign, so I immediately contacted my broker and basically put in an offer later that day, which was thankfully accepted."

Olson decided to seek Historic-Cultural Monument status due to the amount of development taking place around her Blarney Castle, which is located in the middle of a residential area. Last summer, local residents fought to save the nearby Weatherwolde Castle, which was under threat from developers looking to build apartments.

"There is a bit of a movement at the moment towards protecting historic buildings in Los Angeles, " said Olson.

"The Blarney Castle is such a unique structure for LA that I thought it was important to ensure that it can't be just torn down to make way for apartments."

Although much smaller than the original Blarney Castle, LA's little piece of Cork gained fame locally due to its similarity to the Irish structure. While details are scant about who built it or why it was based on Blarney Castle, it is known that it was purchased in 1921 by Virginia Smith, the first female doctor in Tujunga and the proprietor of a nearby hospital.

The building has changed hands many times since then until Olson, whose mother's family hailed from Co Cork, purchased it in 2004.

Standing just two storeys high, the building was originally a "straight-up tower with no turrets", according to Olson. It was built with local stone, dark wood and stained glass and boasts arched doorways. Covered in vine, the house gives off an imposing atmosphere, although Olson says it is "very comfortable and homely inside".

A survey by local planners said the structure was "an excellent example of craftsman-style architecture", and the proposal to grant it special designation was endorsed unanimously by local councillors.

Despite living in a replica of one of Cork's most iconic buildings, Olson has never visited Ireland, though she has been to Europe.

"I've picked up a few postcards of the Blarney Castle but I've never actually been, " she said. "I'd love to go one day, though. I'd probably feel quite at home there."