Social History Archives

#178: Hollywood Forever Cemetery (Hollywood)

October 31, 2023

Hollywood Forever cemetery is the final resting place of countless entertainers, and many of LA's all-time most important citizens. But its significance extends way beyond who was buried there.

#172: Pan American Bank (East LA)

September 16, 2023

Commerce

This small community bank opened in 1966 as the first bank in California to offer fully bilingual services in English and Spanish. For 50 years they served the largely Chicano community of East LA, offering home and small business loans to people that other banks wouldn’t give the time of day, and generally helping the local economy thrive. It's gilded by a mosaic mural that inspired the local Chicano art movement of the late '60s/early '70s.

#157: Morris Kight House (Westlake)

June 14, 2023

Social History

This unassuming craftsman in Westlake was the home of the pioneering gay rights activist Morris Kight from 1967-74. But Kight’s house was more than just his residence. It was also a think tank, a clinic, and a meeting place for the LA chapter of the Gay Liberation Front, a group of gay activists with a radical approach to creating political and social change for their community.

#151: Casa de Rosas (University Park)

May 10, 2023

Architecture

Built in 1893, Casa de Rosas was the first project by architect Sumner Hunt, who's also credited with the Bradbury Building, the Automobile Club of Southern California and many other classics. It's also housed many important tenants over the years: the Froebel Institute, one of the first kindergartens in LA; a WWII army barracks, LA's first mission catering to women, even the headquarters of L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics Foundation.

#141: Ebell of Los Angeles (Hancock Park)

March 8, 2023

Architecture

Since 1927, the Ebell of Los Angeles has been the forever home in LA for this venerable women's cultural and philanthropic organization. Designed by the great Sumner Hunt, this Italian Renaissance marvel wears its 75,000 square feet well, with refined exteriors, richly decorated interiors, and a courtyard that ties it all together. The adjoining Wilshire Ebell Theatre has hosted historic appearances by too many celebrities to name, including Judy Garland, Amelia Earhart, Stravinsky, Michelle Obama - the list goes on.

#135: Rockhaven Sanitarium (Montrose)

January 24, 2023

Social History

At a time when public asylums could be very dangerous places for women, Rockhaven Sanitarium in La Crescenta Valley offered an alternative: a private mental health institution on beautiful grounds, run for women and by women.

#129: The Lummis House/”El Alisal” (Highland Park)

December 9, 2022

Architecture

The Lummis House (aka El Alisal) in Highland Park is a playful castle-like structure of stone, cement and telephone poles (!), hand-built by one of the most colorful figures in LA history, Charles Lummis. You can appreciate it for its architectural uniqueness, or as a 3D manifestation of Lummis's philosophy. Either way, it's one of my favorite LA landmarks.

#116: Fire Station No. 14 (South LA)

September 12, 2022

Government & Politics

As the home of the LA Fire Department's second all-Black engine company, Fire Station No. 14 was a symbol of both pride and pain for LA's Black community before LAFD was integrated in 1956. The current station was built in 1949, a time of great change as LA reckoned with its segregated past.

#53: Bolton Hall (Tujunga)

December 25, 2021

Pioneers & Settlers

The community center of the defunct, WWI-era utopian Little Landers society is now a museum dedicated to its history.

#40: Little Tokyo Historic District (Downtown)

November 15, 2021

Asians

Once the center of social and commercial life for LA’s huge Japanese community before the internment camps of WWII, Little Tokyo is now a business hub and tourist destination grappling with its difficult history.