Transportation

#185: Holmes-Shannon House (Victoria Park)

#185: Holmes-Shannon House (Victoria Park)

December 24, 2023

Embodied in this opulent craftsman home are the history of the Victoria Park neighborhood, the legacy of the eminent architects Train & Williams, and the fascinating backgrounds of financier Nellie Shannon, her husband Michael (the first traffic cop in LA) and their son Michael Francis, who once served as Grand Exalted Ruler of the Elks.

#184: Fireboat Ralph J. Scott (San Pedro)

#184: Fireboat Ralph J. Scott (San Pedro)

December 14, 2023

Government & Politics

The fireboat Ralph J. Scott served the Port of LA from 1925-2003, making it the longest-serving apparatus in LA Fire Department history.

#177: Point Vicente Lighthouse (Palos Verdes)

#177: Point Vicente Lighthouse (Palos Verdes)

October 23, 2023

The old keepers of the 1926 Point Vicente Lighthouse used to tell of a ghostly woman that would move across the walkway garbed in a flowing white dress. Though the "Lady of the Light" hasn't been seen since someone applied a fresh coat of paint in 1955, and no keepers have minded the beacon since the early 1970s, the Point Vicente Lighthouse is still an important navigational aid for ships heading into the Ports of LA and Long Beach.

#170: San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building (San Pedro)

#170: San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building (San Pedro)

August 31, 2023

From 1942-1963, this quirky streamline moderne building was the departure point for workers and sailors heading to Terminal Island's shipyards, canneries and Naval bases. It now houses the largest maritime museum on the west coast.

#111: Watts Station | Collaboration with The South LA Recap

#111: Watts Station | Collaboration with The South LA Recap

August 11, 2022

This 1904 train station played a crucial role in the birth and growth of Watts, and was one of the only buildings on 103rd Street that survived the 1965 Watts Rebellion. In this collaboration with The South LA Recap, we trace the history of this landmark up through today.

#103: Oaklawn Bridge & Waiting Station (Greene & Greene – South Pasadena)

#103: Oaklawn Bridge & Waiting Station (Greene & Greene – South Pasadena)

June 23, 2022

South Pasadena's Oaklawn Bridge is a unique entry in the canon of master craftsman architects Charles & Henry Greene. Enhancing its gracefulness are the adorable waiting station and mysterious obelisk attached to its eastern end.

#80: La Loma Bridge (Pasadena)

#80: La Loma Bridge (Pasadena)

March 15, 2022

As one of the only roadways crossing the Arroyo Seco in the early 20th century, the majestic La Loma Bridge was vital for the growth of Pasadena and the development of car travel in Los Angeles

#77: Old Santa Susana Stage Road (Chatsworth)

#77: Old Santa Susana Stage Road (Chatsworth)

March 4, 2022

Pioneers & Settlers

This treacherous mountain trail through the Santa Susana Pass was an important artery for stagecoach passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the 1860s-70s, and an official Butterfield Overland Mail route during the Civil War

#54 – #62: Historic Sites on the Rose Parade Route in Pasadena

#54 – #62: Historic Sites on the Rose Parade Route in Pasadena

December 29, 2021

All eyes are on Pasadena this week for the Rose Parade. Get to know the historic buildings that line the route of Pasadena's Rose Parade, a new year's day tradition since 1890.

#51: Plaza Substation (Downtown)

#51: Plaza Substation (Downtown)

December 20, 2021

This electrical power station, right on Olvera Street, powered 40% of LA's streetcars from 1905-1963

#48: James Allen Freeman House (Heineman Brothers – Pasadena) + World’s First Motel

#48: James Allen Freeman House (Heineman Brothers – Pasadena) + World’s First Motel

December 5, 2021

A historic home in the posh Oak Knoll neighborhood, designed by the untrained Heineman brothers. PLUS: a visit to Arthur Heineman's Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, the world's[…]

#45: Union Station (Downtown)

#45: Union Station (Downtown)

November 24, 2021

A beloved landmark for travelers, architecture aficionados and culture vultures since it opened in 1939 Added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1980 I took these[…]

#38: Angels Flight Railway (Downtown)

#38: Angels Flight Railway (Downtown)

November 13, 2021

The shortest railway in the world, carrying folks 298 feet up and down a downtown LA hill in the same cars since 1901 Added to the National Register of[…]

#23: Pacific Electric Railway Company Substation No. 8 (Altadena)

#23: Pacific Electric Railway Company Substation No. 8 (Altadena)

November 1, 2021

This power station once sent tourists to the top of the Altadena mountains by train & funicular on the famous, defunct Mount Lowe Railway. It's now a Mennonite thrift shop.

#14: Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad Depot

#14: Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad Depot

October 19, 2021

Hang out in a nearly 100-year-old transportation hub! Added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1997 Originally built in 1924, this here has a restored churrigueresque[…]