Whitley Court

Whitley Court
Original 1903 structure, now located at the rear of the lot
Whitley Court is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Whitley Court
Whitley Court is located in California
Whitley Court
Whitley Court is located in the United States
Whitley Court
Location1720-1728½ Whitley Ave., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Coordinates34°6′8.7″N 118°19′58.5″W / 34.102417°N 118.332917°W / 34.102417; -118.332917
Built1903
Architectural styleQueen Anne, Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.04000732 [1]
LAHCM No.448
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 28, 2004
Designated LAHCMDecember 13, 1988

Whitley Court is a cluster of Spanish Colonial bungalows built from 1903 to 1919 just north of Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.[2]

The first structure, built in 1903, was a two-story Colonial Revival house with a round bay turret designed by Dennis & Farwell for the Whitley family. The original house was moved to the back of the property to make room for four additional two-story residential buildings.[3] The buildings provided housing for those employed in the booming film industry, and its residents are rumored to have included Theda Bara in the 1920s and Sylvia Sidney in the 1930s.[3]

In 1974, the buildings were converted to a mix of residential and office space.[3] During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, fires burned just 150 feet from Whitley Court, but residents protected the structures with hoses. At the time, one of the owners said, "These buildings are important. You can't replace a historic building. When it burns, you lose it forever."[2]

Whitley Court was designated a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #448) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1988,[4] and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Susan Vaughn (1992-05-03). "A City in Crisis: Some L.A. Landmarks Reduced to Rubble and Ashes". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ a b c Ruth Ryon (1982-01-10). "Preservationists Save Historic Court: Architect Restores Threatened Hollywood Landmark". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Los Angeles Department of City Planning (2007-09-07). "Historic - Cultural Monuments (HCM) Listing: City Declared Monuments" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Retrieved 2008-05-28. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)