Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Historical Background

In 1838, the Mexican governor of California deeded the land grant El Rodeo de las Aguas to Maria Rita Valdez Villa, the Afro Latina widow of a Spanish soldier. Maria Rita, an early California feminist icon, built an adobe ranch house near the intersection of present day Sunset Boulevard and Alpine Drive. She employed a vast posse of cowboys and proceeded to raise cattle and horses.

As was the custom of a time, Maria Rita permitted her livestock to wander freely, but once a year a festive roundup, another kind of rodeo, was held beneath a huge eucalyptus tree at the corner of Pico and Robertson boulevards.

In 1852, three Native Americans ambushed Maria Rita's rancho. A shoot-out and siege followed in a grove of walnut trees at Benedict Canyon and Chevy Chase Drive. Maria Rita survived, but the battle may have influenced her decision just two years later to sell the ranch to Benjamin D. Wilson and Henry Hancock for $4000. However, the legendary waters deserted the new owners; a drought decimated their crops and their cattle died in parched stream beds. However, their names live on today in nearby Mt. Wilson and Hancock Park.

After the Civil War wildcatters and roughnecks drilled oil wells. Cattle gave way to herds of sheep. Edward Preuss bought the ranch in 1868 with the intention of establishing a colony for German immigrant farmers. Preuss dubbed his civic speculation the "City of Santa Maria." He subdivided the soil into five-acre lots and put them up for sale for $10 a parcel. Another drought ruined these plans and the land reverted to sheep and cattle ranching.+++

Historical Notes

Shortly after the drought, the rancho passed into the hands of two Los Angeles hoteliers who proceeded to grow lima beans on the property. Their first land purchase was made in 1881, and was later added to parcel by parcel. Henry Hammel and Charles Denker, managers of the U.S. Hotel in Los Angeles, proposed their own townsite, to be called Morocco, for the area. Morocco was subdivided in 1888 during the big land boom of 1887-88, the era which saw the start of so many Southern California communities, both successful and unsuccessful. Hammel and Denker’s settlement was centered around the train station at the then junction of Burton Way and Santa Monica Boulevard (in the vicinity of Canon and Beverly Drives today) on the Santa Monica-Los Angeles line, which ran along Santa Monica Boulevard, which had also been named Morocco.

Plans for Morocco were never realized, and the next activities on the ranch centered around a syndicate of investors, known as the Amalgamated Oil Company. *^*

Historical Notes

In 1900, Burton E. Green, Charles A. Canfield, Max Whittier, Frank H. Buck, Henry E. Huntington, William G. Kerckhoff, William F. Herrin, W.S. Porter, and Frank H. Balch, formed the Amalgamated Oil Company, bought the Hammel and Denker ranch, and began looking for oil. However, they did not find enough to exploit commercially by the standards of the time.*^ 

Historical Notes

In 1906, Burton Green and the Amalgamated Oil Company reorganized as the Rodeo Land and Water Company, renamed the property "Beverly Hills," subdivided it, and began selling lots.  The development was named "Beverly Hills" after Beverly Farms in Beverly, Massachusetts and because of the hills in the area.  The first house in the subdivision was built in 1907, although sales remained slow.*^

Historical Notes

The elite northern portion of the new city was divided from the southern portion by the railroad tracks and a commercial triangle between Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. This triangle was originally known as “Beverly” while the rest of the City, located north of Santa Monica Boulevard, was known as “Beverly Hills.” *^*

Historical Notes

The area was created as a real estate attraction, hoping to entice people traveling from Los Angeles to buy parcels of land for development, and could be seen from passer byers on the train that came through town on Santa Monica Boulevard, or as it was once known, as Railway Avenue. ##++

Historical Notes

As in so many of the boom towns of the 1880s, Beverly Hills needed a large resort hotel to give it prominence and establish its reputation. It got that hotel in 1911, when the Rodeo Land and Water Company, in conjunction with Margaret J. Anderson, commissioned Elmer Grey to build his Craftsman/Mission Revival design. *^*

Historical Notes

In September, 1911, Burton Green began construction on The Beverly Hills Hotel. It was opened on May 12, 1912 by Margaret J. Anderson and her son, Stanley S. Anderson, who had been managing the Hollywood Hotel.  The visitors drawn by the hotel were inclined to purchase land in Beverly Hills, and by 1914 the subdivision had a high enough population to incorporate as an independent city.*^

Historical Notes

In 1914, the Rodeo Land and Water Company decided to separate its water business from its real estate business. The Beverly Hills Utility Commission was split off from the land company and incorporated in September, 1914, buying all of the utilities-related assets from the Rodeo Land and Water Company.*^

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A one-trolley car system known as the “Dinky” conveyed guests from a Pacific Electric station at the southwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Canon Drive up Rodeo Drive to the Hotel.

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Two years before Beverly Hills became an incorporated city, the Beverly Hills Hotel opened on May 12, 1912; the hotel initially included the main building and twenty-three separate bungalows in the Mediterranean Revival style, designed by Elmer Grey.*

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Green hired the landscape architect Wilbur D. Cook who, influenced by landscape designer Frederick Law Olmstead, created wide curving streets that hugged the hills. The City's first streets: Rodeo, Canon, Crescent, Carmelita, Elevado and Lomitas were constructed in 1907. Cook also created an emerald necklace for his garden city, with a three-block greensward called Santa Monica Park.+++

Some of Cook’s other Southern California projects include Exposition Park, the Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles Civic Center, and portions of Griffith Park. 

Historical Notes

In 1919, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford bought land on Summit Drive and built a mansion, finished in 1921 and nicknamed "Pickfair" by the press. The glamor associated with Fairbanks and Pickford as well as other movie stars who built mansions in the city contributed to its growing appeal.*^

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills was one of many all-white planned communities started in the Los Angeles area around this time.  Restrictive covenants prohibited non-whites from owning or renting property unless they were employed as servants by white residents. It was also forbidden to sell or rent property to Jews in Beverly Hills.*^

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Originally belonging to the Beverly Hills Hotel, this five acre park adjoining the property across Sunset Boulevard was donated to the City of Beverly Hills by owners Margaret and Stanley Anderson. ##++

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Sunset Municipal Park opened in 1915 as the first municipal park in the Beverly Hills. In 1926, entertainer Will Rogers was appointed first "Honorary Mayor" of Beverly Hills and, in 1952, the City renamed the Park, Will Rogers Memorial Park.***^^

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At one point the “Golden Triangle was nothing more than a modest residential neighborhood containing dozens of bungalow style homes accommodating city occupants of limited monetary means.  A handful of these humble structures remained until the post war era when the city's shopping and financial center enjoyed robust growth, paving the way to the development of a successful commercial district.

Historical Notes

The Beverly Hills Speedway (also called the Los Angeles Speedway) was a 1.25-mile wooden board track for automobile and motorcycle racing in Beverly Hills. It was built in 1919 on 275 acres of land that includes the site of today's Beverly Wilshire Hotel, just outside of the "Golden Triangle". The site was bounded by Wilshire Boulevard, South Beverly Drive, Olympic Boulevard and Lasky Drive.*^

Historical Notes

The new Speedway was built by Jack Prince and Art Pillsbury and was financed by a group of racers and businessmen that called itself the Beverly Hills Speedway Association. The track was the first in the United States to be designed with banked turns incorporating an engineering solution known as a spiral easement.*^

Historical Notes

At the time, the wooden racetrack was ranked second in race quality only to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.^*^*

Historical Notes

Many race cars had paint jobs that read Durant Racing on the sides. Durant was an American race car driver, the son of William C. Durant, a founder of General Motors who was also the co-owner and president of the Beverly Hills Speedway.

Durant Drive in the City of Beverly HIlls was named after these Durants.^*^*

Historical Notes

The Speedway was a great success, not only for racing but also for events. In fact, sometimes the space was so well attended, the parking lots overflowed with cars.

Historical Notes

The Speedway operated for four years and attracted many historically significant competitors including Ralph DePalma, Jimmy Murphy, and Tommy Milton. It was also the site of a racing accident that killed National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet in 1920.

Gaston Chevrolet was the younger brother of Louis Chevrolet, who in 1911 co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Company.

Historical Notes

The gigantic eucalyptus trees in the distance ran the length of what today would be Charleville Blvd., a street named for developer Walter G. McCarty's Irish roots. The trees created a natural wind and sound barrier for residential neighborhood north of Wilshire Boulevard, which within five years, would start to become the city's commercial triangle.

Historical Notes

Motorcycle board track racing took place at the short lived Beverly Hills Speedway between 1920 and 1924.

Historical Notes

There is no doubt that board track racing was an incredibly exciting event to witness.  The motorcycles were capable of speeds over 100 mph and represented all the marques of the day.  Manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson, Indian and Excelsior all had factory racing teams with custom built factory race bikes.

Historical Notes

Because the turns were severely banked, it allowed riders to reach speeds of more than 100 miles an hour. Crashes were frequent and horrific—riders who went down faced being impaled by splinters—and often fatal.

Historical Notes

By the mid-‘20s, the sport began to lose its appeal. Perhaps the novelty wore off; certainly the carnage was appalling. Newspapers began referring to motordromes as “murderdromes,” and local governments closed some tracks. Race officials and the motorcycle manufacturers that sponsored racing teams tried to implement measures to slow down the bikes, but that went nowhere. By the early 1930s, board-track motorcycle racing had become a footnote in motorsport history. *#*

Historical Notes

It would soon become apparent that the racetrack wasn't as valuable as the land it was on.  By the mid-twenties the track was dismantled to make way for new developments.

Historical Notes

Coldwater Canyon is a canyon running perpendicular to the Santa Monica Mountains. The canyon is traversed by Coldwater Canyon Drive and Coldwater Canyon Avenue (linked by a short section of Mulholland Drive), which connect the city of Beverly Hills with the community of Studio City in the San Fernando Valley.*

Historical Notes

The Rodeo Land and Water Company later developed the canyon as one of the prime residential areas in Beverly Hills north of Sunset Boulevard.

The legacy of the Rodeo Land and Water Company is intertwined with the history of Beverly Hills. The successful development and promotion of the area helped establish Beverly Hills as a premier residential destination, known for its affluence and celebrity residents.

Historical Notes

In the early 20th century, the area underwent significant development, and Coldwater Canyon became a prominent route. The expansion of Los Angeles and the development of Beverly Hills as an upscale residential area contributed to the importance of Coldwater Canyon as a transportation artery.

Historical Notes

From the early 1920s through the 1960s, pathways dedicated to horse travel ran down the center of several Beverly Hills streets. One stretched from the city's eastern to western boundary, meandering through town down the center of Sunset Boulevard. Another occupied the median of Rodeo Drive, where it replaced an abandoned Pacific Electric trolley line that once connected Santa Monica Boulevard with the Beverly Hills Hotel. Two more snaked their way up Coldwater and Benedict canyons.

The bridle paths served several purposes. They satisfied the recreational urges of the city's many equine enthusiasts. They reinforced the image of Beverly Hills as a place of wealth and privilege. They preserved the rustic feel of a city that was fervently carving itself out of the open countryside of Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas. And lastly, though saddle horses were never as common on city streets as draft horses, they nostalgically recalled that dying breed -- the urban horse. ^*^

Historical Notes

For a time, Beverly Hills' bridle paths teemed with horseback riders and the occasional tally-ho. A grand pageant marked the completion of the city's bridle path network on January 10, 1925. The Bridle Path Association placed signs at the paths' entrances proclaiming that they led from "Beverly Hills to the Sea and the Mountains" -- a reference to the organization's ambitious plans to lace the Santa Monica Mountains with equestrian trails. ^*^

Historical Notes

The city's enthusiasm for horses soon waned and eventually its bridle paths fell into disuse. Another recreational craze briefly gave the paths new life in 1938, when, in the midst of a nationwide bicycle fever, the city opened them up to bicycles -- transforming the old bridle paths into some of the region's finest cycling infrastructure. But after World War II brought an abrupt end to the nation's obsession with biking, the city slowly dismantled the aging paths. By 1965, grassy medians occupied the space where horses once trod. ^*^

Historical Notes

The last race on the track was held in 1924; it wasn't as valuable as the land it was on, and was shuttered and dismantled to make way for new developments, like the 1928 Beverly Wilshire Hotel, which was erected on part of the former racetrack property.

The Speedway was relocated just a few miles away to Culver City (1924), near the intersection of Culver and Overland boulevards (across the street from MGM Studios).

Click HERE see more on the Culver City Speedway.

Historical Notes

In 1923, the 193 acres known as the Beverly Hills Speedway tract owned by Silsby Spalding, Cliff Durant, and Jake Dansinger was sold to Walter G. McCarty at about $10,000 per acre.  By 1924, the entire Speedway property bounded by Wilshire Boulevard, South Beverly Drive, Olympic Boulevard, and Lasky Drive was developed into a proposed residential and business district. #*

Historical Notes

He’s a forgotten name today, but, in the 1920s, there was no more successful real estate developer in a booming greater Los Angeles than Frank L. Meline.  Simultaneously, Meline’s powerhouse firm developed such prominent places as Bel-Air, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and a host of others in the region.  He expanded his enterprise to form The Meline Bond and Mortgage Company, an unusual move for a residential developer in that he could issue his own mortgages for projects developed by his realty company.*

At the time of this photo 10th Street (now Olympic Boulevard) had not yet been cut through to the west. It was originally named 10th Street, but was renamed Olympic Boulevard for the 1932 Summer Olympics, as that was the occasion of the tenth modern event.

Historical Notes

At the time of this photo 10th Street (now Olympic Boulevard) had not yet been cut through to the west. It was originally named 10th Street, but was renamed Olympic Boulevard for the 1932 Summer Olympics, as that was the occasion of the tenth modern event.

Historical Notes

There are still giant eucalyptus trees that once lined the boundaries of the Beverly Hills Speedway to the north behind the Walter McCarty retail development. Those trees would soon be cut down to make way for Charleville Blvd. To the left you can see El Camino Drive is beginning to make its way south and in the upper left hand corner of the photo you will find the "Beverly Crest" real estate sign on the mountain, very much like its sister sign, "Hollywoodland" only a handful of miles away. The area from where the photo was taken was known as Beverly Heights. ##++

Historical Notes

Frank Meline was an architect and the first sales agent in Bel-Air for developer Alphonzo Bell (1875-1947).  Meline subdivided Pacific Palisades’ California Riviera neighborhood, where some streets also bear the Claude Fisher Company seen in Monte-Mar Vista.  Meline was a prominent developer "who in 1912 formed his hown Los Angeles construction company, which he expanded in 1919 to a full-service real-estate development and sales opertion with (by 1924) eighteen branch offices throughout the Los Angeles basin.  As a broker, Meline sold half the homes purchased in Beverly Hills before 1930.^

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The street called Preuss Road in the picture is now called Robertson Blvd. The Preuss Road name survives on a street south of Pico.

Historical Notes

Sunset Boulevard stretches from Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades. Approximately 22 miles in length, the famous boulevard roughly mimics the arc of the mountains that form the northern boundary of the Los Angeles Basin, following the path of a 1780s cattle trail from the Pueblo de Los Angeles to the ocean.

The portion of Sunset Boulevard that passes through Beverly Hills was once named Beverly Boulevard.^*

Historical Notes

In 1930, land was purchased from the Pacific Electric to build the city hall. Construction lasted from 1931 to 1932. The building was designed by architects William J. Gage and Harry G. Koerner in the California Churrigueresque style, a type of Spanish Revival Architecture. The building was constructed by the Herbert M. Baruch Corporation. When the city hall opened in 1932, it was called by the Los Angeles Times the "largest and most expensive City Hall of any municipality its size in the country."*

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Beverly Hills City Hall.

Historical Notes

William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers, in addition to being a cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, newspaper columnist, social commentator, and stage and motion picture actor, was the honorary Mayor of Beverly Hills (1926 – 1928). After the city was incorporated it was run by an appointed city manager. The "mayor's office" was merely a ceremonial one that enabled Will to make more jokes about do-nothing politicians such as himself.^*

Historical Notes

The first City Hall building faced south at the end of Crescent Drive, right before Santa Monica Boulevard. It was demolished when the new City Hall was erected in 1932 and its demise made way for South Santa Monica Boulevard to the east and west and Crescent Drive to go all the way through to the South. ##++

Historical Notes

In 1930, land was purchased from the Pacific Electric to build the new city hall. Construction lasted from 1931 to 1932.  The building was designed by architects William J. Gage and Harry G. Koerner in the Spanish Revival architectural style (though sometimes also characterized Churrigueresque). When the city hall opened in 1932, it was called by The Los Angeles Times the "largest and most expensive City Hall of any municipality its size in the country." *^

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills City Hall is surrounded by North Santa Monica Boulevard, North Rexford Drive, South Santa Monica Boulevard, and North Crescent Drive.  Its main entrance is at 455 North Rexford Drive.

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Beverly Hills City Hall.

Historical Notes

Architects Ralph C. Flewellin and Allison and Allison built the Beverly Hills Post Office in 1932-1933 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, with building in terra cotta and brick.^

Historical Notes

The Beverly Hills Post Office (also known as the Crescent Drive Post Office) was part of the original civic center built for the growing young city. Legendary humorist and honorary mayor Will Rogers was credited with securing funding for the building from the federal government, after sending a typically folksy-yet-biting letter to Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon.

Ralph C. Flewelling designed the building with consulting architects Allison and Allison. The building’s stately Italian Renaissance Revival exterior leads into a double-height, marble-clad grand lobby. Artist Charles Kassler adorned the upper walls of the lobby with eight WPA fresco murals depicting the creation of the mail service and views of modern life during the Depression. +++

Historical Notes

When the U.S. Postal Service’s needs outgrew the building, USPS declared it as “surplus property” and offered it for sale to federal, state, and local governments. The nonprofit Beverly Hills Cultural Center Foundation was formed to find a new use for the building as a cultural venue, and the City of Beverly Hills bought the building in 1999.

To transform the site for use as a performing arts center, the project team restored historic elements of the post office building and added a modern annex, connected via tunnel, to house the main 500-seat theatre. The original building received a meticulous repair and restoration, from re-roofing, to restoring the WPA murals, to refurbishing all historic features inside and out. +++

Historical Notes

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts includes a new 500-seat state-of-the-art theater adjacent to the landmark Italian Renaissance Revival building, and three classrooms, a 150-seat flexible studio space, a donor lounge, production support services and administrative offices within the historic post office building itself.^^

Historical Notes

*The discontinuance was west of the station - service continued on the east side until the mid-1950s. PE/MTA provided service further to the west via buses.

Historical Notes

In 1925, the Beverly Hills Fire Department (originally a unit of the Beverly HIlls Police) came into its own entity as a separate organization.  When the new city hall was built in 1932, a new and separate fire station building was added adjacent to the civic center.*

Historical Notes

The station was built on a portion of the original Sun Lumber Company that once dominated the area. Today, the site is the south wing of the Beverly Hills Public Library. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

One of the most significant buildings on Wilshire Boulevard in the 1920s was that of Walter G. McCarty's Beverly Wilshire Hotel and Apartment Homes. Designed by the prestigious Los Angeles architectural firm of Walker and Eisen in the Renaissance Revival style, it became the city's second large-scale hotel in 1928. McCarty and his investment syndicate were equally as committed to the promotion and growth of the city as the Rodeo Land and Water Company had been, and the hotel was a fitting anchor to their residential developments south of Wilshire Boulevard. ##++

Historical Notes

The Beverly Wilshire Hotel was constructed by real estate developer Walter G. McCarty on the site of the former Beverly Hills Speedway. It was completed in 1928 (when the city had fewer than 18,000 residents), and was then known as the "Beverly Wilshire Apartment Hotel".  *^

Historical Notes

Originally named the "Beverly Wilshire Apartment Hotel” when opened (1928), it was renamed the Beverly Wilshire Hotel by its new owners in the 1940s when it was renovated with a ballroom to accommodate the popular big bands of the day. An Olympic-sized swimming pool was built and championship tennis courts were added, with tennis champion Pancho Gonzalez as tennis director.*^

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The E-shaped structure is built of a Tuscan stone and Carrara marble in the Italian Renaissance architecture style.*^

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Today, you will still find the diamond shaped sidewalk when you arrive and individual awning on the tops of each window at the front and the sides of the hotel. ##++

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Four of the six columns are still there today but are just covered up. The ceiling was dropped. Unfortunately that beautiful ornate balcony cover is gone. ##++

Historical Notes

Commissioned by Walker G. McCarty, it was designed by Walker and Eisen and built in the Italian Renaissance revival style. The photo shows the arcade work on the street level. ^

Historical Notes

Cord was the brand name of an American automobile company from Connersville, Indiana, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again in 1936 and 1937.*^

Historical Notes

The Beverly Wilshire Hotel changed hands in 1958 and again in 1961, when it was purchased by a group of investors headed by Hernando Courtright.

The singer Elvis Presley and later the actor Warren Beatty lived several years in the hotel. It was also the home of John Lennon, when he was separated for several months from his wife Yoko Ono. The American socialite and Woolworth department store heiress Barbara Hutton spent her last years in near poverty and poor health in the hotel and died there in May 1979.

Acquired by Regent International Hotels in 1985, the 395-room luxury hotel has been managed by the Four Seasons Hotel since 1992.*^

Historical Notes

The intersection of Wilshire and Beverly Drive has always been the heart of the commercial triangle of Beverly Hills.  On the northeast corner was the Beverly Theater, built in 1925. It was the cities first theater. On the northwest corner was the parking lot of Adrian's Costume building which was originally the Victor Hugo Restaurant in the 1930s.

Historical Notes

Designed by L.A. Smith, this was the first vaudeville and movie theater to be built in Beverly Hills.^

Historical Notes

In 1925, real estate pioneer, Dan M. Quinlan constructed the theater, the first to be built with East Indian decor. The businesses in the theater building included Sally's Homemade Candies.

Historical Notes

The first building on the west side of the road (left) began as the Victor Hugo Restaurant. It was next occupied by the salon of Adrian (as pictured), the movie costumer and designer of couture gowns for the discerning (and very wealthy) woman. It later became a Lane Bryant store. The building was eventually razed. The parking lot is where the Chase Bank building (originally Bank of America) now stands. The Adrian lot is the site of an office building where MGM is headquartered. ##++

Historical Notes

After many years of housing a bank, the Beverly Theater was sadly demolished in August of 2005 to make way for new development. ^^^*

The onion dome ... brings to mind Beverly Hills' temporary original name, "Morocco".

Click HERE to see more in Early Views of the Beverly Theatre.

Historical Notes

Completed in 1929, just before the stock market crash, the California Bank Building stands seven stories tall and was designed by the Los Angeles Father/Son architect team of John and Donald Parkinson. Its classic Art Deco era stair-step design is quintessentially Mesoamerican Revival in style and retains most of its architectural integrity from its period of significance. ##++

Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM, owned the building for some time. 

In the 1990s, the building was acquired by Donald Sterling.  As a result, it was renamed the Sterling Plaza.

Historical Notes

The bottom portion of the building's façade was changed around 1951 to create a modernized, uniform appearance with the small corner building to the west. Around the same time, head of MGM Louis B. Mayer acquired the property and it's rumored there's a theatre on the top floor building. In the 90s, real estate investor/developer Donald Sterling purchased the property and renamed it Sterling Plaza. ##++

Historical Notes

The Original Brown Derby on Wilshire and the Hollywood Brown Derby on Vine Street got most of the attention but there were two others. This one opened in 1931 at 9537 Wilshire at the corner of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Apparently it was busiest on Thursday nights because that was the traditional maid’s night off. +#

Historical Notes

The 36-hole Los Angeles Country Club moved to its current Beverly Hills location (seen above) in 1911.  It had previously been located at Hobart and 16th streets in Pico Heights.*

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In the 1940s an Associated “Flying A” Service Station stood at this corner.  Later it was the site of Trader Vic’s (outside the Hilton Hotel), and today home of the new Waldorf.

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Associated Oil Company was an American oil and gas company once headquartered in San Francisco and served much of the Pacific West Coast, including Hawaii, as well as the Orient and merged with the Tidewater Oil Company in 1938.

Historical Notes

Conceived in the late 20’s and inaugurated in 1931, built on land donated by the Rodeo Land and Water Company and funded by the Beverly Hills Woman’s Club, the Electric Fountain was designed by the architect Ralph Carlin Flewelling with the frieze and sculpture at the top being designed by sculptor/artist Robert Merrell Gage.***

Historical Notes

The “Electric Fountain” includes water-jets and multi-hued lights, which allow for 60 different combined effects every 8 minutes at night. Atop the fountain is a figure of a Native American male, modeled after Gradin Newsom, kneeling in prayer.^

Historical Notes

The fountain's intricate hydraulic system stopped working in the mid 1970's prompting a partially successful restoration attempt in the 1980's. Then the lighting stopped working around 1990. In 2000 there was a complete authentic restoration of the elaborate 69-year-old landmark utilizing new water jets and light fixtures.

On December 13, 2000, the switch was thrown once again on the nation's first electric water fountain, restarting the spectacular water and light show.***

Historical Notes

The iconic Beverly Hills Electric Color Fountain was once again restored and the dedication ceremony held on April 5, 2016. The restoration cost $1.5 million, with the city matching private contributions raised by the Friends of Beverly Gardens Park, which also is working to restore the rest of the 1.9-mile linear series of gardens and paths that runs along the northern side of Santa Monica Boulevard and separates the business of the famous city from its homes. In keeping with the city’s conservation efforts, the lights that change color are now LED and the water recirculates.^+

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills High School was founded in 1927. The original buildings were designed by Robert D. Farquhar in the French Normandy style.

Beverly Hills High School was originally in the Los Angeles City High School District.  On March 23, 1936, the Beverly Hills Elementary School District left the Los Angeles City High School District and formed the Beverly Hills High School District; by operation of law this became the Beverly Hills Unified School District.*^

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills High School is located on 19.5 acres on the west side of Beverly Hills. The land was previously part of the Beverly Hills Speedway board track, which was torn down in 1924.

The school also receives its funding from its on-campus oil tower.

Today, a cluster of 19 oil wells in a single "drilling island" on Beverly's campus, owned by Venoco, Inc., can easily be seen by drivers heading west on Olympic Boulevard toward Century City. The oil wells have pumped much of the oil from under Beverly's campus, and many have been slant drilling into productive regions of the western part of the Beverly Hills Oil Field under many homes and apartment buildings in Beverly Hills for decades.

As of May 2006, the Beverly Hills High School wells were pumping out 400 barrels to 500 barrels a day, earning the school approximately $300,000 a year in royalties.*^

(1966)## - Beverly Hills High School Coat of Arms

Team name:  Normans
Newspaper: Highlights
Yearbook:  Watchtower
Motto:  “Today well lived”

Historical Notes

The school motto, “Today well lived”, is part of a Sanskrit Proverb: "Yesterday is a dream, tomorrow but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore to this day." ##

Historical Notes

Architect Robert D. Farquhar designed the 1927 Beverly Hills High School, located at 241 Moreno Drive. In 1936-1937, the main building was renovated due to damage done by the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. The Swim-Gym, designed by Stiles O. Clement, was built in 1939-1940. Major additions designed by Rowland H. Crawford occurred from 1967-1970 (North Wing to the Main Building, 5 story building with classrooms and two level parking garage). The Science and Technology Center, designed by LPA, architects, was built in 2005-2007.^

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills High School has been featured in many films and TV shows, either as part of the plot or a filming location. Many movies, including Clueless, Real Women Have Curves, Whatever It Takes, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, and It's a Wonderful Life, featured a scene in Beverly's unique "Swim Gym," perhaps the only gymnasium that has a basketball court that can split open to reveal a recreational-sized, 25-yard swimming pool.*^

Historical Notes

Built in 1939, there’s a 25-yard pool under the gym floor. You put in a key, turn it and the gym floor parts in the middle, unveiling the pool. It served as a location for a scene from the 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills High School’s famous Swim Gym (a gym that converts into a pool) appeared in It’s a Wonderful Life. Alicia Silverstone’s Cher in Clueless was a student there. And famed alumni include Betty White, Max Mutchnick, Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage and Barry Diller.

Historical Notes

The 10-acre La Cienega Park was established in 1928.  It included a baseball diamond, tennis courts, lawn bowling, croquet, horseshoe pitch, gymnasium bars, golf-putting green, children’s swings, and a swimming pavilion that was added in 1929. #*

Historical Notes

Designed by Los Angeles architects: Salisbury, Bradshaw and Arthur Taylor and built in 1927, the building was affectionately called the "Public Water Cathedral" because of its monumental Spanish Romanesque style.^

Historical Notes

The Spanish-Romanesque building fell into disuse in 1976 when Beverly Hills began to purchase water from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District. In 1988, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences proposed restoring the building to house a library and film archive and the center opened in 1991. In 2002, the film archive moved to Hollywood. The building was designed along a traditional hacienda layout. Its distinctive high tower is actually a disguised chimney which was originally used to burn off the sulfur in the water at a level high enough to keep it from the noses of nearby residents.^^^

Historical Notes

The tennis courts were known as the “Reservoir Courts” because they were built over one of the City’s water reservoirs adjacent to the Beverly Hills Water Treatment Plant.  After the reservoir and tennis courts were removed, a parking structure was built and the tennis courts were returned to their original site. #*

Historical Notes

Opened in 1929, the pool was one of the best swimming facilities in the Los Angeles area.

Historical Notes

With it's Italian Renaissance design, the swim pavilion was 150 by 45 feet and was a landmark in the city until it was demolished in the 1970s. #*

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The Church of the Good Shepherd parish was founded in 1923. J.J. Donnellan designed the Mission Revival style church and rectory, which opened in 1925.*^

Historical Notes

Over the years, this house of worship has been the local parish church for most of the Catholic movie stars who live in Beverly Hills, from Rudolph Valentino to Bing Crosby (who both attended Sunday Mass here).  It has seen numerous celebrity weddings and funerals. Celebrity weddings have included Elizabeth Taylor and Conrad "Nicky" Hilton, Loretta Young and Tom Lewis, Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter, and Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham, Carmen Miranda and David Sebastian. Celebrity funerals have included Rudolph Valentino (1926), Carmen Miranda (1955), Gary Cooper (1961), William Frawley (1966), Pier Angeli (1971), Jack Haley (1979), Alfred Hitchcock (1980), Vincente Minnelli (1986), Rita Hayworth (1987), Danny Thomas (1991), Eva Gabor (1995), Mary Frann (1998), Frank Sinatra (1998), Don Adams (2005), and Merv Griffin (2007).*^

Historical Notes

Traffic jams in Beverly Hills were common through the boom of the 1920s, resulting in new traffic laws and intersection lights to ease traffic and auto accidents.  Some of the stores shown on the eastside of the street include Piggly Wiggly Market and the Beverly Mode Shop. #*

Historical Notes

Piggly Wiggly was the first self-service grocery store. It was founded in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee, by Clarence Saunders. At the time of its founding, grocery stores did not allow their customers to gather their own goods. Instead, a customer would give a list of items to a clerk, who would then go through the store, gathering them. This created a greater cost, and therefore higher prices. Piggly Wiggly introduced the innovation of allowing customers to go through the store, gathering their own goods, thus cutting costs and lowering prices. Losses due to easier shoplifting were more than offset by profits from increased impulse purchasing. Others were initially experimenting with this format as well, which initially came to be known as a "groceteria", reminding people of cafeterias, another relatively new, self-service idea.

The success of Piggly Wiggly was phenomenal, so much so that other independent and chain grocery stores changed to self-service in the 1920s and 1930s. At its peak in 1932, the company operated 2,660 stores and posted annual sales in excess of $180 million.

There are presently more than 600 independently owned and operated stores in 17 states. The company headquarters are located in Keene, New Hampshire. Some of the stores have formed a retailers' cooperative to manage distribution, while using the Piggly Wiggly name (e.g., Piggly Wiggly Midwest and Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Company). Piggly Wiggly stores are found predominantly in medium to smaller size cities, and remain a fixture in many rural communities.^

Historical Notes

Spot lights were commonly used for grand openings of stores in the 1930s.

Historical Notes

At the beginning of the 1930s in Beverly Hills, Canon Drive was becoming a commercial street between Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. The Bekins Storage building, one of the first major commercial spaces on the block, was followed by the Cadillac and Auburn-Cord dealerships and several furniture showrooms. At the end of the block at Wilshire Boulevard, stood the new Warner Beverly Hills Theater that opened in May 1931, beginning a new business boom for the city. However, due to the Depression, most business and real estate development was stalled until the end of the 1930s.^

Historical Notes

Cord was the brand name of an American automobile company from Connersville, Indiana, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again in 1936 and 1937.*^

Historical Notes

Designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca in 1930, the Warner Beverly was a medium sized theater, designed after its sisters in Huntington Park and San Pedro. The building was an outstanding example of Art Deco style and was considered "The Pride of Beverly Hills" on the southwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Cañon Drive in 1931.##++

Historical Notes

The theater's large scale and elaborate Art Deco design made it a prominent feature in the landscape of Beverly Hills, distinguished especially by its tall neon-lit tower sign.^

Historical Notes

Rita Hayworth achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in a total of 61 films over 37 years. The press coined the term "The Love Goddess" to describe Hayworth after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s. She was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II.*^

Historical Notes

The final owner of the Warner Beverly Theatre, Columbia Savings and Loan Association, had the facility torn down in 1989 because they didn't want to spend the money, reportedly $12 million, to seismically upgrade the Art Deco movie palace, even though it was in fine cosmetic condition. ##++

Historical Notes

At the eastern edge of Beverly Hills sits the elaborate Spanish Art Deco style Fox Wilshire Theatre. Designed by noted theatre architect Simeon Charles Lee, this was his 3rd theatre design, after the Tower Theatre and the Los Angeles Theatre, both in downtown Los Angeles. The Fox Wilshire Theatre was also the first of many he designed in an Art Deco style. It was built for and operated by the Fox West Coast Theatres circuit, and opened on September 19, 1930, with seating for 2,296 in orchestra and balcony levels. ^

Historical Notes

Dominating the exterior of the Fox Wilshire building was a 6-story corner tower, containing luxurious apartments on the top two floors. It was originally topped by a huge rotating sky sign spelling out the name ‘FOX’ in large vertically placed letters. The exterior of the building was originally painted in a buff color and had black vertical stripes running up the tower and Deco style decorations painted in silver. ^

Historical Notes

The Fox Wilshire was designed in what is now known as the Art Deco style but was then often described simply as “modern.” This style features strong geometric designs, stylized plant and animal motifs, and an accent on vertical forms.

Very contemporary in 1930, the design was complemented by a bold color scheme of silver, black, and coral along with plush pink carpets, which created a luxurious environment.*

Historical Notes

Built for the Fox West Coast Theatres circuit, the Fox Wilshire hosted premieres of many important Fox films in the 1930s and ’40s, beginning opening night, which featured the Marx Brothers in Animal Crackers. The theatre’s wide proscenium allowed for an extra large screen, which later made it a natural for long runs of widescreen films such as The Sound of Music (1965).*

Historical Notes

The Fox Wilshire was designed in what is now known as the Art Deco style but was then often described simply as “modern.” This style features strong geometric designs, stylized plant and animal motifs, and an accent on vertical forms.

Historical Notes

During the early years in the 1930’s, the Fox Wilshire was a popular meeting place for lunchtime foyer concerts and occasional midnight matinees which would be attended by film stars who lived in the locality of Beverley Hills. The open lobby on the street front was modernized over the years, losing its street ticket booth and gaining a new marquee, while the exterior of the building was painted plain white, which diminishes the original Spanish Art Deco style of the building. ^

Historical Notes

The theatre was always a premier first run venue for Fox West Coast Theatres and its successor National General. Later it was operated by Mann Theatres after they took over the remnants of the Fox Circuit on the west coast. For the second film released in Cinemascope, "How to Marry a Millionaire," 20th Century Fox took it to the Fox Wilshire.

Historical Notes

The theatre was converted to a stage venue in 1980. To better accommodate audiences during intermissions, the lobby was enlarged to include space that had formerly been rear orchestra seating. By that time, original silver-and-black stenciled designs that had completely covered the walls and ceiling had been replaced with a muted palette of contemporary colors..^

Historical Notes

In 2005, Temple Shalom for the Arts purchased the building and subsequently began work on restoring the theatre back to its original grandeur. Renamed the Saban Theatre in 2009, it is now used as a rental space for theatre, concerts, film shoots, and special events, as well as for religious services.

In 2012, the theatre was listed in the National Register for Historic Places. On May 8, 2013, the theatre was declared landmark #12 on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties.

Historical Notes

Mary Pickford's Wilshire Links, a miniature golf course, was located on the corner of Wilshire Blvd and La Cienega. Pickford owned the property and with the miniature golf craze in full swing, she hired artisans from the United Artist Studio to build a course in a "French modernistic style." It featured imitation palms, a lake and wandering streams as well as lighting effects.*^#

Historical Notes

The Sontag Drug Store contained a soda fountain, grill and coffee shop and was built in the Streamline Moderne style. It was one of the largest drug stores in America when constructed. Berk's is advertising theater specials from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at popular prices!

Historical Notes

In the 1920s, as the automobile was becoming the default way to get around Southern California, buildings and structures in the area became more unique, often resembling the merchandise or services they hawked.  These “hey-you-can’t miss-me!” buildings (referred to as Novelty or Programmatic Architecture) were made to pull automobile drivers right off the road.

Click HERE to see more examples of Programmatic Architecture.

Historical Notes

In March of 1912, the Diamond Rubber Company was bought out by and merged with the B.F. Goodrich Company. The Diamond brand name and product line were retained and a subsidiary Diamond Rubber Company created for the marketing and manufacturing of them.

Click HERE to see more Early Gas Stations.

Historical Notes

Harry B. Carpenter founded the Carpenter's chain with his brother Charles and operated many locations in the Los Angeles area including: Sunset and Vine, Wilshire and Western, Wilshire and Le Doux, Wilshire and Vine, Pico and Vermont, Silver Lake and Glendale and Sunset and Virgil.^

Historical Notes

In 1936, after separating from his brother, Charles E. Carpenter opened three Carpenter's Cafes. A transitional project Carpenter's Village (606 E. Colorado) combined a Rite Spot Cafe and Carpenter's drive-in. Next he opened the Rite Spot Cafe in Pasadena, located at 1500 West Colorado Street (now considered Eagle Rock) and the Santa Anitan Cafe at Huntington and Colorado.^

Click HERE to see more Early Views of LA Drive-in Restaurants.

Historical Notes

Dolores was founded by Amanda and Ralph Stevens, who after owning various restaurants in different states moved to Los Angeles in 1944 and opened the Dolores Drive-in Restaurant in West Hollywood..

There were many drive-in restaurants in Los Angeles during the mid 1940's and Dolores fit right in. Then, in 1956 the Stevens' son Robert and his wife Lucille moved to Los Angeles to help manage the newly leased Dolores Restaurant on Wilshire Blvd. and Le Doux Rd near La Cienega. The restaurant was a hit with the local teenagers in the 40's and 50's with its carhops, Suzie Q's and JJ Burgers became a staple in the community for the next thirty years.^

Historical Notes

In 1981 Dolores Drive-in was forced to close down to make room for a high rise office building. The last of the remaining Dolores Restaurants was located at 11407 Santa Monica Blvd in West Los Angeles, which recently closed down.

Historical Notes

Built in 1946, Dolores would become the last restaurant of its kind to be seen in Beverly Hills thanks to a city ordinance prohibiting drive-ins.

In 1981, KNBC TV interviewed loyal customers who flocked to Dolores's, the popular drive-in restaurant at Wilshire and La Cienega Blvd. for one last meal before it was torn down. Click HERE to see short video.

Today, an office building stands where Dolores Drive-in once served hamburgers and fries. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The Spanish-style shopping center of the El Dorado Market was arranged around the parking lot and service station and featured easy access from Wilshire Blvd. It included a grocery store, bakery, delicatessen, Dutch ice cream shop, and real estate office.*

Southern California was the principal center for the development of drive-in markets between the mid-1910s to the early 1940s. Other notable early drive-in markets included: Mandarin Market (Hollywood), Plaza Market (LA), Sunset Clock Market (Beverly Hills), and the Aurora Market (Glendale)

Historical Notes

Currie’s was a popular ice cream chain known for its “mile-high cone” whose replica was often displayed billboard-style on roofs.  There was at least one more Currie's Ice Cream Store in Beverly Hills, located on the NW corner of Gale Drive and Wilshire Boulevard.

Today, a multi-story office building stands where El Dorako Market used to be located. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Wilshire Boulevard got its name from millionaire socialist Henry Gaylord Wilshire, who in 1895 began developing 35 acres stretching westward from Westlake Park for an elite residential subdivision. Wilshire donated to the city (LA) a strip of land 120 feet wide by 1,200 feet long for a boulevard, on the conditions that it would be named for him and that railroad lines and commercial or industrial trucking would be banned.  As the city developed westward, so did Wilshire. +++

Doheny Drive is a major north–south thoroughfare mostly through Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.  It is named for Edward L. Doheny, an early 20th century oil tycoon based in Los Angeles/Beverly Hills. *^

Historical Notes

Harrold’s Steakhouse was named for its owner Harold Feldman, a transplant from Illinois.  Harold and his wife Gwendoline lived only blocks away in a multi-family dwelling at the corner of Reeves Drive and Gregory Way. The building was partially designed (the Streamline westernmost portion) by the architectural firm of Schwartz and Fiel and survived until the early 60s at which time it was demolished to make way for an unobtrusive mid-century, Security First National Bank building. In 1971, that building was demolished for a more lucrative, high-rise, glass-box. ##++

Click HERE to see contemporary view of the above intersection.

Historical Notes

Haggarty's was a department store chain founded in Los Angeles in 1906 and which closed in May 1970 due to not keeping up with fashion trends and a resulting $4.4 million in debts. It had more than a dozen branches at its peak.

The chain was founded by J. J. Haggarty (1860–1935) who opened his first store the "New York Cloak and Suit House" in 1906. After opening three more stores on Broadway between 3rd and 6th streets, he finally opened his "vision", a large "uptown" Los Angeles store, at the southeast corner of W. Seventh St. and Grand Avenue, this time under the name J.J. Haggarty Inc.

Historical Notes

At the time of the Haggerty chain's demise the principal owner was Mrs. Lila M. Ash, the wife of Roy Ash, the president of Litton Industries, a large defense contractor. She had invested about $9.5 million in Haggarty's.

Shortly before bankruptcy in 1970, the chain operated locations in Beverly Hills (the lease on which was acquired by Roos-Atkins), Palm Springs, Downey, Canoga Park, and four Hafter's-Haggarty's shops in the San Diego area.^

Historical Notes

Built in 1930s, the Art-Deco Hillcrest Motor Company Building was the sole Cadillac showroom, dealership, and service venue in Beverly Hills for decades.

Historical Notes

William M. Bray, Architect, AIA, NCARB created the new look contemporary building design which included two-story marble and glass entry; large expanses of glass between contemporary pilasters; “Starburst” lightweight concrete block decoration and screens;  marble flooring; and high ceilings.  This made Hillcrest Motors a cultural icon in the city of Beverly Hills for decades.  Business leaders, celebrities, and others viewed, bought, and had their cars serviced there.*

Today, this building is a Lexus Dealership. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The Ralphs grocery store chain made their way through the Southern California architectural landscape in the early 20th century building stunning structures uniquely suited for individual neighborhoods. Beverly Hills was no exception with its stately Art Deco Streamline Moderne Ralphs on the northeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Crescent Drive. ##++

The corner where Raplhs once stood is now occupied by a 3-story office building. Click HERE to see contemporary view.

Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 by George Albert Ralphs. The original store was located at Sixth and Spring Streets. Click HERE to see the original store.

Historical Notes

The development of Beverly Hills in the 1920s, 30s and 40s gave witness to an eclectic mix of architectural styles that defined the unique and glamorous look the city still enjoys today.

Historical Notes

Nate 'n Al opened its doors in 1945.  The deli was started by two long term friends and partners, Al Mendelson and Nate Rimer.  It began to grow big in name especially when silver screen starlets, directors, producers and writers made Nate 'n Al a Hollywood hangout.

Nate would eventually leave the business, however, the deli would continue to be run by Al and family, including his wife Terry, sons Barry and Sandy, and grandsons Mark and David who still operate Nate ‘n Al today.^

Historical Notes

In the above photo, the mingling of exceptional architectural styles is clearly evident, from the Beaux Arts Walter G. McCarty development on the southwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Drive to the Mughal Revival Beverly Theatre on N. Beverly Drive and the stair-step design Art Deco Era California Bank building now known as Sterling Plaza. The heart of the commercial district was distinct and recognizable as definitively Beverly Hills. ##++

Historical Notes

Wil Wright’s was a chain of ice cream parlors that dotted the Southern California landscape up until the mid-seventies.  In addition to the Beverly Hills location, they could be found in Westwood Village (corner of Glendon and Lindbrook), West Hollywood (Sunset Strip), Pacific Palisades (San Vicente), and Sherman Oaks (corner of Ventura and Van Nuys Blvd). They were the perfect place to take a date after the movie.  The delicate pink and red decor and little marble tables and wire-frame chairs made you feel like you were seated inside a Valentine’s Day card.

Historical Notes

This was the last house left standing on Rodeo Drive between Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards before the street completely gave over to commercial interests. Actually, it was a home turned into a restaurant. Rodeo Drive didn’t become a luxury strip until the arrival of Gucci in 1969.

Historical Notes

In 1952, Robinson’s unveiled its first major branch store in Beverly Hills, designed by Charles Luckman and William Pereira, with interiors by Raymond Loewy.  The mid-century modern store, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on a “California Patio” had adjacent parking and a rooftop restaurant, and was noted by the Los Angeles Times for its "striking architecture and sophisticated smartness."

Historical Notes

The store opened in 1952 and closed in 2006. It was 200,000 square feet large with 1,100 parking spaces when it opened; cost was $6 million. Architect-engineers were Charles O. Matcham, Charles Luckman and William Pereira (of San Francisco Transamerica Pyramid and Irvine city planning fame). Raymond Loewy and Associates designed the interior.^

Historical Notes

As decades passed, revenues of the Beverly Hills Robinson's store declined in part due to the prevalence of newly-constructed regional shopping malls throughout the country. Whereas department stores originally succeeded as standalone buildings, new department stores were being positioned as anchors within regional shopping malls where they benefited from the synergy and traffic provided by a complementary mix of dozens of retail clothing stores. More specifically, the Robinson's Department Store's business was directly challenged by the 1964 opening of the nearby 900,000 SF Century Square Shopping Center, now known as Westfield Century City. The 900,000 SF Century Square Shopping Center would eventually include two department stores, which have now been rebranded as Bloomingdales and Macy's. As a result of this major shift in the department store industry, Robinson's would find its sales and traffic steadily decreasing until the early 2000s. ^

In 2016, the Robinson's slong with its parking structure was demolished to make room for two high rise, mixed used housing buildings.

Historical Notes

In 1950, Conrad Hilton filed an application to build a $17 million hotel on the site of the Beverly Hills Nursery.  The hotel opened in August 1955, making it the third major hotel in Beverly Hills. 

Historical Notes

Conrad Hilton opened the Beverly Hilton in 1955. Architect Welton Becket designed the hotel as a showpiece with 582 rooms. Since 1961, the hotel's International Ballroom has hosted the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.*

Historical Notes

The Beverly Hilton opened in 1955 by distinguished hotelier Conrad Hilton. Owned by Merv Griffin from 1987 to 2003, Beny Alagem and Oasis West Realty LLC purchased the 569- room hotel in 2003 and immediately embarked on a spectacular $80 million renovation, which was completed in 2008. Since then, an additional $19 million in refresh updates have been made.^

Historical Notes

Esther Williams, film star and swimmer extraordinaire officially inaugurated The Beverly Hilton’s Aqua Star Pool (the largest in Beverly Hills) by swimming through white gardenias with three of her swim students. The hotel’s ground-floor nightclub, the Bali Room (now the International Ballroom), was so versatile that its beautiful jeweled stage and dance floor could be converted to an ice skating rink when the occasion called for it.^

Historical Notes

Painted a familiar shade of Welton Becket's favored color, marshmallow white, the building was called the "western White House" by President John F. Kennedy.

July 10, 1960 marked the Democratic National Convention Closing Ceremonies; Presidential nominee John F. Kennedy held a gala fundraiser at The Beverly Hilton where his pal Frank Sinatra rounded up a host of celebrities including Milton Berle, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, Judy Garland, Mort Sahl and the entire ‘Jack Pack’ to mingle with the crowd of 2,800 supporters. By the time Judy Garland began her second number, the crowd had filled two separate ballrooms to capacity.^

Historical Notes

Since 1961, the hotel's International Ballroom has hosted the Golden Globe Award ceremony, presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The hotel’s vast size and upscale event space allows over 1,300 guests to gather in the International Ballroom for the live telecast, five entertainment companies also throw large viewing and after parties simultaneously in areas throughout The Beverly Hilton’s nearly 9-acre property.

Historical Notes

*The discontinuance was west of the station - service continued on the east side until the mid-1950s. PE/MTA provided service further to the west via buses.

Historical Notes

Wigwag is the nickname given to a type of railroad grade crossing signal once common in North America, named for the pendulum-like motion it used to signal the approach of a train. It is generally credited to Albert Hunt, a mechanical engineer at Southern California's Pacific Electric (PE) interurban streetcar railroad, who invented it in 1909 for safer railroad grade crossings. The term should not be confused with its usage in Britain, where wigwag is generally used to refer to alternate flashing lights, such as those found at modern level crossings.*

Historical Notes

The Pacific Electric ran freight service along here until 1965 while electric passenger operations through Beverly Hills ended in the 1950s.

Until the mid-1960s it was commonplace to see a train travel down Santa Monica Boulevard along the business triangle through the city. Today those tracks have been replaced by parking structures but you can still see the Pacific Electric right-of-way fenced off on parts of what used to be known as Railroad Avenue.

Historical Notes

Pacific Electric ran freight service along here until 1965 while electric passenger operations through Beverly Hills ended in the 1950s.

Historical Notes

Route 66, also known as U.S. Highway 66 or the Will Rogers Highway, was established in 1926. This roadway was once the primary highway from America’s interior to the West Coast. It is 2,450 miles long and is one of the earliest automobile transport routes in the United States.

During the mid-1930s, Route 66 stretched into the Los Angeles area from Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard and connected to a number of existing roadways. Route 66 made its way to downtown Los Angeles, followed Sunset Boulevard, connected with North Santa Monica Boulevard and headed through Beverly Hills, as it continued west to the Santa Monica Pier.

In recent years, the City of Beverly Hills has developed distinctive signage to place along historic Route 66, within Beverly Hills city limits. The unique Route 66 mark mirrors the City’s iconic shield logo.*

Historical Notes

Theodore J. Van de Kamp and brother-in-law Lawrence L. Frank were the owners and originators of the Van de Kamp Bakeries. Fondly known as the "Taj Mahal of all bakeries". Van de Kamp and Frank also founded both the Tam O'Shanter's (1922) and Lawry's Prime Rib (1938) restaurants.

The bakery was sold by the Van de Kamp family and acquired by General Baking Co. in 1956. The company was sold to private investors in 1979, and closed in bankruptcy in 1990.

Former Los Angeles County District Attorney John Van de Kamp is a grandson of the baker's founder. *^

Click HERE to see Van de Kamp's 1st Windmill Bakery Shop.

Historical Notes

People still fondly remember the Currie’s chain and its “mile-high cone” whose replica was often displayed billboard-style on roofs. The chain was started in 1927 by three brothers named Kuhns. After WWII they sold it to the Good Humor Company who later sold it to Lipton in the 1960s. In 1964 the chain opened its 87th store, in North Hollywood. Although Currie’s anticipated launching units in every community in Southern California, only three outlets were listed in the 1967 Los Angeles phone book and the chain had disappeared by the 1980s. *##

Historical Notes

Most of the buildings that housed Currie's Ice Cream had the larger than life cone on top of the building. These “hey-you-can’t miss-me!” buildings (referred to as Novelty or Programmatic Architecture) were made to pull automobile drivers right off the road.

Click HERE to see more examples of Programmatic Architecture.

Historical Notes

Built in 1929, this C. W. Wilson and Sons designed L-shaped structure once housed a mom-and-pop market and one apartment. This last remaining example of a Wilshire drive-up market currently (2015) serves as a Porsche-Audi dealership.

Historical Notes

Southern California was the principal center for the development of drive-in markets between the mid-1910s to the early 1940s. Other notable early drive-in markets included: Mandarin Market (Hollywood), Plaza Market (LA), El Dorado Market (Beverly Hills), and the Aurora Market (Glendale).

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Views of Early Gas Stations.

Historical Notes

In 1922 Lawrence L. "Lawry" Frank and Walter Van de Kamp founded the Lawry's company and created the Tam O'Shanter Inn restaurant in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles, which claims to be the oldest restaurant in Los Angeles still operated by the same family in the same location. Frank created a special seasoned salt for use at Tam O'Shanter, which was available only to customers.

In 1938 the two opened Lawry's The Prime Rib on La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The same year, Lawry's began marketing its signature seasoned salt in retail stores. This was the beginning of a food products empire under the Lawry's name that today sells a wide range of seasonings and flavorings. The line was sold to Lipton/Unilever in 1979, which in turn sold it to McCormick & Company in 2008.*

Historical Notes

In 1947 Lawry's restaurant moved from its original location on La Cienega across the street and a few blocks further south to a larger, mostly windowless, strikingly modernistic building designed by Wayne McAllister.

In 1956, just prior to the 1957 Rose Bowl Game between the Oregon State Beavers and the Iowa Hawkeyes, Lawry's entertained the two competing teams. The Beavers were fed a prime rib dinner at the Beverly Hills restaurant and the Hawkeyes the same on the Pasadena City College football field following their practice. This started an annual tradition of hosting both Rose Bowl-bound teams, although following the inaugural event with Iowa the Big Ten teams were served outside Rose Bowl Stadium from 1957-1962. By 1963, when Illinois and Washington both dined at the restaurant on separate nights prior to the 1964 Rose Bowl Game, the two team events had become known as "Lawry's Beef Bowl." The Beef Bowl has expanded to the Dallas, Texas, location for the two Cotton Bowl participants.*

Historical Notes

Born in 1856 to Irish immigrants in New York City, James B. Brady was a self-made millionaire, railroad tycoon, and philanthropist. His love of flashy jewelry, which he affectionately called “my pets” and wore on everything – even down to his underwear – earned him his nickname.

Prominent man-about-town, Broadway theatergoer, tireless dancer and owner of the city’s first automobile, Diamond Jim was a true celebrity in his day.

His superhuman appetite established him as the “greatest eater” of the late 19th century America’s Gilded Age. It was said that in one sitting he could put away enough food to feed ten people. A midday snack alone might include three dozen oysters, six lobsters, turtle soup, a steak and two pounds of bonbons for dessert.

His reputation, built on press coverage during his life, grew into the next century. In the depths of the Depression, people’s fascination with this outsized character was heightened by the publication of a biography in 1934 and the release of Preston Sturges’ 1935 movie “Diamond Jim.”

By the time the first Prime Rib opened in 1938, Diamond Jim Brady, who had passed away twenty-one years before, was legendary. Any restaurant guest would have immediately recognized his name as a symbol of the biggest and the best.^

Historical Notes

The streamlined look cart has been in service since the restaurant opened in 1938 - it is in use to this day.

Historical Notes

In 1993 Lawry’s moved again to a new building located on the original site. McAllister's building is now occupied by The Stinking Rose, a well-known garlic-themed Italian restaurant.

In 1974, Lawry's opened a satellite in Chicago's River North district, followed by restaurants in Dallas in 1983 and Las Vegas in 1997. Internationally, Lawry's opened in Jakarta in 1996, Singapore 1999, Tokyo 2001, Taipei 2002, Hong Kong 2006, Shanghai & Osaka in 2008, and Seoul in 2013.*

(1981)* - Close-up view of an acorn style street light located on Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills.  Some of these are still standing including one at the NW corner of Santa Monica and Oakhurst.

Click HERE to see more in Early LA Streetlights.

Historical Notes

The south roadway of Santa Monica Boulevard, often called Little Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, runs parallel to the state highway (north) roadway of Santa Monica Boulevard from the city's west limit to Rexford Drive. After Rexford Drive, Little Santa Monica turns east, becoming Burton Way. Burton Way merges into San Vicente Boulevard at its intersection with La Cienega Boulevard.*^

Historical Notes

The whole stretch of Little Santa Monica was known in the city’s early years as Burton Way, named after Beverly Hills cofounder Burton E. Green.

Historical Notes

The Perpetual Savings and Loan building is a striking tower of stacked white arches with trailing greenery, sited prominently along Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. It was designed by seminal architect Edward Durell Stone in the New Formalist style he popularized in the early 1960s, and represents an important step in his re-visioning of historical Classical, Moorish, and Indo-Islamic styles through a Modern lens.^

Historical Notes

Completed in 1962, the eight-story Perpetual Savings building is a simple glass-skinned high-rise completely sheathed in a pierced concrete screen of repeating parabolic arches. It has been described as Venetian Modern, and indeed it stands like a simplified palazzo, complete with front plaza containing four flagpoles and a dramatic circular fountain. Some people see another Italian influence: the Mussolini-commissioned Palazzo della Civilta Italiana in Rome, known as the "Square Colosseum" for its Fascist replication of the ancient arena's arches on a square tower.^

Historical Notes

Designed by Harry Bertoia, the 18 by 11 feet gold plated “Sunburst” is now located at 215 S 15th St. Milton Abrahams Branch Omaha Library.

Historical Notes

The Perpetual Savings Building (later Home Federal Savings then Pacific Merantil Bank) is a striking tower completely sheathed in a pierced concrete screen of stacked white repeating parabolic arches. Some see the influence of Marcello Piacentini’s Palazzo della Civilta Italiana in Rome, commissioned by Mussolini and known as the “Square Colosseum” for its fascist replication of the ancient arena’s arches on a square tower.  Architect Edward Durell Stone was enamored of both classical and Modern Italian architecture, visiting the country often with his Italian-born wife.*

Historical Notes

Designed by the architectural firm of Stiles and Robert Clements, this building still stands today but has been substantially modified along the way. Stiles O. Clements was a key architect during the Art Deco Era and designed such notable structures as the El Capitan, Mayan, and Wiltern Theatres, Chapman Market, the Adamson House in Malibu, the beloved Richfield Tower in downtown Los Angeles and SO many other iconic structures including our the Swim Gym at Beverly High. His son Robert joined the firm in 1955 and by 1965 Stiles retired and died in 1966. Collectively, their designs had a tremendous impact on the development of Wilshire Boulevard in the 20th century. Today, this building is occupied by the ROLEX Corporation.

Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Rodeo Drive is a two-mile long street, primarily in Beverly Hills. Its northern terminus is its intersection with Sunset Boulevard and its southern is its intersection with Beverwil Drive in the city of Los Angeles. The name is most commonly used to refer to a three block stretch of the street north of Wilshire Boulevard and south of Little Santa Monica Boulevard, which is known for its luxury-goods stores. The larger business district surrounding Rodeo, known as the "Golden Triangle," which extends from Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica Boulevard, is both a shopping district and a major tourist attraction.*^

Historical Notes

Two Rodeo Drive is an outdoor shopping center that was built in 1990. It initially housed, amongst other stores, Christian Dior and Valentino.   The original developer, Douglas Stitzel, sold the property for about $200 million immediately after its completion. The shopping center was hard-hit by the early 1990s recession, with occupancy rates dropping to as low as 60%, and the buyers sold it at an almost $70 million loss in 2000.  By 2007 the property was financially stable again and was sold to a group of Irish investors for $275 million. It resembles a “faux-European shopping alley” and features a cobblestone street. Some architects have claimed that Two Rodeo Drive is similar to a "theme park in the manner of Disneyland." *^

Historical Notes

Beverly Hills City Hall has long been a beloved civic landmark, its 1932 Spanish Renaissance tower denoting the political heart of an iconic city. *

Historical Notes

In 1981, Beverly Hills announced a design competition to add a large civic center component adjacent to the historic City Hall building, and chose the winner from submissions by five highly prominent architectural firms.

Charles Moore and his firm Urban Innovations Group came out on top with a design that playfully expands on City Hall’s architecture. Completed in 1990, the Civic Center complex uses a sort of Postmodern, Spanish-Art Deco hybrid in its plan of courtyards, colonnades, promenades, and buildings. The complex mixes open and semi-enclosed spaces, using stairways and balconies to create multiple levels of perspective.

A diagonal promenade dotted with elliptical courtyards runs through the complex, connecting City Hall with the street and unifying the complex as a whole.

Colorful tile and geometrically arched colonnades bring a distinct 1980s sensibility that somehow complements the tiled dome of the 1932 tower. In this design, as in all of his designs, Moore aimed to create “a place that is distinguishable in mind and memory from other places.” The Beverly Hills Civic Center definitely met that goal, as there is no place else quite like it.*

Historical Notes

As Beverly Hills approached the 100th anniversary of its incorporation, concern began to grow over the lack of an historic preservation ordinance to protect significant structures located within the city limits.  In response, the City Council enacted one with the honor of Historic Landmark No. 1 being bestowed upon the Beverly Hills Hotel.  Upon achieving its centennial in 2014, Beverly Hills continues to mature with renewed appreciation for its past, remaining true to Burton Green’s vision of an oasis of refinement, while meeting the challenges of the future.^

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