Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyingwedge
At left, 6th Street forks into 6th and 5th as it crosses eastbound over the Harbor Freeway, and to the right of center Wilshire Blvd. crosses over the freeway by the Signal Building.
It looks like there's a building behind (north of) the Sunkist Building that is missing from the Huntington photo above, so I guess that photo is early 1969 (the Castle and Salt Box were
moved in March '69):
Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/lafdhs/...7626553445719/ |
To fully appreciate the answer we've got to go here...
Bryson Block, 2nd and Spring Streets, 1905
Beautiful high resolution shot of the Bryson Block at 2nd and Spring Streets. Some loafers around the side of the building in the sun, an interesting little sidewalk business at street-level right on the corner and if you feel lucky, up in Pasadena they're having a chariot race, 1st prize is $1,000.00. In 1905, that's real money. About ten years earlier than this shot, Col. Holdridge Ozro Collins had his offices in Room (Suite) 59. Among his many endeavours Col. Collins was a founding member and the first president of the California Chapter of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution. And it was in his offices in Room (Suite) 59 that the Society held it's first meetings and established it's library, whose collection by 1900 would number 5,000 volumes. The Society went through a half dozen moves or more as their membership and collections grew. Finally, in the mid-late teens they began discussing the desirability (and the feasibility) of one day owning outright a freestanding building of their own. Enter Nathan Stowell...
Nathan Stowell, ca.1920
As an active member and enthusiastic supporter of the Society, Mr. Stowell saw his way clear to place at the Society's disposal a prime site of real estate located in the 'core of the central business district' and while one might quibble about where and what such a 'core' might be, one cannot dispute the appropriateness of what happened next. Described as a 'portion of Lot 1, Block T, in the Mott Tract, 44.5 feet frontage by 41 feet depth' and 'given on the condition that there be placed thereon "a fireproof building" suitable to the needs of the Society.'
We've all seen this great map before...(which I place at about 1930, note the Edison is still being annotated as a 'site')
Bunker Hill, ca.1930
The Sons are up and running at 437 S. Hope Street.
Someone posted this image the other day (I think it may have been you) It is an absolutely great shot...
Aerial looking northeast from approximately 5th and Hope Streets, 1930
We get just a peek of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution over the top of the Touraine (large dark building, lower/center with the peaked front cornice). There, next door, is a white, essentially square building with a decorative urn on the corner of the roofline...
I give you the only known (to me) shot of the front elevation of the California Chapter of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution (trumpets sounding)...
Sons of the Revolution, 437 South Hope Street, 1929
The Society constructed their building for about $25,000 and retired the underlying mortgage (construction loan, I'm assuming) in 1935. Free and clear, they did business at this location for many years, finally in 1964 the Society received notice of an eminent domain action and was forced to vacate sometime later (perhaps a couple of years) as part of the Bunker Hill redevelopment.
I believe this little white speck behind the Sunkist is the last image of the Sons of the Revolution on Hope Street. (Could be the name of a new rock group)
1968FireDept5th6thWilshire_zps65071903