Note the building with the porch/arcade that sticks out over the sidewalk:
http://www.csulb.edu/~odinthor/socal1a.html
Now note a corresponding building on the 1888 Sanborn map from LAPL:
Flyingwedge, do you have an image of the map area immediately below this one? (I tried to find it at LAPL but was prevented by lack of a library card.) I suspect that the Hammel residence may be the one at the bottom center of this image, and the field of palms and the brick building next to the sidewalk may be just off the bottom of this image. I get the impression that the street photo above may be a longer distance than it seems.