It’s time for Council to decide whether to protect two historic WeHo buildings

ADVERTISEMENT

West Hollywood City Council is set to consider a proposal to designate two prominent commercial buildings, located at 7900 and 7906 Santa Monica Boulevard, as local cultural resources. The proposal follows a recommendation by the Historic Preservation Commission, which held a public hearing on May 22, 2023, and subsequently voted unanimously in favor of the designations.

The building at 7900 Santa Monica Boulevard, known in 1929 as the Hardy Building, was constructed with two stories in height on the northern half of the building fronting Santa Monica Boulevard. The building also features a mezzanine as a third level at the rear. The ground floor of the corner building was originally designed for and occupied by the West Hollywood National Bank. Today, a striking four-sided clock, manufactured by the O.B. McClintock Company, remains affixed to the northeast corner of the building.

O.B. McClintock, a Minneapolis-based clockmaker and inventor, operated his company between 1917-1950. His clocks were primarily installed for banks and financial institutions but can also be found on government buildings, schools, or on free-standing pedestals and brackets and used as town clocks. His clocks are still found in cities throughout the United States today.

The neighboring building at 7906 Santa Monica Boulevard, the Campbell Building, was constructed as a two-story multi-tenant brick commercial building. It maintains a surface parking lot at the rear of the property along the public alley to the south. Like its neighbor, it played a significant role in the city’s commercial development during the 1920s.

The buildings are located on the southwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, formerly known as Crescent Junction. When each of the two buildings was constructed in 1924, they were designed and sited to attract the interest and attention of passersby on the streetcar, and later in automobiles.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Historic Preservation Commission found that the buildings have a strong association with early patterns of West Hollywood’s history, particularly the period of commercial development that accompanied the Pacific Electric Railway expansion in the 1920s. The document prepared by the Planning & Development Services Department states that the buildings embody the distinctive characteristics of their original 1920s era of construction as vernacular brick commercial buildings. They also reflect significant geographical patterns, including those associated with the Crescent Junction and the expansion of the town of Sherman.

The buildings retain all seven aspects of historic integrity as defined by the National Park Services and continue to convey their historic significance. They reflect significant geographical patterns, including those associated with different eras of growth and settlement, particular transportation modes, or distinctive examples of community or park planning.

During the public hearing held by the Historic Preservation Commission, five members of the public spoke in favor of the designations, and four members submitted position slips supporting the proposal. The recommendation for the City Council to adopt a resolution designating the buildings as local cultural resources was made without any appeals filed.

 

5 2 votes
Article Rating
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

20 Comments
Newest
Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Rose
Rose
1 year ago

Why do we follow their charades

Who ever has enough money gets to tear down what ever they want

The council kinda has a quid pro quo. Holding out with “it’s historic & can’t be torn down” if their price is too low

EXAMPLE
The old Tower Records Site was declared historic for years/decades.

There may be emotions about it, BUT IT HAS ZERO HISTORIC OR OTHERWISE BUILDING VALUE

Availabe Resources
Availabe Resources
1 year ago

Since this is not over, perhaps the City could look into a program established through the NATIONAL TRUST which is giving a forward approach to MAIN STREET AMERICA through Preservation Efforts and Adaptive Reuse. That should be one of the first considerations in logical steps to benefit the city rather then erasing it.

https://www.mainstreet.org/ourwork/theapproach

WeHo Proud
WeHo Proud
1 year ago

So regardless of the fact that we do have to scrape and dig to find historical sites in the L.A. area let alone West Hollywood this building definitely deserve protected status. This group of buildings have a lot of history in the formation and growth of Sherman carrying through to the founding of West Hollywood. Among the many businesses that have past through these doors was the campaign office for the incorporation of WeHo as a city in 1984. Also this building housed a Piggly Wiggly market while they still existed in Southern CA.

greeneyedguy
greeneyedguy
1 year ago
Reply to  WeHo Proud

Whoa did not know about the Piggly Wiggly! I wonder if there are any photos of it.

Eastside
Eastside
1 year ago

In a city of endless strip malls……and brick building with a clock is considered historic.

Demolish or Dedicate
Demolish or Dedicate
1 year ago

DEMOLISH OR DEDICATE

That is the question!

Beverly Hills appears to take religious structures seriously while apparently West Hollywood fails to see the value…

Decide for yourself.

https://beverlyhillscourier.com/2023/07/13/commission-recommends-landmark-status-for-local-church/

Demolish or Dedicate
Demolish or Dedicate
1 year ago

While the City Council will be deliberating on this matter via CONSENT CALENDAR, an Appeal for the TEMPLE BETH EL @ 1307 N. Crescent Heights Blvd. may be heard on 7.17.23 depending on whether or not a much needed Request for Continuance is accepted. A formal request was made prior to the problematic Planning Commission on 11.17.23 by a resident, addressed in Public Comment then further addressed when the Item was heard and additionally by the many members of the Temple Congregation aghast at the possibility of demolishing a Landmark Temple seemingly foiled by a faulty Historic Resource Assessment. Please… Read more »

WehoQueen
WehoQueen
1 year ago

At first glance, I thought this was a satirical article from The Onion. There is nothing of any historical signigance in the city. Nothing. Build condos for millionaires.

Untethered
Untethered
1 year ago
Reply to  WehoQueen

Unfortunately you appear to be untethered from the realistic world and disrespectful of the City. One wonders why you would be here.

WehoQueen
WehoQueen
1 year ago
Reply to  Untethered

Landlords are here to make lots of money off dumb people who opted to rent rather than invest in a real home. Then we watch them in their senior years, impoverished and begging for handouts. I hope that helps answer your thought.

Eastside
Eastside
1 year ago
Reply to  WehoQueen

LOL. Brutal but oh so true. Certainly in WH.

greeneyedguy
greeneyedguy
1 year ago
Reply to  WehoQueen

I feel bad for your tenants. You are a slumlord and a terrible sociopathic leech.

Joshua88
Joshua88
1 year ago

Definitely do.

Voter 1
Voter 1
1 year ago

Stop the presses……..we have a building with a clock on it.

greeneyedguy
greeneyedguy
1 year ago
Reply to  Voter 1

Its quite obvious you don’t have an artistic or creative bone in your body.

What a sad life.

greeneyedguy
greeneyedguy
1 year ago

This pivotal corner building is still around from when the old red car route (which went diagonal against the street grid) connected Sunset blvd to Santa Monica Blvd. That intersection used to be known as Crescent Junction (I think Fairfax was originally “Crescent Avenue”)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/242631498655069140/

You can still see the outline of the route today:

https://www.bldgblog.com/2015/12/ghost-streets-of-los-angeles/

Adaptive Re-Use
Adaptive Re-Use
1 year ago

A picturesque corner ready to designate the beautiful clock and the brick buildings that are good candidates for Adaptive Reuse.