Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District

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Coordinates: 34°06′06″N 118°19′58″W / 34.10167°N 118.33278°W / 34.10167; -118.33278
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Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
Location in Los Angeles
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District is located in California
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
Location in California
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District is located in the United States
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
Location in United States
Location6200–7000 Hollywood Blvd., N. Vine St., N. Highland Ave. and N. Ivar St., Los Angeles, California
Coordinates34°06′06″N 118°19′58″W / 34.10167°N 118.33278°W / 34.10167; -118.33278
Area56 acres (23 ha)
Built1915 (1915)
ArchitectMeyer & Holler; Et al.
Architectural styleLate 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian, Art Deco
NRHP reference No.85000704.[1]
Added to NRHPApril 4, 1985

Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District consists of twelve blocks between the 6200 and 7000 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. This strip of commercial and retail businesses is recognized for its historical significance and was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[2]

Description

Home to the sites of some of Hollywood's earliest movie theaters and lavish

Golden Age of Hollywood"[6]
in particular.

Some of the district's most well known structures include Hollywood's world famous movie theaters such as

Gothic Revival and Art Deco style 1929 office building is also a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument[7] The Hollywood Theatre[8] building holds particular historical architectural significance in that it lays claim to brandishing the country's first neon-lit, triangular marquee in response to the automobile boom of the 1930s.[9][10]

Other significant architectural styles found on this particular strip of Hollywood Boulevard include Classical Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival. Ever since the area was transformed from a quiet residential neighborhood to a vibrant and bustling commercial district known as the entertainment capital of the world that holds both national and global culture shaping influence,[11] the district has predominately consisted of a combination of retail and commercial businesses and most notably, theaters and movie palaces of architectural and cultural significance. Built around three commercial nodes,[12] this eclectic mix of businesses is reflected in the coexistence of small scale structures alongside some of Los Angeles’ earliest high rise buildings. Examples of Classical Revival or Beaux Arts structures found in this district include the Taft Building, the Guaranty Building, and the Hollywood Masonic Temple.[13] This style is majorly associated with the district's financial and professional buildings that adorn its major intersections which include the intersections of Hollywood Blvd/Cahuenga and Hollywood Blvd/Highland. A notable example of the Spanish Baroque style can be seen in the lavish façade and structure of the El Capitan Theater[14]

Also observed within the district's boundaries is the French

Meyer and Holler, and Kremple and Erkes.[15]

Another significantly unique visual feature of this district are the original Hollywood Metropolitan street lights that were developed specifically for the Hollywood neighborhood and which garnish the district's portion of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[16]

History

Harvey Wilcox would purchase Bower's tract of land in the mid 1880s. By 1900, Prospect was still a small country dirt road surrounded by lemon orchards and vegetable fields. Although mostly homes, several establishments sprouted up along the street. The Sackett Hotel, a three-story bed and breakfast spot as well as home to the city's first post office. For a time it was the tallest building in the area, located on Cahuenga Boulevard and Prospect.[18] The Hollywood Memorial Church stood at the corner of Prospect and Vine from 1903 to 1923. The original Hollywood Hotel opened in 1902, and would take up much of the acreage surrounding Prospect and Highland. The hotel was a stomping ground for all famous silent movie stars. Today, the Hollywood and Highland shopping center, including the Dolby Theatre, which hosts the Academy Awards, stands in place of the former hotel.[17]

The Los Angeles Gas Company installed the city's first gas meters in 1904, which allowed for the appearance of street numbers. After Hollywood's annexation from Los Angeles in 1910, the 100 block of Hollywood Boulevard became the 6400 block. Hollywood's Board of Trustees officially renamed Prospect Avenue to Hollywood Boulevard on January 5, 1910.[18]

The Golden Age of Hollywood Boulevard

The Broadway Hollywood Building at 6300 Hollywood Boulevard viewed from the northeast corner of Hollywood and Vine, 2016

Much of the district's historical landmarks were erected between 1913 and 1935 during the rapid boom of the film industry.Those migrating west in the film industry saw the vast open land in Hollywood as a promising location for studios. Charles E. Toberman, a real estate mogul and the nephew of three-term Los Angeles Mayor, John Toberman, predicted that Hollywood Boulevard would be a mecca for entertainment. He sold vacant land with the promise that "Hollywood is at a threshold of a new era of development."[17] This period of growth included the grand opening of The Hollywood Theater in 1913 (which stands as the oldest existing theater in the district today), as well as the area's first four-story building located at Highland and Hollywood, that included street level stores, offices, and apartment units at the top. Wilcox and Hollywood Boulevard welcomed Wright's ice cream store, the precursor to the obsolete Wil Wright's chain of ice cream parlors, which were sprinkled throughout southern California up until the 1970s.[19] The block between Cahuenga and Wilcox would be the first completely commercial block along Hollywood Boulevard.[17]

The 1920s saw the rise of taller buildings sprouting up along the boulevard. The new legal city height limit was 12 stories. During this decade, the

D.W. Griffith in 1948.[20]
John's Cafe was the first restaurant to open along the boulevard. It was located in Wilcox Hall and became a staple for Hollywood's industry workers. Charlie Chaplin often frequented the café for hot apple pie. Other popular restaurants soon followed such as Armstrong Carlton Cafe, since demolished, and Musso and Frank's, the oldest existing restaurant in Hollywood, still located at 6667 Hollywood Boulevard.[17]

The Montmartre Cafe, once located at 6755 Hollywood Boulevard becamer the city's first nightclub, and entertained stars like Rudolph Valentino and Joan Crawford. Bing Crosby, who was a singer with Paul Whitman's band, made his Hollywood debut here.[20] Over the next ten years, many more nightclubs would open throughout the city, making the city of Hollywood a popular evening destination.

The Pig 'n Whistle, located at 6714 Hollywood Boulevard, opened in 1927. The restaurant was one of the first to market their specific brand, selling souvenir menus, coloring books, paper masks, and a storybook that provided the background of each pig that was to be served for lunch and dinner.[20]

Four of Hollywood's most famous theaters were built during this period. Warner Hollywood Theater, now

Pantages Theater (Hollywood), would open on June 4, 1930.[17]

Otherwise, Hollywood's investors were hit hard by the stock market crash of 1920. Many established retail operations folded as a result of the depression. Plans for many future developments were scrapped altogether. However, the film industry was still going strong, attracting tourists and budding actors. Much like modern day, the Hollywood Boulevard of the early 1930s welcomed psychic healers and other various osteopathic practitioners, while attracting a multitude of eccentrics and vagrants. However, during this period, architect S. Charles Lee, restyled much of the street, giving the facades a much needed makeover to repair the seediness from the past years. To atone for the stock market crash, Hollywood Boulevard merchants hoped to grow business by offering "Dollar Days in Hollywood" and promoting their street as the "World's Largest Department Store."[17] Retail stores would use their proximity to Hollywood's elite to attract customers.

Hollywood & Highland 2020

This strip of Hollywood Boulevard continues to be a prime shopping destination. The

Kodak Theatre project, a theatre specifically designed to host the annual show.[21] Renamed the Dolby Theatre
in 2012, this venue also hosts other live shows throughout the year. The Hollywood and Vine intersection now includes the addition of the W Hollywood Hotel. Like many of the blocks within this district, there are several street level dining options with hundreds of residential homes and offices in the floors above.[22]

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Christy Johnson McAvoy (August 1, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District". National Park Service. Retrieved April 17, 2020. With 79 accompanying pictures
  3. ^ "Water and Power Associates". Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Early Views of Hollywood (1850–1920)". Water and Power Associates. Water and Power Associates. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form". npgallery. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  6. ^ "On the Boulevard". Hollywood Heritage. Hollywood Heritage. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  7. ^ "Recommendation report" (PDF). planning.lacity.org. March 19, 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  8. ^ "Early Views of Hollywood (1850–1920)". waterandpower.org. Water and Power Associates. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  9. ^ "Historic Landmark". Guinness Museum Hollywood. Guinness Museum of World Records. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "Archived copy". npgallery. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ISBN 9780813576008. Archived
    from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  12. ^ "On the Boulevard". heritage002. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "El Capitan Theatre and Office Building". LA Conservancy. Los Angeles Conservancy. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  15. ^ Masters, Nathan (August 30, 2013). "Photos: From Prospect & Weyse to Hollywood & Vine". KCET.org. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  16. ^ "Early Views of Hollywood(1920+)". Water and Power Associates. Water and Power Associates. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  17. ^
    ISBN 978-0977629923
    .
  18. ^
    ISBN 0918432448
    .
  19. ^ Evanier, Mark. "Wil Wrights". Old La Restaurants. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  20. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7385-4792-3
    .
  21. ^ Wanamaker, Marc. Images of America, Hollywood 1940–2008. Arcadia Publishing.
  22. ISBN 0-87000-486-7
    .
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