Boulevard Heights H. H. Whiteley Mansion 674 Crenshaw, 1920.

Boulevard HeightsH. H. Whiteley

Mansion674 Crenshaw, 1920

Context and Imminent Threats to Property:

This property is under imminent threat of demolition and development.

This property is zoned R-3. Past land uses have included the following:

• in 1963 Tidewater (Getty) Oil Company designated the property as a “church”

• in 1967 it was repurposed as an “adult school”

• it is currently used a sober living board and care facility.

Condominium project under construction

Subject Property

The Boulevard Heights Whiteley Mansion:

Context

• Crenshaw is zoned R-3 between Wilshire and 9th on both sides of the street.

• The general condition of Crenshaw in this area is seriously deteriorated, with only 6 of 37 houses on the east side between Wilshire and 8th remaining mostly or partially intact.

• All but a handful of properties use the front setback as parking lots.

• Repeated widening of Crenshaw over decades has made the area less than “pedestrian friendly” with only narrow sidewalks dividing the private yards from heavy traffic. Crenshaw is also used as a major bus route.

• Many properties are used as businesses, which are illegal in R-3.

• Other uses include apartments and condos constructed in the 1950s, 1980s and 1990s, most without architectural merit.


Context: Current Conditions on Crenshaw Boulevard

• This property has no historic protection. It is adjacent to, but not included in, both the Wilshire Park HPOZ (2008) and the Boulevard Heights National Register District (2012). It is also across Crenshaw from Windsor Village HPOZ.

• It is within the Park Mile Specific Plan, which controls the height and density of infill but offers no protection against demolition.

• There are currently three major construction projects underway within two blocks of the subject property.

• Inquiries have been made at the Department of City Planning regarding permissible land uses for the subject property.

• Demolition permits have been sought for three contiguous homes in the 800 block of Crenshaw for a 44 unit 5-story condominium project, including entitlements for multiple density bonuses per California State law.


Threats to Subject Property

History and Significance:

• Harry Hayden (H.H.) Whiteley is one of many important architects working in Los Angeles in the 1920s.

• His career has two distinct periods represented by his Los Angeles portfolio (1917-1942) and his Las Vegas portfolio (ca. 1942-1970).

• Born in 1890 in Bakersfield to J. W. and Florence Whiteley.

Biography of Harry Hayden Whiteley:

• H. H.Whiteley was largely self-educated. In 1962, he is identified in the AIA roster as having a “complete I.C.S Course” certificate. ICS was “International Correspondence School.”

• As one of six children, it is probable that his prospects for a formal education were somewhat limited, but after service in WWI, and in the middle of a very successful career he was tutored at USC and achieved a degree in Engineering in 1924.

• He worked as chief draftsman for 20th Century Fox in 1920, a year full of dramatic change and success.

• The AIA roster also reveals that he worked with major architects, Paul Revere Williams and Adrian Wilson, both in Los Angeles and in the second half of his career in Las Vegas, when all three relocated to the new boom-town.

• Permit research shows projects with Frank Tyler and S. M. Cooper (Cooper-Pyle-Clopine).

• Whiteley embraced many architectural styles throughout his life, including Craftsman, Mediterranean, Spanish, and Mid-Century Modern.

1962 American Architects Directory, AIA Historical Directory of American Architects

Biography of Harry Hayden Whiteley:

1917: Cabins and CottagesThe first reference to Harry Hayden Whiteley as an architect of note occurs in Home and Garden, Volume 36. This was during the same year as he served in the military. He was 27, and largely self-educated.

The Works of Harry Hayden Whiteley:

1919• Another early commission: a residence for

Robert O. Vridenburgh on Lucerne.

• Whiteley’s distinctive interpretation of popular building styles is becoming apparent: balconettes under large casements grouped in fours, arched entries, and an asymmetrical front facade with an off-center straight walk, and steps at the sidewalk.

• He has already mastered his signature use of fenestration and slight step-backs to create separately massed sections.

• His careful attention to vents and small windows, and ornamentation of the main entrance is already present.


1920 – Mr. Whiteley’s most important year in Los Angeles• By 1920, Whiteley was maintaining an office in the Story

Building, and was on the brink of major success.

• In March of 1920, this article appeared in the Los Angeles Times: “New Stores for West End,” announcing Whiteley’s new offices at 520 Western Avenue, which Whiteley fondly named “La Cabana Azul.”

• Whiteley’s rapidly developing skills are evident, and a feature article on the artistry of the interior design of La Cabana Azul appeared in Western Architect in March of 1921.

• This building shares many of the exterior elements that are evident on the Boulevard Heights Whiteley Mansion: arched windows in groups of three, distinctive massing, careful attention to vents and small windows, and a cross-gable tiled roof.



• The photo, below, shows the perfectly preserved La Cabana Azul, no longer blue, but otherwise unchanged except for the front walk.

• 601 Wilcox is HCM #618, one of two Whiteley residences which hold this distinction, the other being the J. W. Blank Residence, 1928, and 1950 N. Edgemont, designated a monument in 2014.

La Cabana Azul, 601 Wilcox

La Cabana Azul, 520 S. Western

• In 1923, Whiteley physically moved his celebrated office building to 601 Wilcox to serve as the residence for McDonnell Family, founders of the Urban Military Academy.

• The current use of the Boulevard Heights Whiteley Mansion prevents an inspection of the interior spaces, but because La Cabana Azul was under construction virtually simultaneously, it is quite possible that the interiors were very similar to those shown here.

La Cabana Azul, interiors


La Cabana Azul, interiors

1920

• Another much larger commission, 4111 Cromwell in Los Feliz for J. W. McFarland. Whiteley’s signature style has arrived.

• Again the fenestration, roof line and massing are indicative of Mr. Whiteley’s design sense.


Other Major Los Angeles Commissions

• In 1922, Harry Hayden Whiteley was commissioned to design a massive hotel for the site between Bronson and Gower on Hollywood Blvd. – the Hollywood-California Hotel.

• The building was to cost $3.5 million. This building was never erected, but is clear proof of the regard for Whiteley’s talent.

• He also built a major structure for the Pacific Military Academy in Culver City, and the Clubhouse for the Cheviot Hills Golf Course, as seen in the following slides.


1925 Pacific Military Academy

• Whiteley designed the Pacific Military Academy, now demolished and replaced with housing.


A 1928 Commission in Los Feliz The Works of Harry Hayden Whiteley:

Later Works of Harry Hayden Whiteley• Whiteley continued with commissions in Los

Angeles, building apartments, residences, a library for the Barlow Sanitarium, and a series of various residential projects with Samson Mulligan (S.M.) Cooper, one of the prolific partners of Cooper-Pyle-Clopine, whose output is unrivaled during the 1920s.

• In the 1930s, his commission tapered off, as would be expected. Whiteley’s 1942 draft registration record finds him in Las Vegas, re-enlisting at 52 years of age.

• By the middle 1950s Whiteley is recognized again for his entirely new mid-century style. In Las Vegas in 1960, he was the chief consulting architect for the Clark County Convention Center, partnering with Adrian Wilson, with whom he had worked in Los Angeles. He also collaborated again with Paul Revere Williams on a series of projects including several retail buildings.


674 Crenshaw:Architectural Features:

• The property is located at the north end of Crenshaw on the east side.

Above: Circa 1920. Below, Right: 2015

The Boulevard Heights Whiteley Mansion: History

• On October 20, 1920, Mr. Whiteley personally applied for and signed the permit for a house for Mrs. M. B. Cosby, his neighbor at 420 Western.

• There is no evidence that Mrs. Cosby ever lived at this address. The land was purchased in 1913 from a W. C. Mage, but was not developed for several years, indicating that it was probably an investment for the Cosby family rather than their own home – part of the massive speculative building boom of the early 1920s.

• The house changed hands before 1923, when Whiteley again obtained a permit to enclose a sleeping porch for a Bell Press.

This home exhibits all of Whiteley’s signature design features, and is an excellent example of his work in the early 1920s, illustrated in previous slides.

• Careful massing that capitalizes on balancing symmetry and asymmetry.

• Arched specialty windows and doors, often with ornamental ironwork.

• An embellished entry.

• Careful attention to fenestration and the ornamentation of windows and vents.

• Step backs to accentuate the discrete volumes and divide the façade into distinct sections.

• Blending of classical Spanish and Mediterranean elements and materials.


Character Defining Features

• A trio of recessed leaded glass windows emphasize the center section of the front facade.

• They are approximately 12” wide and 7’ tall, glazed with colored leaded glass. The design is a series of outlined rectangular panes with a medallion positioned about ¼ of the way from the top.

• Originally fixed windows, the bottom panel of the right window was recently replaced with a plain metal-framed pane, which can be opened. Hopefully, the original leaded glass was carefully removed and preserved.


Character Defining Features

• A small wing-wall projecting from the left front facade has been lost, probably to widen the driveway. However the brick seat and step remain.

• The ornamental wood and iron gate is long gone. There is an Asian-themed ornamental statue on the front lawn, burglar bars throughout, and the gutters have been relocated from their original placement.

• The tile roof has been replaced with asphalt shingles.

• From aerial photos, the back yard is asphalt paving, and there are additions, not visible from the street.


ModificationsMissing Elements

ConclusionThe Boulevard Heights H. H. Whiteley Mansion qualifies to be designated a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument because:• 674 Crenshaw is in imminent danger of demolition• It remains intact• It embodies all the characteristics of the work of a master

architect, Harry Hayden Whiteley.

Boulevard Heights H. H. Whiteley Mansion 674 Crenshaw, 1920.

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