National Register of Historic Places

Hollywood Western Building, The

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Listed
July 6, 2015
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
15000378

About this property

The Hollywood & Western Building, also known as The Mayer Building, and formerly known as the "Hollywood Western Building", is a four-story Art Deco office building in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #336 on January 1, 1988, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. Designed by S. Charles Lee and built by Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg, the Hollywood & Western Building opened on December 8, 1928. The building was the first location of Motion Picture Association of America, the Hays Office, and The Ben Hecht Company. On January 25, 1926, Central Casting officially opened its office in the Hollywood & Western Building. Hollywood Billiards, Hollywood's oldest pool hall, was located in the lower basement. Over the years its tenants have also included Toppy's (a corner coffee shop), Newman Drug Co., Rexall, Bargain Saver, Hollywood Rehearsal Studios, Studio 9, Rock City Arcade, and Cosmopolitan Book Depository. By the 1970s, the building was being used to produce pornography and was slowly converted into individual recording studios and music rehearsal spaces. It was also used as a rehearsal studio for such bands as Guns N' Roses and White Zombie. The building was heavily damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, after which it was vacant for several years. Previous tenants included local offices for U.S. Representative Adam Schiff. On July 6, 2021, ABS Properties, Inc. announced plans to convert the building into 79 income-restricted apartments, The building is a popular TV and film shoot location, and was featured in Double Indemnity, Ruthless People, and Hollywood Shuffle. United States Department of the Interior National Register of Historic Places

Location

5500 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
34.10150, -118.30954

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bricker Building, The
Industrial
0.2 mi
Bungalow Court at 1554 N. Serrano Avenue
Pre Contact
0.2 mi
Bungalow Court at 1544 N. Serrano Avenue
Pre Contact
0.2 mi
Bungalow Court at 1516 N. Serrano Ave
Pre Contact
0.2 mi
La Casa Del Rey
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Los Angeles
1846Mexican-American War
5.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hollywood Western Building, The listed on the National Register?

Hollywood Western Building, The was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 6, 2015.

What type of historic resource is Hollywood Western Building, The?

Hollywood Western Building, The is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hollywood Western Building, The?

The period of significance for Hollywood Western Building, The is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Hollywood Western Building, The?

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