Whitley Court
Encyclopedia
Whitley Court is a cluster of Spanish Colonial bungalows
built from 1903 to 1919 just north of Hollywood Boulevard
in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
.
The first structure, built in 1903, was a two-story Colonial Revival
house with a round bay turret
designed by Dennis & Farwell for the Whitley family. The original house was moved to the back of the property to make room for four additional two-story residential buildings. The buildings provided housing for those employed in the booming film industry, and its residents are rumored to have included Theda Bara
in the 1920s and Sylvia Sidney
in the 1930s.
In 1974, the buildings were converted to a mix of residential and office space. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots
, fires burned just 150 feet from Whitley Court, but residents protected the structures with hoses. At the time, one of the owners said, "These buildings are important. You can't replace a historic building. When it burns, you lose it forever."
Whitley Court was designated a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #448) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1988, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 2004.
California Bungalow
California bungalows, known as Californian bungalows in Australia and are commonly called simply bungalows in America, are a form of residential structure that were widely popular across America and, to some extent, the world around the years 1910 to 1939.-Exterior features:Bungalows are 1 or 1½...
built from 1903 to 1919 just north of Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
.
The first structure, built in 1903, was a two-story Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
house with a round bay turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
designed by Dennis & Farwell for the Whitley family. The original house was moved to the back of the property to make room for four additional two-story residential buildings. The buildings provided housing for those employed in the booming film industry, and its residents are rumored to have included Theda Bara
Theda Bara
Theda Bara , born Theodosia Burr Goodman, was an American silent film actress – one of the most popular of her era, and one of cinema's earliest sex symbols. Her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname "The Vamp" . The term "vamp" soon became a popular slang term for a sexually predatory woman...
in the 1920s and Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney was an American actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s appearing in numerous crime dramas.-Early life:...
in the 1930s.
In 1974, the buildings were converted to a mix of residential and office space. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
, fires burned just 150 feet from Whitley Court, but residents protected the structures with hoses. At the time, one of the owners said, "These buildings are important. You can't replace a historic building. When it burns, you lose it forever."
Whitley Court was designated a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #448) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1988, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2004.