Quote:
Originally Posted by broadwy_central_bldg
This photo was posted today in the "SoCal Historic Architecture" Facebook group... is this "Masonic Temple" building next door to the "Terminal Market" we've been looking at? Or is the "Hill Street Station" in the bottom right corner a different building?
Dig the PE Railway advertisement for the Mt. Lowe Resort on the side of the Masonic building...this must be approx. mid 20s, right? |
The Terminal Market building—
was built on the footprint of the 1896 Masonic Temple, which was demo'd in 1925. Originally the market was built by the PE Ry as the ticket office and waiting room (Rittenhouse Bros, archs, 1925) but was remodeled into a public market by CC Rittenhouse Jr in short order (1927), because the actual Subway Terminal Bldg had opened. It was demolished in 1957.
That little "Pacific Electric Hill St Station" shed next to the Masonic Temple was by Hunt, Eager & Burns, put up in 1908, also demolished in '25 with the Masonic Temple. Mid-20s is a good guess in dating the pic, B-C-B, because this was shot
before the 1925 demolition of the shed, but
after the erection of the 1924
Bliss & Faville Pacific Telephone & Telegraph bldg at 433 S Olive, which you can see in the background.
usc
This building is still there, of course; it was just
clad in concrete/gunite panels by Woodford & Bernard in late 1972. And famously painted with
Frank Stella's mural "Dusk" in 1991.
That Masonic Temple was really something. Just massive, multiple 2000sf lodge rooms, an entire Scottish Rite Cathedral on the third floor, designed by Bradbeer & Ferris, 1896 (Bradbeer was a brother). Peck & Chase had their undertaking establishment on the first floor, so that many a fine masonic funeral was held there, and so large they could host the annual convention of California Funeral Director's Association. I've never seen images of the inside. I asked a brother from the Henry Wilson Coil library about it but never followed through...
