noirish Los Angeles

[Bristolian]

Originally Posted by Lwize

I need the help of our minions.

There's a C-shaped low level office building sitting on the corner of Overland Ave & National Blvd (2999 Overland, LA 90064) that's been there of probably 40 years or so.

What was on that plot of land before?
A gas station?
Another building?

Help!

This 1971 aerial might help a little. The spot in question is the white roofed, L-shaped building left of center. It doesn't look to be a gas station.


Framefinder Flight TG_2755, Frame 16-11

[odinthor]

Not answering the question, but just adding data:

The grading and building permits for the building at 2999 Overland Ave. are dated 1/5/1978, and include this image:


LA Building Records System for this address.

The 1942 Renié map--or at least a detail from same--for this area is:


Renié Atlas of Los Angeles, 1942 ed., map 41 detail

It appears to be part of this parcel:


LA Times, 7/10/1937

Perhaps this is the corner before it was developed at all...?


LAPL #00068319, from series of photos of La Lomita Ranch

[Lwize]

Thanks!

That L-shaped building barely lasted 30 years based on the dates.
Any street-level views of the corner?

[ethereal_reality]

.
A mystery location. (somewhere in CERRITOS)

Do you remember a few days ago when we visited the doll hospital in Long Beach. ..Well, here's where they were born. ...wink


eBay

Seller's description:.."Long Beach CA - Cerritos - Maternity Hospital - 35mm 1950s Kodachrome - Car"

You might have noticed that the seller didn't include a street address and I'm dying to know if the place still stands.

Help me out here, noirishers!

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[HossC]

Los Cerritos Maternity Hospital was at 4005 (N) Virginia Road. Sadly, it's no longer there - see GSV.

[Beaudry]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.
:precious: I can see the resemblance.



Here's a hairy slide (dated 1964) of the Dept. of Water and Power Building. ..I'm posting it because I don't believe we have see from this specific angle on NLA.


eBay


um. .it just occurred that it might be flipped. (I don't have time to figure it out right now because I'm going on errands)
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All from this page

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by Bristolian

This 1971 aerial might help a little. The spot in question is the white roofed, L-shaped building left of center. It doesn't look to be a gas station.


Framefinder Flight TG_2755, Frame 16-11

It was a convalescent home/sanitarium. The building permit is dated July 6, 1953:





LA Department of Building and Safety





August 8, 1955, Evening Vanguard @ Newspapers.com


By 1957 the name had changed to Cheviot Hills Convalarium:



March 22, 1957, B'nai B'rith Messenger @ National Library of Israel


The facility was still operating under that name in 1975:



West Volume of the Directory of Nursing Home Facilities, Department of Health, Education and Welfare (1975) @ Google Books

[Lwize]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

It was a convalescent home/sanitarium. The building permit is dated July 6, 1953:

Worst architectural drawing ever.

[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

All from this page

My father-in-law was one of the power chiefs for the LADWP and worked in this building. My husband said when he was a kid, not everybody could go in the building, it had to be employees and families

[ethereal_reality]

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I didn't know that, sadykadie2.
. . .so a person couldn't even pay their water bill there? (snark)


We've probably seen this postcard before but. . . .wow!..It makes the Chandler Pavilion look like a darkened hovel.




Did the building look that magnificent everynight of the week? (and weekends)..

What does it look like at night now-a-days?..Does it at least have the lights at the top lit up?

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[ethereal_reality]

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HossC, thank for finding the address of the Cerritos Maternity Hospital. . I appreciate it. I only wish it were still standing, especially for people who were born there.

The hospital where I was born was torn down about 10 years ago. They obviously didn't realize that I was born there.

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[Beaudry]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.





Did the building look that magnificent everynight of the week? (and weekends)..

What does it look like at night now-a-days?..

Well, according to this...

[Lwize]

LA Times article:

"These 10 buildings tell the story of L.A.’s Roaring 1920s, year by year"

https://www.latimes.com/travel/list/...ecture-history

[ethereal_reality]

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..That's such a great interactive article, Lwize. Thanks for the link.


I happened upon this postcard earlier today of a 'National School' based in Los Angeles but I don't recognize the building.






Does anyone recognize the illustrated building?

Inquiring minds want to know.



Beaudry, it's good to know the Dept. of Water & Power building uses LEED Zero Energy.


.. per: Oh my God, Shannon, what the f*ck!..ha ha




.

[Bristolian]

I thought I recognized the building and was actually right this time. It was on the SE corner of Figueroa and Santa Barbara (now MLK Bl.) Avenues, kitty corner from the Coliseum property. It was built in 1923 and according to the second link, was the largest building west of Kansas City at the time. It was torn down in1998.

https://postcardhistory.net/2020/05/...s-los-angeles/

https://morethanredcars.com/?p=63

[Mackerm]

Google Books. Popular Mechanics, August 1943, p. 29A

National Schools. 4000 S. Figueroa.

[ethereal_reality]

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Thanks for your help, Bristolian and Mackerm.


Below: ..This is very surprising since the building was only three story tall.


morethanredcars


It was demolished in 1998.
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