Speaking, as we have been, of W 8th St and Masonic lodges and Westlake, I don't think the Westlake Masonic Lodge on W 8th has ever been mentioned here. It didn't make
la.curbed's "magnificent Masonic architecture" list, but it's very nice just the same. It was designed by
Dennis and Hewitt (
Oliver Perry Dennis and
Henry Harwood Hewitt) and should get more respect.
Built on the SW corner of W 8th and S Burlington between 1914-1916, on a never-before-built lot, it has a grand
piano nobile over a retail base. Great windows:
gsv
The 1890 home at 807 S Burlington (pictured above) seems more than a little overwhelmed by the brick bulk of the lodge.
An unbuilt proposal for the Westlake Masonic Lodge by Train and Williams:
hathitrust
This area was a lovely part of Westlake (S Bonnie Brae runs N/S on the left margin of the map, S Burlington is right of center):
1921 Baist
South of W 8th was almost exclusively homes, while hotels and apartments were mixed in to the north. The 1906
"Beverly" apartments (called the "Rosewill" until ca 1920) at 746 S Bonnie Brae (upper left corner of the map) is still with us:
gsv (e_r posted about this one here)
The 1898 Methodist Episcopal Church, designed by John C Austin, diagonally across the intersection from the Masonic lodge, fell in 1927 when 8th St was widened:
lapl
Everyone knows Bradbeer & Ferris' 1894 Frederick Mitchell Mooers house at 818 S Bonnie Brae, just around the corner from the Masons (I
think an upper corner of the lodge may be just glimpsed at left):
iamnotastalker
Because of the Sleeping-Beauty-style landscaping, it's impossible to get a shot of the Mooers' moorish-domed, next-door neighbor to the south anymore, so I'll make do with one of the back and its cupola-topped, commodious carriage house. Also said to be by JM Bradbeer, originally built by the Howard family:
gsv
Five doors south of W 8th, on the east side of S Burlington, at No. 826, is another handsome John C Austin effort. Built in 1899 for Mr and Mrs EA Messerly and their daughter Mary, it appears to be almost entirely intact and has been beautifully maintained for 116 years:
The interior seems to have all its fireplaces and still has some original electrical and gas lighting fixtures (plus an alarming paint color). Rather than touring the whole place, I'll just take you up the stairs:
An east-facing, third-floor dormer (also seen in the loft in the above photo) has a view of DTLA:
In the back, the carriage house has been turned into a rental unit and two further units built (w/o permits) in the back garden. (The three-story apartment building at right is very recent):
Mary Messerly had many genteel parties in the home until she was married in 1903 and left to live in Kansas City. Here's a description of the first one:
"Miss Mary Messerly charmingly entertained the members and alumni of Alpha Upsilon Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity Tuesday evening at her home No. 826 South Burlington avenue. Long streamers of blue and gold ribbon were suspended from the chandeliers to the corners of the parlors, where they were caught up in large bows. The dining-room was decorated with Marechal Nell roses, sweet peas and carnations, and ivy and evergreens were twined about the balustrading and reception hall. Cards and dancing furnished amusement for the guests. The Coterie Mandolin and Guitar Club furnished excellent music."
LAT 8 June 1899
The home changed hands three times at least before it was bought by a family in 1944. They kept it until 2013.
More MLS pix, like those above, showing more of the interior of No. 826, may be found at
Zillow and
Redfin.
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The Messerly home has been covered before by
minkykat and
Godzilla . Their posts are
here and
here.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HossC
|
Thank you for posting that shot
Hoss. I find it fascinating as I've eaten lunch in that room any number of times:
google maps photos
Quote:
Originally Posted by HossC
|
google maps photos