Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyingwedge
P.S. Interesting post on Crossroads of the World, T2!
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Thanks. I updated that
post with a couple more photos, including one of the scene of the crime.
I was looking into how racketeer Charlie Crawford ended up in LA to begin with.
He ran a huge club/casino/bordello operation, "The Northern", up in Seattle, with the compliant mayor of the time in his pocket. However, when it was revealed that the land under Charlie's operation was leased from the city, a reform mayor swept into office and Charlie had to get out of town.
Charlie Crawford in circa 1915:
find a grave
In 1911 32-year-old Crawford headed to LA to try his chances. He opened the Maple Bar at 230 E 5th Street, corner of Maple Avenue South (just across from the then-new Firehouse No. 23). But, of course, it wasn't just a bar. There was a casino in back and bordello upstairs. Crawford put his Seattle experience to work, currying favor with LA's political elite and deeply insinuating himself with the LA underworld (acting as a very useful go-between), until the day came, ten years later, when he could take over the town.
The site of the Maple Bar (left) across from Fire Station No. 23 (and a block down from the G.M. Hoff Building):
gsv
historic mapworks
Fire Station No. 23, built in 1910 at 225 E 5th to a Tudor-esque design by Hudson and Munsel, was already mired in controversy when Charlie arrived on the scene. Budgeted at $35K, it ended up costing $53K, an enormous amount. It was said $25K was spent on the 3rd-floor Chief's quarters alone. The Peruvian mahogany, Vermont marble, French beveled-glass mirrors and leather-paneled walls may have had something to do with the cost. FO Engstrom Co were the builders. The Fire Commissioners denied all knowledge of the luxurious appointments until it was revealed they had approved every one. The newspapers called it the "Taj Mahal" of fire houses.
In the September 29, 1910 edition the Los Angeles Times called it "most elaborate and richest engine-house west of New York...the most ornate ... in this or any other world." The public was outraged.
I'm sure Charlie Crawford helped to assuage the LAFD's embarrassment.
The Aug 3, 1909 permit:
ladbs
Fire Station No. 23 was LAFD HQ from 1910 to 1920. Every LAFD Chief lived there from 1910 to 1928.
The station was just 26 feet across but stretched 167 feet from E 5th through to Winston Street. It housed 12 firemen (including their Captain) and 10 horses, plus the Chief. The 21 foot ceilings on the ground floor were of pressed steel, the walls of green, glazed tile. Six fire poles descended from the second to the ground floor. The Chief's pole, in a closet in his living quarters, made a quick run to the second floor. An elevator "moves noiselessly and stealthily to the upper haven" (according to the LA Times). The third-floor hay and supply storage rooms were also accessed by elevator.
The East 5th Street facade:
ca 1912:
lafire
n.d.
lafire
1940's(?):
LAT/Prelinger archive
1950s:
lafire
ca 1965:
LA Planning department via beyondthemarquee
Dressed for "The Mask" (1994):
newlinecinema
ca 2005:
wiki
2014:
gsv
The Winston St Entrance:
ca. 1911:
lafire
1916:
lafire
1938. The Rescue Company:
lafire
Dressed for "Police Academy 2" (1984)
warnerbros
gsv
The Ground Floor:
1915 (the last horse-drawn engine went out on call 29 August 1921).
lafire
Also 1915. Cranking up Truck No. 5:
lafire
I have to pause for a minute to show you Truck No. 5 at the Winston Street entrance because it's such a beaut. A 1911 Seagrave AC-90 (complete with aerial ladder), it went into service on May Day 1912, one of the first two trucks purchased by the LAFD. Later known as "the ill-fated truck", because on 2/12/1922 it collided with a streetcar at the intersection of 9th and Stanford resulting in one death. n.d.:
lafire
1960 (the year the station was decommissioned):
lafire
Ivan Reitman prepping the real estate agent scene, Ghostbusters (1984)
beyondthemarquee
The real estate agent scene, Ghostbusters (1984)
columbia pictures
Ghostbusters:
columbia pictures
Ghostbusters:
columbia pictures
bf3s forums
theraffon.net
theraffon.net
"Flashpoint" (1998)
adam&eveproductions
theraffon.net
theraffon.net
The Second Floor:
theraffon.net
The dormitory in 1915 (the Captain had private quarters elsewhere on the second floor):
lafire
The dormitory dressed for Ghostbusters (1984)
beyondthemarquee
The dormitory now:
theraffon.net
The Day Room in 1915:
lafire
The Day Room fireplace today:
theraffon.net
theraffon.net
The building is shot through with nice skylights/lightwells:
theraffon.net
The Third Floor:
I could find no "then" photos of the third floor Chief's quarters, understandable I suppose, given the controversy. There's not many "now" pix either. There was/is a huge master suite (with a tub big enough for two chiefs the LA Times claimed), two further bedrooms with bath, reception room, dining room, a kitchen and access to the roof.
The leather inserts in the Peruvian mahogany paneling are gone:
theraffon.net
theraffon.net
The Tudor-style ceiling:
theraffon.net
Ghostbusters II (1989)
columbia pictures
The top of the stairs:
theraffon.net
The Chief's pole in the closet arrangement:
theraffon.net
Engine Company 23's first really big fire was in 1913 at the 1894 Byrne Building, W 3rd and S Broadway, across from City Hall. It took 10 hours to put it out:
uscdl (detail)
A good portrait of the equipment at work at the Bryne fire:
usc libraries
Engine Company No. 23 did a good job at the Byrne, also known as the Irvine Byrne and the Pan-American Building. (The architects were Sumner Hunt with Morgan and Walls). It's fine:
gsv
Station No. 23 also had a later controversy. The station was decommissioned in 1960, but kept for storage until '66, then locked and left. In 1979 (by which time scavengers had looted the building of anything of value, including the fire poles) it was chosen as the site for an LAFD musem. A committee, "Olde 23", was formed by senior LAFD officials to solicit donations for the museum. Trouble is, even after plans for the museum were transferred to Engine Company No. 27 in Hollywood, funds kept rolling in to Olde 23. Plus filming fees were not turned over to the city. The then-Chief had to resign.
Next the LAFD leased the station to artists. They've been trying to evict the one in residence now almost since he moved in.
No. 23 is a very popular filming location for movies, commercials and music videos
(it's also been used on occasion as a venue for live music shows):
Hammet (1982)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Police Academy II (1985)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
The A-Team (1986)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
VI Warshawski (1991)
Flatliners(1991)
The Mask (1994)
Lost Highway (1997)
Flashpoint (1998)
National Security (2003)
RE(e)volution (2005)
Body Heat (2010)
etc.
More info and pix:
wikipedia
Big Orange Landmarks
LAFD Historical Archive page 1 (lafire)
LAFD Historical Archive page 2
LAFD Historical Archive page 3
Spook Central (theraffon.net)
LA Downtown News
Beyond the Marquee
I AM NOT A STALKER
Ghostbusters (1984)
BF2S Forum
Seagrave AC-90
There's also 5 rather poorly-produced 2010 tour videos of the fire station. The first one is
here if you're interested.
In one or another of them there's glimpses of the kitchen and dining room, plus they spend a lot of time on the roof.
For more info on Charlie Crawford and the Maple Bar see
A Bright and Guilty Place (preview) (2009) Richard Rayner
LAFD is looking to sell (with restrictions) if anyone's interested:
gsv