Preserving Los Angeles's Googie: an Analysis of a Commercial Style, Change, and Preservation

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Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation

2020

Preserving Los Angeles's Googie: An Analysis of a Commercial Style, Change, and Preservation

Emelyn Nájera

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Nájera, Emelyn, "Preserving Los Angeles's Googie: An Analysis of a Commercial Style, Change, and Preservation" (2020). Theses (Historic Preservation). 693. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/693

This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/693 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Preserving Los Angeles's Googie: An Analysis of a Commercial Style, Change, and Preservation

Abstract "Inspired by the imposing forms of planes, ships, and sleek futuristic technology, Googie gave Los Angeles’s commercial architecture “wings, angles, texture, color, and just about anything else that would catch the eye and lure a passing motorist.” Like its Programmatic precursor, Googie was cultivated in a vernacular commercial landscape geared towards advertisement. The style defied tradition with its glossary of dramatic angles; its ostentatious color palette; and its use of steel, chrome, and neon. Notably, it saw extensive use in the most vernacular of commercial structures, lending character to bowling alleys, motels, car washes, gas stations, and restaurants. By the 1960s Googie architecture had spread beyond the Southern California boundaries, dotting the country with corresponding roadside designs. However, by the 1980s the style’s popularity had waned, and stiff competition in the commercial landscape coupled with a pressure to maximize the profitability of prime real-estate locations, resulted in the demolition of significant Googie structures. As a result, some of the style’s most iconic sites, like the eponymous Googie Coffee Shop on Sunset Boulevard, were razed in favor of newer commercial ventures. This thesis investigates the internal and external mechanisms of change affecting Los Angeles’s Googie commercial architecture, examining case-studies of preservation successes and failures, and the regulatory frameworks in place for the advocacy and preservation of the style. Key lessons learned through this study pose an argument in favor of the preservation of Googie and the everyday buildings of our urban lives. "

Keywords Googie, Los Angeles, space age, commercial architecture, doo wop

Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation

This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/693 PRESERVING LOS ANGELES’S GOOGIE:

AN ANALYSIS OF A COMMERCIAL STYLE, CHANGE, AND PRESERVATION

Emelyn Ruby Nájera

A THESIS

Historic Preservation

Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION

2020

______Advisor William Whitaker Curator and Collections Manager

______Program Chair Frank G. Matero Professor

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis would not have been possible without the support of my advisor, Bill Whitaker who provided guidance and direction for my loosely conceived ideas and passion for Los Angeles and its architecture.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to everyone with whom I have had the pleasure to work with these past few years. Thank you to my classmates, the faculty, and staff of the University of Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Department. Micah, Nadine, Courtney, and Amanda, thank you for answering my million questions.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to acknowledge all those who have taken an active role in making sure I finished this thesis! I want to thank:

My boss Rich, for the steady supply of coffee, for providing much needed technological assistance, and for lending an ear when I needed to brainstorm.

Kallie, for teaching me the magic of Zotero, and for driving in the middle of the night to deliver a much-needed laptop during an especially tragic moment of technological failure.

Saralynn, for lending me a camera to photograph Los Angeles and its Googie gems.

Santi, for taking the time to help me edit and wordsmith, and for spending hours with me searching through every single listing of Hess’s incredibly long survey.

Dorcas, for rescuing me from Philadelphia and my roommates when the world turned upside down.

And my dad, for allowing me to drag him around Los Angeles as I photographed my favorite Googie buildings.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends for helping me navigate this long, and at times, stressful journey of higher education. Thank you for encouraging me as I explored my budding interests in architecture and history; and thank you for supporting me when those interests brought me to Philadelphia. I’ll be home soon!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II

LIST OF FIGURES V

1.INTRODUCTION: “THE GOOGIE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE” 1

SETTING THE SCENE: LOS ANGELES AND THE AUTOMOBILE 6 LITERATURE REVIEW: THE RISE AND FALL OF GOOGIE 12 VISUALIZING THE ISSUE 17

2.GOOGIE AS COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE 24

MECHANISMS OF CHANGE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE COMMERCIAL TYPOLOGY 24 RELEARNING FROM LAS VEGAS: THE DUCK AND THE DECORATED SHED 33

3.ARCHITECTURE FOR THE FUTURE: THE PRACTICE OF PRESERVING GOOGIE 40

FROM LAW TO ADVOCACY: KEY COMPONENTS IN PRESERVING GOOGIE 40 FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEGISLATION 40 UNINCORPORATED LOS ANGELES AND TOOTHLESS PRESERVATION 43 THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT 49 ADVOCACY: THE DRIVE TO PRESERVE MODERN DESIGN 52 COMPONENTS AT PLAY: CASE STUDIES 54 UNINCORPORATED LOS ANGELES AND THE PRESERVATION OF WHITTIER’S TAMALE BUILDING 54 L.A. CONSERVANCY V. CITY OF LOS ANGELES (2016) 56 WICH STAND, LOS ANGELES, CA 59

4.IDENTIFYING SUCCESS AND FAILURE: THREE LA CASE STUDIES 62

SUNSET BOULEVARD 62 VAN NUYS BOULEVARD 67 ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE PANORAMA THEATRE AND GREAT WESTERN SAVINGS 68 CORKY’S AND THE THREAT OF DEMOLITION 71 SANTA MONICA 73 PENGUIN COFFEE SHOP, SANTA MONICA, CA 74

5.CONCLUSION: SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE 79

FUTURE RESEARCH 80 LARGER IMPLICATIONS 81

BIBLIOGRAPHY 82 iii

APPENDIX A: DIAGRAMMING GOOGIE CHARACTERISTICS 87

APPENDIX B: LOS ANGELES COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRACTICE 92

APPENDIX C: HESS’S TOURS 99

INDEX 122

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1: The Covina Bowl circa 1956. (When We Were Home) ______2

Figure 1.2: The Covina Bowl three years after its closure. (Nájera, 2020) ______3

Figure 1.3: The Chili Bowl restaurant, located at 801 N. La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. (Herman Schultheis, ca. 1937, Herman J Schultheis Collection, Los Angeles Photographers Photo Collection) ______9

Figure 1.4: The Metropolitan Car Wash, circa 1965. ______11

Figure 1.5: John Lautner’s Googie Coffee Shop in Los Angeles’s Sunset Strip. ______14

Figure 1.6: Los Angeles's Googie 1984 - The map illustrates the 409 commercial buildings recorded by Hess in his lists. (Nájera, 2020) ______20

Figure 1.7: Los Angeles's Googie 2004. Fifteen percent of structures were lost between the two publications. (Nájera, 2020) ______21

Figure 1.8: Los Angeles's Googie 2019. Thirty-three percent of Googie buildings recorded in Hess's lists, have been lost. (Nájera, 2020) ______22

Figure 1.9: Status of Recorded Googie Buildings as of December 2019. (Nájera, 2020) ______23

Figure 2.1: Spring Street, Los Angeles circa 1930. Advertising for the automobile. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection) ______27

Figure 2.2: Neon Sign for Mel's Drive-In in Hollywood, California. (Carol Highsmith, 1946, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-24293) ______30

Figure 2.3: Jack-in-the-Box Mark II, designed by Wayne Williams. (Foodmaker Corporation) 34

Figure 2.4: The Donut Hole in El Monte, California. (Nájera, 2020) ______35

Figure 2.5: The "duck" and "decorated shed." (Venturi, 1972, Learning from Las Vegas) _____ 38

Figure 2.6: Johnie's Broiler after its demolition in 2007. (Adriene Biondo, Downey, CA) ______39

Figure 3.1: Los Angeles County Historic Preservation Report Card. (Nájera, 2020) ______47

Figure 3.2: Driftwood Drive-Thru in El Monte, California. (Nájera, 2020) ______48

Figure 3.3: Downey’s McDonald’s is currently the oldest operating in the country, yet it does benefit from local historic preservation measures. (Nájera, 2020) ______48

Figure 3.4: The former Tamale restaurant in East Los Angeles. (Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection) ______55 v

Figure 3.5: The former Lytton Savings, currently Chase Bank on Sunset Boulevard. (Nájera, 2020) ______58

Figure 3.6: The Wich Stand, undated. ______61

Figure 3.7: The former Wich Stand, now the site of Simply Wholesome (Sam Gnerre, January 2019) ______61

Figure 4.1: Pacific's Cinerama Theatre, circa 1963. (Marvin Rand, Welton Becket & Associates) ______65

Figure 4.2: Pacific's Cinerama Theatre. (Nájera, 2020) ______65

Figure 4.3: The contemporary Amoeba Music, inspired by local Googie design. (Nájera, 2020) ______66

Figure 4.4: Formerly the Plush Pup, Pinches Tacos retains its zig-zagged ceiling. (Nájera, 2020) ______66

Figure 4.5: The former Panorama Theatre, now home to the Universal Church. (Nájera, 2020) ______69

Figure 4.6: Great Western Savings on Van Nuys Boulevard (W.A. Sarmiento Collections) _____ 70

Figure 4.7: The former Great Western Bank, now a furniture showroom. (Nájera, 2020) _____ 70

Figure 4.8: A closed Corky’s, photographed in January 2020. (Nájera, 2020) ______71

Figure 4.9: The Penguin Coffee Shop, circa 1960. (Collection of Armét, Davis, Newlove Architects, Santa Monica Public Library) ______76

Figure 4.10: Beauchamp Western Dental (D.V. Devito, 1991) ______76

Figure 4.11: A restored Mel’s Drive-In. (Nájera, 2020) ______77

Figure 4.12: First Republic Bank in Santa Monica, formerly Zucky's Cafe. (Nájera, 2020) _____ 78

It’s a style built on exaggeration; on dramatic angles; on plastic and steel and neon and wide-eyed technological optimism. It draws inspiration from Space Age ideals and rocketship dreams. We find Googie at the 1964 New York World’s Fair… the mid- century design of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland… and in countless coffee shops and motels across the U.S.

Matt Novak, Architecture of the Space Age June 15, 2012

vii

1. INTRODUCTION: “THE GOOGIE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE”

Three miles south of California’s historic Route 66, at the corner of San Bernardino

Road and Rimsdale Avenue, sits one of Southern California’s most eye-catching examples of

Googie architecture, the Covina Bowl (fig. 1.1). Designed by architectural firm Powers, Daly,

and DeRosa, the Covina Bowl opened its doors in 1956. For decades, the bowling alley

charmed motorists and families alike with its exuberant orange facade, its steeply pitched

Polynesian-inspired roof, and its playful zig-zagged decor. Surrounded by palm trees, it was

the epitome of a Californian fantasy that promised unrestrained movement and inspired

similar architecture of the era throughout Los Angeles.

In 2016 the Covina Bowl celebrated its 60th anniversary amongst dozens of

residents and bowling aficionados. 1 In spite of the festivities, the Bowl closed its doors and

shut off its neon lights the following year in the throes of a steadily declining business (fig.

1.2). On a personal level, the bowling alley had been the site of fond family excursions and

its banquet halls had been the host to several birthday parties and even a wedding. Its

closing was a bleak reminder to residents and myself of the ephemeral nature of everyday

commercial architecture. While local preservationists had successfully nominated the

bowling alley to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, the designation was purely

honorific and lacked the local protections required to resist future change. Despite these

odds, a coalition of long-time residents and local advocates formed the Friends of the Covina

Bowl to champion for the bowling alley’s preservation. 2

1 David Allen, “Covina Bowl Hits 60 Squarely with Fans’ Help,” Daily Bulletin, February 16, 2016, https://www.dailybulletin.com/lifestyle/20160216/covina-bowl-hits-60-squarely-with-fans-help. 2 Kevin Smith, “Iconic Covina Bowl Closing Its Doors Forever,” San Gabriel Valley Tribune, February 28, 2017, https://www.sgvtribune.com/business/20170228/iconic-covina-bowl-closing-its-doors- forever. 1

Figure 1.1: The Covina Bowl circa 1956. (When We Were Home)

Figure 1.2: The Covina Bowl three years after its closure. (Nájera, 2020)

Today the building remains vacant, its vibrant hues faded with time, while its

enduringly fanciful signage recalls a not so distant past. Meanwhile, its future remains

uncertain. Plans to replace the Bowl with townhouses waver between total demolition and

partial preservation. 3 Be that as it may, the story of the Covina Bowl is not unique.

Commercial vernacular architecture is intrinsically vulnerable to unsympathetic change, a

fact actively affecting Los Angeles’s kitschy, space-age, Googie-styled architecture.

An offshoot of Mid-Century Modern, Googie was inspired by its Programmatic, Art

Deco, and Streamlined predecessors. 4 The style defied tradition with its glossary of

3 Bianca Barragan, “Groovy Covina Bowl Could Be Partially Preserved as Part of Townhouse Development,” Curbed LA, August 15, 2019, https://la.curbed.com/2019/8/15/20798150/covina- bowl-googie-townhouses-preservation-trumark. 4 Coined by architectural historian David Gebhard in the introduction of California Crazy: Roadside Vernacular Architecture, the term “Programmatic” describes structures whose form is directly inspired by the program housed within. This style has also been described as “mimetic” and “novelty” architecture. 3 dramatic angles; its ostentatious color palette; and its use of steel, chrome, and neon.

Notably, it saw extensive use in the most vernacular of commercial structures, lending character to bowling alleys, motels, car washes, gas stations, and restaurants (Appendix A).

To paraphrase architect, Louis Sullivan: form followed function; and with boisterous forms and colors intent on catching the motorist’s eye, the function was advertisement and communication. By the 1960s Googie architecture had spread beyond the Southern

California boundaries, dotting the country with corresponding roadside designs. 5

However, by the 1980s the style’s popularity had waned, and stiff competition in the commercial landscape coupled with a pressure to maximize the profitability of prime real-

estate locations, resulted in the demolition of significant Googie structures. As a result, some

of the style’s most iconic sites, like the eponymous Googie Coffee Shop on Sunset Boulevard,

were razed in favor of newer commercial ventures. Publications, most notably Alan Hess’s

Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture (1986), lent the style retrospective appreciation and

merit, and furthermore served as the catalyst for public campaigns to save surviving Googie

works.

This thesis will investigate the internal and external mechanisms of change affecting

Los Angeles’s Googie commercial architecture. It will examine case-studies of preservation

successes and failures, and the regulatory frameworks in place for the advocacy and

preservation of the style.

The first of five sections, Introduction: “The Googie School of Architecture,”

summarizes the origin and trajectory of Googie architecture in Los Angeles, examining the

technological and societal changes that influenced the era’s shift towards nontraditional

5 “Googie Architecture, 1950-1959,” in DISCovering U.S. History (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2003), https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2104240242/CSIC?u=upenn_main&sid=CSIC&xid=daa4ffd0. 4 design. Positioning Googie as an architectural reflection of the region’s taste and culture, this introduction will outline the existing literature on Googie, from its early critique to its

retrospective praise by both the public and architectural critics alike.

The second section, Googie as Commercial Architecture, will examine the style within

the context of a fluctuating commercial environment that served as its impetus and eventual

downfall. This research highlights the unique factors that influence the design, longevity,

and evolution of commercial architecture, and those that have contributed to the survival or

loss of commercial Googie in Los Angeles. With advertisement central to the style’s design,

this section will further analyze the car-centric building typologies that came to define

Googie, exploring the strengths and vulnerabilities of these typologies.

The third section, Architecture for the Future: The Practice of Preserving Googie, will

investigate Los Angeles’s current preservation legislation and its effectiveness in extending

the longevity of Googie commercial vernacular. This section will assess policy, such as the

California Environmental Quality Act, and the Los Angeles Conservancy’s efforts to curtail

Googie’s demolition.

Building off this research, the fourth section, Identifying Success and Failure: Three

Los Angeles Case-Studies, will center on the diverse commercial corridors of Sunset

Boulevard, Santa Monica, and Van Nuys Boulevard. These corridors will provide the

foundation for recognizing Googie’s survivability as an outcome that extends beyond the

legal frameworks of preservation, and is also influenced by commercial pressures, economic

drivers, and contextual change.

Finally, Conclusion, will summarize the key lessons learned through this study, and

pose an argument in favor of the preservation of Googie and the everyday buildings of our

urban lives.

SETTING THE SCENE: LOS ANGELES AND THE AUTOMOBILE

Encompassing over 4,700 square miles, the County of Los Angeles sprawls across beaches, hills, deserts, and mountainsides. Characterized by a history of transportation that manifests today in over 450 miles of highways, Los Angeles has been the locus of rapid

growth since its inception. This promise of expansion and movement enticed waves of

newcomers throughout the centuries, propelling an amalgamation of cultures and

architectural styles that define the region today. With its dry Mediterranean climate,

perpetual sunshine, and the ubiquitous palm tree, La-La-Land stirred creativity, as Sam Hall

Kaplan describes in his book LA Lost and Found:

It was not accidental that the automobile culture, the movie and aerospace industries, and Disneyland took root in Los Angeles, or that almost every conceivable – and a few inconceivable—fads, fashions, and styles have at some time or other spouted in its consenting climate and spirit. 6

Nevertheless, the influence of movement and open space played a role in the

county’s architecture long before the automobile became the dominant form of

transportation. Viewed as “proof of a long and substantial architectural tradition that would

rival that of the East Coast,” Spanish Colonial Vernacular dominated the built environment prior to the nineteenth century. 7 The establishment of the railroad coupled with the chaotic

optimism of the Gold Rush in the mid-nineteenth century prompted the arrival of thousands

of settlers to Southern California, and introduced the latest East Coast architecture, the

Queen Anne. 8 However, the style was short-lived and was subsequently followed by the

6 Sam Hall. Kaplan, LA, Lost & Found: An Architectural History of Los Angeles, LA, Lost & Found : An Architectural History of Los Angeles (New York: Crown, n.d.), 9. 7 James. Steele, Los Angeles Architecture: The Contemporary Condition (London: Phaidon, 1993), 17. 8 Paul. Gleye, The Architecture of Los Angeles, The Architecture of Los Angeles, 1st ed. (Los Angeles: Rosebud Books, n.d.), 112.

6 romantic revival of the colonial Mission style before shifting towards the more natural

California Craftsman at the dawn of the twentieth century. 9

Beginning with Hollywood in 1903, the new century brought with it waves of

development as some of Los Angeles’s most iconic neighborhoods were established as

carefully planned subdivisions. 10 The accessibility of these developments relied heavily on

the Pacific Electric railway system, but by 1920 speculators set their eyes on the automobile

as “the transport of the future.” 11 Furthermore, the Roaring Twenties brought with them

technological innovation and dramatic shifts in architecture that challenged the traditional

styles of the past. 12 Thus, it was with this backdrop that the Art Deco style developed,

“founded on a twentieth-century aesthetic and the future promise of the great liberator, the

machine.” 13

While the advent and mass-market appeal of the automobile granted the masses

“the same privilege of protected, unhampered movement that had previously been reserved for the wealthy,” it also allowed new developments like Westwood to be located further away from the city center. 14 This changing landscape demanded a new approach in

maintaining commercial visibility amid the growing number of speeding cars. Frenchman

George Claude, through his company Claude Neon, introduced the neon sign to Los Angeles

and the rest of the United States in 1923. Quickly becoming a fixture of outdoor

advertisement, illuminated signs grew larger than ever, adopting fantastic shapes that could

not be missed by day, and that bathed building facades with a bright neon glow by night. 15

9 Steele, Los Angeles Architecture: The Contemporary Condition, 25. 10 Gleye, The Architecture of Los Angeles, 115. 11 Gleye, 116. 12 Gleye, 8. 13 Gleye, 120. 14 Gleye, 115. 15 Gleye, 125. 7

The rise of the automobile further contributed to the emergence of Programmatic

architecture, among Googie’s earliest predecessors. A mimetic novelty, these commercial

buildings were inspired and styled according to the businesses contained therein. In Los

Angeles the style took the form of giant derby hats, tamales, ice cream cones, and igloos, all

eager to catch the eye of passing motorists (fig. 1.3). As author and historian Jim Heimann

describes in his book California Crazy and Beyond:

One could drive along the streets of Los Angeles and come across a restaurant called the Brown Derby, in the shape of its name, a chain of chili restaurants in the shape of huge chili bowls, a camera store with its façade a huge camera… 16

Largely dismissed by architectural critics, Programmatic was populist in nature, often

creative invention represented in more formal architectural styles such as Art Deco.” 17

16 Jim Heimann, California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, n.d.). 17 Gleye, The Architecture of Los Angeles, 134. 8

Figure 1.3: The Chili Bowl restaurant, located at 801 N. La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. (Herman Schultheis, ca. 1937, Herman J Schultheis Collection, Los Angeles Photographers Photo Collection)

The Great Depression of the 1930s further inspired architecture that leaned towards the fantastic. Norman Bel Geddes’s “Futurama” exhibit at the 1939 New York

World’s Fair depicted a future city populated by motorways and streamlined automobiles. 18

To that effect, the decade’s sleek and curved Streamline Moderne served as the precursor

for the technological futurism that would inspire the architecture of later decades. 19 The

1940s were underscored by post-World War II prosperity, the growth of suburbia, and the

unprecedented appeal of the Space-Age; thus, optimistic visions of the future coupled with

the architectural precedents of Programmatic and Streamlined design, culminated in the

exuberant architectural style known as Googie.

Inspired by the imposing forms of planes, ships, and sleek futuristic technology,

Googie gave Los Angeles’s commercial architecture “wings, angles, texture, color, and just

about anything else that would catch the eye and lure a passing motorist.” 20 Consequently,

the style was further propagated in the design of new car-centric commercial typologies

that included: drive-in restaurants, theaters, markets, car washes, service stations, and

motels (fig. 1.4). 21 Like its Programmatic precursor, Googie was cultivated in a vernacular commercial landscape geared towards advertisement. While the works of famed architects such as John Lautner, Wayne McAllister, Louis Armét, Eldon Davis, Harry Harrison, and

Stanley Meston, ought to have provided merit to the quirky automobile-inspired

18 Douglas Adams, “Norman Bel Geddes and Streamlined Spaces,” Journal of Architectural Education 30, no. 1 (September 1, 1976): 22–24, https://doi.org/10.1080/10464eighty-eight3.1976.10758072. 19 Alan. Hess, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, n.d.), 26. 20 Kaplan, LA, Lost & Found: An Architectural History of Los Angeles, 144. 21 Hess, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture, 29.

10 architecture, the style was readily dismissed as crass within the realm of architectural

critique. 22 As expressed by Hess:

Googie’s unashamed commercialism stoked the bias against it… [it] made its advertising function central to its art. Seen as corrupted versions of high-art designs, the coffee shops actually solved the unique problems of accommodating cars, creating landmarks on the commercial strip, and appealing to a broad public successfully. 23

Figure 1.4: The Metropolitan Car Wash, circa 1965.

(George Tate Jr., Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA)

22 Hess, 24. 23 Hess, 25. 11

There are multiple theories to explain the downfall of Googie design. Hess contends

that vitriol at the hands of architectural critics skewed public sentiment against the style.

Eventually relegated as a footnote of Modern Architecture it became vulnerable to

demolition. Other architectural historians argue that the same factors of transit and

mobility that previously contributed to the rise of Googie, were also responsible to its

eventual obscurity. Architectural historian James Steele asserts that the ubiquity of the Los

Angeles freeway came to detract from the use and visuals of surface streets and its car-

centric buildings:

Such architecture… is only possible on surface streets where lower speeds and stop lights allow time for reading. The building as billboard typology… continues to thrive on these streets, [but] the popular aversion to ‘surface’ streets is now so strong, and the dependence on freeways so complete, that even the longest, most frustrating delay is seen as preferable to the staccato indignity of the traffic lights on Sunset, Melrose or Pico. 24

The ubiquity of freeways remains ineradicably associated with Los Angeles, perhaps more so than the county’s unique and eclectic architectural history. Nevertheless, Googie and the commercial vernacular styles that preceded it, provides a tangible reflection of the

physical development of Los Angeles, its shifting tastes and culture, and a disposition

towards the automobile. In allowing the demolition of Googie architecture, Los Angeles

risks losing an enduring expression of its car-centered culture.

LITERATURE REVIEW: THE RISE AND FALL OF GOOGIE

In recounting the history of Los Angeles, Googie has exemplified the county’s

eclectic and innovative approach towards architecture and car-centric design. As a style, it

has swung across a spectrum of criticism that initially denounced its untraditional stylings

24 Steele, Los Angeles Architecture: The Contemporary Condition, 12. 12 but later called for its retrospective recognition and admiration. Notably, architectural critic, and Googie detractor, Douglas Haskell can be attributed for the style’s moniker.

Haskell published his article “Googie Architecture” in the February 1952 issue of House and

Home.” Taking the form of dialogue between a teacher and his students, the piece

sarcastically reflects upon the design of John Lautner’s Googie Coffee Shop (fig. 1.5):

We call it Googie architecture… named after a remarkable restaurant in Los Angeles called Googie’s…It starts off on the level like any other building. But suddenly it breaks for the sky. The bright red roof of cellular steel decking suddenly tilts upward as if swung on a hinge, and the whole building goes up with it like a rocket ramp. But there is another building next door. So, the flight stops as suddenly as it began. 25

Haskell subtly derides the “uninhibited modernism” that Googie represents,

perceiving a tackiness which he refers to as “uninhibited incoherence” before concluding

that despite it all, “sometimes fantastically good ideas result from uninhibited

experiment…” and “accidental discoveries might come even from Googie.” 26

25 Judith S. Baughman et al., eds., “The ‘Googie School of Architecture,’” in American Decades, vol. 6, 1950-1959 (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2001), 158–60, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3468301872/CSIC?u=upenn_main&sid=CSIC&xid=1f3f8b64. 26 Douglas Haskell, “Googie Architecture,” House and Home, February 1952, http://dh101.humanities.ucla.edu/DH101Fall12Lab2/archive/files/7c39d2dcb428971b0123b174d 8319448.pdf. 13

Figure 1.5: John Lautner’s Googie Coffee Shop in Los Angeles’s Sunset Strip.

(Julius Shulman, 1952. Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Getty Research Institute, 2004.R.10)

Early criticism remained negative, and in a similar dismissive vein, Architectural

Record published its article “Five Restaurants: Good Design Competes with Googie.” In the piece, the author contends that commercial architecture along Los Angeles’s bustling

highways can “compete successfully without Googie forms and garish signs.” Furthermore,

the article makes the case that traditional designs are better suited for a positive dining

experience that runs on restaurant efficiency and respectful recognition of the

neighborhood’s “scale, materials, siting and character.” 27

27 “Five Restaurants: Good Design Competes With ‘Googie’.,” Architectural Record 140, no. 4 (1966).

Meanwhile, emerging critical writings about Los Angeles’s built environment,

particularly Reyner Banham’s seminal Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies

(1971), recognized that the developing architectural scene had few precedents “within the

relatively conventional implicit definition of architecture.” 28 As Banham explains,

architectural discourse of the era omitted the hamburger bars, Pop ephemera, or freeway

structures so prevalent in the region. 29 He writes: “One can most properly begin by learning the local language; and the language of design, architecture, and urbanism in Los Angeles is

the language of movement.” 30

It was only a year later that Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour,

published their thought-provoking and contentious work Learning from Las Vegas. The

publication studied various aspects of that city’s built environment, including the

commercial vernacular, signage, and symbolism of its casino-centric architecture;

challenging the long-held credence of high-architecture, culture, and taste. While focusing

on Las Vegas, the justification of the commercial vernacular can be extended to the

Programmatic and Googie architecture found in Los Angeles. The authors assert that

modern architects did “not recognize the image of the process city when they see it on the

Strip, because it is both too familiar and too different from what they have been trained to

accept.” 31

Along these lines, Jim Heimann’s California Crazy (1980), was the first critical attempt to

document the vernacular and ostentatious roadside structures that accentuated California’s

28 Reyner. Banham, Los Angeles; the Architecture of Four Ecologies (Harper and Row, 1971), 22. 29 Banham, 22. 30 Banham, 22. 31 Robert. Venturi, Denise Scott-Brown, and Steven Izenour, Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1972). 15 roads. The term “Programmatic Architecture” was coined by historian David Gebhard, to

describe a style previously alluded to as the “Duck” in Learning from Las Vegas; categorizing

architecture that was characterized as “bizarre, oddball, Pop, architectural aberrations, and

mimetic.” The publication further propelled critical analysis on the commercial vernacular,

and was followed by Phillip Langdon’s Orange Roofs, Golden Arches in 1986. Langdon sought

to explain the design behind several Googie restaurant chains. Interpreting the style’s

appeal to a public detached from the notions of “high architecture,” he notes:

The usual explanations held that chain restaurants’ boisterous shapes and colors were dictated by their need to catch the traveler’s eye, or that the startling forms of oversize electrified signs simply popped out of the uninhibited imagination of sign makers who knew nothing about “serious” art and architecture. 32

Thus, this preceding literature inspired the most comprehensive publications on Googie

to date, Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture (1986) and Googie Redux: Ultramodern

Roadside Architecture (2004), by architectural historian Alan Hess. In his two publications

Hess analyzes the influence of Googie and its relationship to mid-twentieth century

futurism. He delves into the style’s early Space-Age inspirations and its subsequent wane in

popularity; noting that shifts in marketing tactics altered the design and perception of

commercial buildings. Therefore, under the influence of coordinated branding efforts,

commercial buildings in the 1970s attempted to blend with the urban environment,

juxtaposing the design of earlier iterations. 33 Considered mere components of the service

industry, few developers sought to preserve Googie as cultural artifacts. 34

32 Philip. Langdon, Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants, Orange Roofs, Golden Arches : The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants (New York: Knopf, 1986). 33 Hess, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture, 178. 34 Hess, 183–eighty-eight. 16

In addition to expanding upon the style’s architectural history, Hess’s work provided a clear justification of worth beyond Googie’s physical fabric. Commending Googie’s

unpretentious, aesthetic appeal to the average middle-class American, he wrote:

Googie architecture… wasn’t custom houses for wealthy people — it was for coffee shops, gas stations, car washes, banks… the average buildings of everyday life that people of that period used and lived in. And it brought that spirit of the modern age to their daily lives. 35

Qualifying its merit as a memento of daily urban living, these publications brought

recognition to the style and catalyzed present-day endeavors for its preservation.

VISUALIZING THE ISSUE

The loss of Googie is most palpable in the print of local newspapers mourning the

demolition of yet another neighborhood icon. These accounts provide a record for Googie’s

complicated reception, its demolition, and the active campaigns to preserve the style.

However, this loss can also be mapped quantitatively, as I attempt to do here. At the

conclusion of Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture (1986) and its follow-up Googie Redux:

Ultramodern Roadside Architecture (2004), Alan Hess provides the most comprehensive

listing of the Los Angeles’s Googie architecture, “A Guided Tour of Googie” (hereinafter

referred to as “Hess’s Tour”). While Hess notes that the list is by no means exhaustive, it is

inclusive, capturing often overlooked examples of Googie design and its record of change

over time. What I characterize as “Hess’s Tour” forms the foundation for the maps

illustrated in Figures 1.6-1.9.

35 Matt Novak, “Googie: Architecture of the Space Age,” Smithsonian Magazine, accessed April 24, 2020, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/googie-architecture-of-the-space-age- 122837470/. 17

Prior to analysis, each building listed in “Hess’s Tour” was cross-referenced between

the two publications to avoid repetition (the 1986 version of “A Guided Tour of Googie”

contains fewer listings than the revised 2004 version, with the latter repeating those

structures that remained extant in the two decades between publications). Each listing was

then manually searched across Google and Bing mapping services to identify the structure’s

current status as of 2019 (Appendix C).

“Hess’s Tour” identifies 457 examples of Googie architecture in Los Angeles. 36 Of

this total, seventeen accounted for housing tracts, three comprised Googie-inspired twenty-

first century structures, and twenty-eight accounted for civic and institutional design.

Consequently, these forty-eight buildings have been omitted from the mapping process with

the assumption that domestic and institutional structures benefit from an immutability that

is seldom attributed to commercial architecture. The following maps focus on the remaining

409 commercial buildings listed in “Hess’s Tour,” enabling an assessment of loss of Los

Angeles’s Googie-styled commercial design over a period of nearly forty years.

As a starting point, Figure 1.6, depicts the 409 commercial properties listed in

“Hess’s Tour” in 1984; all are extant with each building represented by a green circle. A blue

gradient depicts the geographic density of these structures, with Hollywood and Inglewood

encompassing the greatest number of commercial Googie architecture. Figure 1.7 illustrates

the condition of these buildings twenty years later, in 2004. Graphically, red circles indicate

those properties lost over time, while green circles indicate those considered extant. Of the

former 409 commercial buildings extant in 1984, approximately 346 remained standing

36 Of the 457 buildings identified in “A Guided Tour of Googie,” 45 are found within bordering cities of Orange County and Riverside county. For reference on this listing, refer to Appendix C. 18 two decades later, a loss of fifteen percent. A red gradient depicts the geographic density of

this demolition, with Inglewood depicting the greatest loss.

Figure 1.8 illustrates the current status of the Googie commercial architecture listed

in “Hess’s Tour.” Of the starting 409 commercial buildings, only 271 are extant today,

indicating a staggering loss of over thirty percent. As the gradient density illustrates, the

demolition of Googie architecture has been most prevalent in Inglewood, Downey, and

Anaheim. By comparison, of the forty-eight excluded properties (those noted as housing

tracts, twenty-first century construction, and civic buildings), only six had been demolished

in the same period; evidently, this loss applies almost exclusively to commercial design.

Among the surviving Googie structures, present building conditions such as “vacant

properties” and “permanently closed businesses” signify future risk of demolition;

meanwhile, the status of “remodeled property” underplays concerns for design integrity

and the character-defining features of these buildings (fig. 1.9). Nevertheless, a number of

these surviving Googie structures have undergone the process of “adaptive reuse” and

“restoration,” implying investment and longevity for years to come.

As these maps convey, Los Angeles’s Googie commercial architecture is significantly

vulnerable to change and demolition when compared to its institutional and domestic

counterparts. The following section will delve into the commercial aspect of Googie design,

investigating the role that the commercial sector has played in determining the adaptability

and survivability of the style.

Figure 1.6: Los Angeles's Googie 1984 - The map illustrates the 409 commercial buildings recorded by Hess in his lists. (Nájera, 2020)

Figure 1.7: Los Angeles's Googie 2004. Fifteen percent of structures were lost between the two publications. (Nájera, 2020)

Figure 1.8: Los Angeles's Googie 2019. Thirty-three percent of Googie buildings recorded in Hess's lists, have been lost. (Nájera, 2020)

Figure 1.9: Status of Recorded Googie Buildings as of December 2019. (Nájera, 2020)

2. GOOGIE AS COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE

In his work How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built, author and designer,

Stewart Brand alludes to the ephemeral nature of commercial architecture, writing:

Commercial buildings have to adapt quickly, often radically because of intense competitive pressure to perform… Most businesses either grow or fail. If they grow, they move; if they fail, they’re gone. Turnover is constant. Commercial buildings are forever metamorphic. 37

As a system, the commercial sector relies upon a cast of actors ranging from: the consumer, the merchant and the architect; as well as the goods, services, and the setting where transactions take place. Unlike its domestic and institutional counterparts, the architecture of the commercial realm must adapt to these tenuous and everchanging relationships while also contending with rapid industry change. Consequently, adaptability is the key for the survival of both business and building. 38 Historically, surface variables

such as materiality and color have been relied upon for their ease of change and versatility,

while inflexible variables such as physical location have posed both advantages and

disadvantages towards the visibility and appeal of commercial ventures. In understanding

the vulnerability and survivability of Los Angeles’s Googie architecture (and its related

roadside ephemera), one must understand the multiple factors that have influenced the

transformations of a commercial realm responsive to the shifting values and priorities of

American society.

MECHANISMS OF CHANGE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE COMMERCIAL TYPOLOGY

The development of the commercial landscape in Los Angeles is undeniably linked

to the evolution of transportation. With the introduction of the stage-coach in the mid-

37 Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built Books, 1995), 11. 38 Brand, 11. (New York, NY : Penguin 24 nineteenth century, the 120-mile distance to San Diego was a two-day trek; the subsequent establishment of the railroad and its depots reduced the journey to a day; and a century later, the trip could be completed in a mere three-hour drive (albeit without traffic).

However, prior to these innovations, the post-industrial commercial realm was significantly localized, and a city’s Main Street performed as the heart of business activity. This condition applied to Los Angeles and to the growing cities throughout the country, and it would become the backdrop for the evolution of Googie architecture and the reactionary nature of commercial design.

Thus, the commercial history of Googie and roadside architecture can be traced back to the concept of the “Main Street.” Serving as an essential commercial artery, the Main

Street propagated as a vital component of major East Coast port cities; likewise, the West

Coast saw the development of these corridors only a century later. The establishment and

expansion of the country’s railroads further stimulated Main Street commerce, facilitating

the distribution of goods and products and the arrival of newcomers into several American

small towns. As the dominant commercial entity of the nineteenth century, the Main Street

maintained a homogeneity of building character within its corridor. Focused on the

pedestrian experience, it was characterized by dense rows of commercial buildings

interspersed with the occasional non-commercial program. Hence, encompassing several

enterprises and activities, the Main Street formed a hub for community interaction in many

cities.

Under these circumstances, the modern storefront emerged as a product of

consumer culture. Scaled for the pedestrian’s gaze, the storefront reflected the transient

nature of a commercial landscape reliant on supply and demand. As architectural and urban

historian, Gabrielle Esperdy notes: “the storefront registers cultural developments with an

25 immediacy and directness denied more permanent or monumental forms of building.” 39

Therefore, the development of “shopping streets,” new corridors of commerce along major

roads leading out of town, was the natural progression for commercial growth; and by the

end of the nineteenth century, speculators had begun erecting commercial buildings along

streetcar routes. Typically consisting of a single row of storefronts, these developments

acted as secondary commercial corridors, producing enough revenue to pay property taxes

while also holding the property for future use and development. This dual purposed gave

these corridors the moniker of “taxpayer strips.” 40

However, in a constantly evolving commercial landscape, the introduction of the

automobile in the twentieth century revolutionized the design of the traditional commercial

corridor. This new mode of transportation elevated the influence of advertisement and

propelled new marketing strategies in commercial chains. As new businesses introduced

more patrons to these strips, the demands of the automobile interrupted the established

Main Street patterns which had been geared toward pedestrian visibility. 41 Unprecedented

need for parking overwhelmed available curbside space in existing corridors, and

eventually commercial strips resorted to adding parking lots and setbacks.

The commercial availability of the automobile further incentivized car-centric

development in American cities: in 1900 there were only 8,000 registered vehicles in the

country, this number jumped to 458,000 by 1910, and to more than 8 million by 1920. 42

Consequently, by the end of the decade, vast new residential sections of Los Angeles and

39 Gabrielle M. Esperdy, Modernizing Main Street: Architecture and Consumer Culture in the New Deal, [Center Books on American Places] (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008), 10. 40 Chester H. Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture, Main Street to Miracle Mile : American Roadside Architecture, 1st ed. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1985), 14. 41 Esperdy, Modernizing Main Street: Architecture and Consumer Culture in the New Deal, 20. 42 Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture, 17. 26

Southern California were developed with the automobile in mind; these auto-convenient businesses soon usurped the conventional tax-payer blocks seen in the East Coast (fig. 2.1).

Responsive to the needs of consumers, these adapting commercial corridors were touted for their wide array of services. As described by Esperdy, within these collection of

businesses, one would inevitably find the grocery store, drugstore, clothing store, and the

gas station, “these four retail types represented a large portion of the 1.5 million stores that

the U.S. Commerce Department estimated were operating on Main Street in 1929.” 43 The automobile further inspired the emergence of car-centric businesses, including: gas outlets, salesrooms, and repair shops. 44

Figure 2.1: Spring Street, Los Angeles circa 1930. Advertising for the automobile. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)

43 Esperdy, Modernizing Main Street: Architecture and Consumer Culture in the New Deal, 19. 44 Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture, 9.

Furthermore, the popularization and ubiquity of the automobile facilitated the widespread commercialization of the landscape. 45 As the country’s boundaries expanded

and new roads facilitated private travel, the most salient addition to the roadside panorama

was the “wholesale injection of “commercials,” roadside architecture designed specifically

to meet the motorist’s gaze. Businesses emerged along newly constructed roads as

entrepreneurs erected stores, restaurants, and food stands beyond the limits of the

traditional Main Street and taxpayer strip. 46 The unprecedented speed of transit further

inspired the trend towards sweeping and eye-catching signage. It was little wonder that the

1920s and 30s saw a profusion of eclectic mimetic architecture, a predecessor of Googie design. Giant versions of everyday objects appeared along Main Streets and rural roads as a synthesis of sign and building, packaged into a modernized façade for simple visual consumption:

“Merchants freely exploited a variety of easily recognizable images of everyday objects, from clocks to teapots, for their commercial value. Giant watches hung above jewelers’ shops, mortars and pestles graced druggists’ doorways, and oversized boots announced to passersby that a cobbler was close at hand.” 47

Despite the differences in origin, both roadside and Main Street architecture were

subject to the influence of a volatile commercial environment. Commercial buildings were

keen to adapt in order to maintain consumer appeal, and an inability to do so often

contributed to a failing business. As the Federal Housing Administration stated in 1936:

“Buildings can be rescued from obsolescence by a few simple operations on their

exteriors.” 48 Therefore, architecture played a role in responding and reacting to consumer

45 Esperdy, Modernizing Main Street: Architecture and Consumer Culture in the New Deal, 168. 46 Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture, 21. 47 Liebs, 49. 48 Esperdy, Modernizing Main Street: Architecture and Consumer Culture in the New Deal, 168. 28 taste. The popular practice of “facadism” allowed merchants and business owners to keep pace with passing tastes and fashions; and wary of “obsolescence,” renovation projects were

often conducted solely for the benefit of visual consumption rather than the physical

improvement of the structure or its equipment. 49 For instance, Horn and Hadart, famous for

their chain of Philadelphia and New York City Automats, sent out crews to renovate their

older Automat establishments, enlarging windows that would entice pedestrians: “To pull

the pedestrian out of the hurrying sidewalk traffic, glass facades angled inward in the

direction of the door. The pedestrian who lingered inside found himself almost

automatically at the restaurant’s entrance.” 50

Within the struggling Main Street, modernized storefronts propelled by New Deal federal provisions served to revive the traditional commercial corridor strained by the economic effects of the Great Depression. While the consumer was at the mental forefront of storefront renovation, the practice provided desperately needed work for designers, contractors, and manufacturers. Similar to the roadside architecture dotting the country, renovation and adaptation of commercial storefronts provided an opportunity for high

Modernist concepts to make their way down to vernacular aesthetics. 51 However, the

revival of the Main Street was short lived – by the mid-twentieth century critics challenged

the densely built corridors that at times hindered vehicles, calling for the construction of

decentralized shopping centers and malls. 52

49 Esperdy, 159. 50 Langdon, Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants, 21. 51 Esperdy, Modernizing Main Street: Architecture and Consumer Culture in the New Deal, 9. 52 Esperdy, 21. For additional reading on the rise of the shopping mall, please refer to Richard W. Longstreth’s City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950. 29

Figure 2.2: Neon Sign for Mel's Drive-In in Hollywood, California. (Carol Highsmith, 1946, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-24293)

With renovation predicated on societal shifts in taste, the merchant became the consumer as manufacturers advertised the latest innovations in storefront improvement. As a result, modernism and advertisement inspired the invention of: Carrara and Vitrolite structural glass, Formica and Micarta laminated plastic, Enduro and Veribirite enameled steel, and Claude Neon lighting; when combined these innovations made Googie and other

“exaggerated modern” styles possible (fig. 2.2). 53 Thus, not only did facadism inspire new

architectural styles, but it also interrupted formerly homogenous commercial strips,

reinforcing the notion that the building was yet another “manufactured product on a

counter of manufactured products.” 54

Restaurants and retail of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, took cues from these initial visual

orders, applying ostentatiously dynamic forms visible from the road. The first McDonald’s

burger joint presented its restaurant with bright yellow parabolic arches along the San

Bernardino road, impossible to miss from one’s car. Just as Vitriol glass had transformed the

palette of earlier commercial architecture, retail and roadside eateries relied on dynamic

visual theatrics. Architectural modernism further propagated experimentation of form, as

innovative engineering techniques captured the advertising potential of commercial design.

It was amid this evolving commercial landscape that Googie, at times referred to as “Space-

Age” and “Boomerang Modern,” emerged. Googie epitomized architectural advertisement,

freeing designers from the previously restrained forms that had dominated the commercial

sector. Southern California architects such as John Lautner, Louis L. Armét, and Eldon C.

Davis, “saw freedom of form [in architecture] as a generator of commerce,” designing

53 Esperdy, 163. For more on material innovation, refer to Gabrielle Esperdy’s The Colorful Storefront. 54 Esperdy, 148.

31 several of Los Angeles’s most iconic restaurants and cafes, including Norm’s, Ship’s, and

Tiny Naylor’s, among others. 55

The 1956 Highway Act had a transformative impact on existing patterns of

commercial development. The country’s newly constructed forty-thousand-mile network of

highways stimulated businesses along existing scenic routes while also inspiring new

commercial development. 56 Conversely, the system also had a deleterious impact on

existing commercial ventures – as new interstate highways siphoned off traffic from the

pre-existing roads that had once held prime locations in easy view of passing motorists.

Despite investments in infrastructure throughout the 1940s and 50s, the following decade

witnessed contentious shifts in the public’s attitude towards car-centric commercial design,

spelling the downfall for Googie and roadside architecture.

The United States in the 1960s was punctuated by key moments in the

environmental movement: Rachel Carson’s best-seller, Silent Spring, was published in 1962

and was followed by Donald Carr’s Death of the Sweet Waters in 1966. In California, the

movement gained traction through the highly publicized events of the 1969 Santa Barbara

Oil Spill and the political protests at People’s Park in Berkeley. 57 These occurrences,

combined with the emergence of several environmental movement organizations, struck a

chord within the American consciousness. As industries were villainized as polluters; the

automobile, with its far-reaching impact on the landscape, was also held culpable. By

association, the car-centric design of Googie and other roadside architecture came under

scrutiny and criticism.

55 Esperdy, 115. 56 Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture, 34. 57 Adam Rome, “‘Give Earth a Chance’: The Environmental Movement and the Sixties,” The Journal of American History 90, no. 2 (2003): 525, https://doi.org/10.2307/3659443. 32

But just as earlier commercial factors had contributed to the popularization of

Googie amongst business-owners and the public, they were also conducive to its downfall.

As Americans sought to ameliorate their detrimental impact on the environment, the

commercial realm responded in its typical chameleon fashion – adopting a muted earth-

tone palette in a desperate attempt to convey compatibility with nature. For instance, Jack-

in-the-Box restaurants, which had previously been accused of “visual pollution,”

transitioned from its vibrant color scheme of reds and yellows in favor of a subdued blue

and beige palette. 58 Reacting directly to a deteriorating public perception of Googie, and all

that it seemingly represented, business owners relied on façadism to quietly obscure its

traces; but paintjobs and cladding did little to obscure the sculptural elements geared

toward advertisement. Suffice to say, these architectural “ducks” did not lend themselves to

the adaptation crucial in surviving the commercial landscape.

RELEARNING FROM LAS VEGAS: THE DUCK AND THE DECORATED SHED

As an architectural style Googie is amorphous, encompassing eclectic Mid-Century

Modern examples falling within a spectrum of Programmatic, Streamlined, and Space-Age design. These architectural variations inevitably affect the style’s adaptability to evolving commercial attitudes. Googie works such as Wayne Williams’s 1956 Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, have a far easier time adapting to change than Googie designs that skew towards the programmatic, such as La Puente’s Donut Hole (fig. 2.3 and fig. 2.4). In architectural discourse, one would classify William’s design as a “decorated shed” with its billboard-like roof functioning as – loud, flashy, but adaptable – advertisement. By comparison, the Donut

58 Langdon, Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants, 141. 33

Hole – designed as a drive-thru with two massive donuts on either end – would be classified

a “duck” with its entire form expressing the program housed within.

Figure 2.3: Jack-in-the-Box Mark II, designed by Wayne Williams. (Foodmaker Corporation)

Figure 2.4: The Donut Hole in El Monte, California. (Nájera, 2020)

The concepts of the “duck” and the “decorated shed” were first introduced in

architectural pedagogy in Robert Venturi, Denisse Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour’s 1972

work Learning from Las Vegas. The publication drew from the recent experience of an

eponymous research studio conducted with the Yale School of Art and Architecture.

Published at a time when commercial building design and its ornamentation were deemed

“invisible to the frame of architectural interest,” the work extrapolates architectural insights

from the Las Vegas commercial landscape; drawing out lessons on: signage and

advertisement, the change and permanence of the commercial strip, and the esoteric

categorization of “ducks” and “decorated sheds.” 59 Learning from Las Vegas applies long-

standing architectural concepts and theories to the recent – and largely ignored – landscape

59 Kester Rattenbury and Samantha Hardingham, eds., Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown: Learning from Las Vegas 35 , SuperCrit ; No. 2 (Abingdon [England] ; Routledge, 2007), 20. of the commercial corridor. While these lessons can relate to the transformative nature of commercial architecture at large, they ring especially true when understanding the

circumstances that have influenced the trajectory of Googie architecture and roadside

design.

Regarding the dynamic signage of the Las Vegas landscape, the authors explore the

communicative aspect of architecture; noting that styles and signs “make verbal and

symbolic connections through space, communicating a complexity of meanings through

hundreds of associations in a few seconds from far away.” 60 This lesson is emphasized in

the bold and eclectic architecture characteristic of Las Vegas. As the studio aptly illustrated,

despite the commonality in function and purpose, the imagery of Las Vegas commercial

design was poised for competition with its surroundings. In an era where architectural

discourse attempted to move away from symbolism and ornamentation; Venturi, Scott

Brown, and Izenour, validated the intentional and reactionary operations of a roadside

vernacular intent on drawing a response from vehicular dominated landscape.

Learning From Las Vegas examines the complex nature of the commercial strip and its

multiple components contending between change and permanence. As the authors explain,

there are two types of order on the Strip: the visual order of street elements and the order

of buildings and signs. 61 These orders are directly influenced by the dynamic presence of

the adjacent highway, “in combination they embrace continuity, and discontinuity, going

and stopping, clarity and ambiguity, cooperation and competition, the community and

rugged individualism.” 62 Keeping in line with the factors that historically influenced

60 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form, 8. 61 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, 20. 62 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, 31. 36 commercial architecture across the country, the Strip reinforces the predominant role of the private sector. The commercial signs of Las Vegas are oriented towards the street, positioned to the best advantage in order to attract customers.

The Las Vegas Strip further reinforces the ephemeral nature of commercial architecture.

The text notes that “the most unique, most monumental parts of the Strip, the signs and casino facades, are also the most changeable; it is the neutral structures that survive a

succession of facelifts and a series of themes up front.” 63 However, this association between

neutrality and longevity hinders Googie designs reliant on architectural theatrics. Venturi,

Scott Brown and Izenour attribute the fleeting nature of commercial signage to multiple

factors ranging from: stiff competition from neighbors, leasing systems, and a structural

propensity towards change. 64

Historically, commercial signs combined words, pictures and sculpture in order to

attract consumers. Over time, technological innovation allowed these signs to be read both

by day and by night – sometimes by the glow of neon lighting. Eventually, buildings

themselves became signs, and within this analogy, Learning from Las Vegas draws the

architectural distinction between the “duck” and the “decorated shed.”

In categorizing architectural “ducks,” Venturi and Scott Brown were inspired by The

Long Island Duckling, a duck-shaped store photographed by Peter Blake is his work In God’s

Own Junkyard. 65 As conveyed by the image, the “duck” is symbolic and sculptural, a building

that reveals program through form. By contrast, the “decorated shed,” is a neutral and

conventional building that applies surface symbology to express program (fig. 2.5). Both

63 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, 34. 64 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, 34. 65 Rattenbury and Hardingham, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown: Learning from Las Vegas, 24. 37 forms of architecture rely on an emotional association to its representation design. In describing the “duck” and the “decorated shed” the authors write the following:

1. Where the architectural systems of space, structure, and program are submerged and distorted by an overall symbolic form. This kind of building- becoming-sculpture we call the duck in honor of the duck-shaped drive-in, “The Long Island Duckling… 2. Where systems of space and structure are directly at the service of program and ornament is applied independently of them. This we call the decorated shed.” 66

Figure 2.5: The "duck" and "decorated shed." (Venturi, 1972, Learning from Las Vegas)

66 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form, 87. 38

Ultimately, the “duck” and the “decorated shed” represents the means by which the

tenets of high architecture had been absorbed by the commercial vernacular. As the authors

note: “When Modern architects righteously abandoned ornaments on buildings, they

unconsciously designed buildings that were ornament. In promoting space and articulation

over symbolism and ornament, they distorted the whole building into a duck.” 67

Conclusively, the publication upholds the ordinary neutrality of the “decorated shed” over

the symbolic sculptural form of the “duck,” noting that “this is not the time and ours is not

the environment for heroic communication through pure architecture.” 68 This conclusion

reflected a proclivity towards modest, subdued, and adaptable architecture in the

commercial realm – foreshadowing the demolition of Googie’s most boisterous and

programmatic works.

Figure 2.6: Johnie's Broiler after its demolition in 2007. (Adriene Biondo, Downey, CA)

67 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, 84. 68 Venturi, Scott-Brown, and Izenour, 87. 39

3. ARCHITECTURE FOR THE FUTURE: THE PRACTICE OF PRESERVING GOOGIE

Recent attempts to preserve the remaining examples of Los Angeles’s commercial

Googie, have relied on the efforts of local advocates and organizations to navigate a

preservation framework that often places commercial vernacular at a disadvantage. The

inclusion of incentive programs in conjunction with environmental reviews and recently

established historic districts has facilitated the process of preserving a greater diversity of

the county’s-built environment. However, toothless preservation ordinances, non-existent

protections within “unincorporated” territory, and the “50-year rule” have posed

disadvantages in protecting Googie from demolition. Where policy has failed, advocacy by

part of individuals and organizations has gone a long way in preserving the style’s modest

and vernacular buildings properties reflective of the region’s social and cultural values.

FROM LAW TO ADVOCACY: KEY COMPONENTS IN PRESERVING GOOGIE

Federal, State, and Local Legislation

Prior to delving into the mechanisms of Los Angeles preservation, it is important to understand the larger framework of preservation-legislation in California. Historic preservation in the state has followed the typical arc of practice across the United States.

Guided by state legislation, municipal master plans, and the guidelines exacted by the

Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, California’s preservation practice weaves across a hierarchy of local, state, and federal policy. Thus, individuals and organizations practicing in the field must contend with the guidelines and legislation across these three different levels of government.

Like the movement that inspired environmental-based legislation in 1970, the demolition of Penn Station in New York coupled with the publication of the landmark study

With Heritage So Rich, served as the catalyst for the conception of a comprehensive federal

preservation law. The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 revolutionized the

field and practice across the nation, with its establishment of review systems and standards

across federal, state, and local governments. 69 NHPA further established the Advisory

Council on Historic Preservation, the National Register of Historic Places, and the National

Historic Landmark Programs. Moreover, the act provided the momentum for the

formalization of the field at the state and local level; placing the onus of preserving historic

properties upon each individual state and advancing the formation of State Historic

Preservation Offices (SHPO) and state registers. 70

Thus, at the state level, California’s SHPO is responsible for the administration of

federally and state mandated historic preservation programs. Additional responsibilities

include the identification and designation of buildings to the State Register of Historic

Properties and encouraging property owners to participate within the state’s economic

incentives programs. 71 In a similar vein, properties that are both income-producing

(commercial, industrial, agricultural, rental incomes) and listed within the National Register

of Historic Places are eligible for the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, which

“credits twenty percent of the amount spent on qualifying historic rehabilitation

69 John Renaud and Jessica Goodman, eds., Federal Historic Preservation Laws: The Official Compilation of U.S. Cultural Heritage Statutes, 2018th ed. (Washington D.C.: State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science Directorate National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior, 2017), 41. 70 Renaud and Goodman, 41. 71 “Los Angeles County Mills Act Program,” Los Angeles Municipal Code § Ord. 2019-0004 (2019). Incentive programs such as the Mills Act Program (1972) - allows local governments to reduce property taxes on historic properties in exchange for the preservation and rehabilitation of these properties.

41 expenditures.” 72 California’s State Historical Building Code (CSHBC) further supports the

state’s preservation objectives by permitting exceptions to the California Uniform Building

Code (UBC) – allowing for alternative methods in achieving state safety standards within

older buildings, without fully imposing the costs and alterations often required by present-

day codes. 73

Nevertheless, it is important to note that much of the protection afforded to historic

properties occurs within local government, this stipulation is essential in evaluating Los

Angeles’s role in aiding – or impairing – the preservation of Googie architecture and other

commercial vernacular works. Historic preservation ordinances and regulations fall within

a municipality’s zoning and general plan; consequently, several of the county’s cities have

implemented ordinances to further their historic preservation objectives. For example, in

1999 the City of Los Angeles, adopted the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance to “facilitate the

conversion of dozens of historic and under-utilized structures.” 74 However, despite the

multiple levels of government intersecting historic preservation objectives, ordinances and

guidelines vary across the county offering unequal levels of protection that often places

vernacular architecture at a greater risk of demolition.

72 Toni Atkins, “CA Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit,” Pub. L. No. 451 (2019). 73 California Building Standards Commission and International Code Council, 2016 California Building Code: California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 2, 2016. 74 “Adaptive Reuse Ordinance,” Los Angeles Municipal Code § 26.12.22 (2001), https://www.ladbs.org/docs/default-source/publications/ordinances/adaptive-reuse-ordinance---l- a-downtown-incentive-areas.pdf?sfvrsn=7; Robert B. Olshansky, “The California Environmental Quality Act and Local Planning,” Journal of the American Planning Association 62, no. 3 (September 30, 1996): 313–30, https://doi.org/10.1080/01944369608975697. Since 1937, it has been a requirement for cities and counties in California to adopt a general plan, California law further mandates that the plan must include the following elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. 42

Unincorporated Los Angeles and Toothless Preservation

Within this preservation framework, perhaps the greatest obstacles in preserving

Los Angeles’s Googie architecture is the lack of a historic preservation ordinance in a local

municipality’s code; or in the case of an existing ordinance, rigid regulations that

unfortunately hinder the nomination and designation of the commercial vernacular building

types that characterize the style.

Prior to 2015, historic architecture within the Los Angeles County contended with

non-existent local protections if based within one of the county’s many “unincorporated”

territories. By definition, “unincorporated territory” describes an area that is not part of one

of the county’s eighty-eight cities. Governed by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, these

territories lack a city council and local code. 75 It is estimated that more than sixty-five

percent of the county, approximately 2,650 square miles, is unincorporated. 76 Formerly, the

status of “unincorporated territory” placed limitations on the protection of historic

properties – without a local municipality or general plan to guide preservation-oriented

decisions and actions, historic resources were left vulnerable to demolition and alteration. 77

A solution to these limitations was recently instituted in October of 2015, with the

establishment of the Los Angeles County Historical Landmarks and Records Commission

and the adoption of a county-wide historic preservation ordinance. The Commission is

75 “Unincorporated Los Angeles,” Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, November 28, 2018, http://planning.lacounty.gov/view/unincorporated_los_angeles_county/. Notably, in addition to governance by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, a few territories have established additional representative town councils with advisory jurisdiction. 76 “Unincorporated Los Angeles.” 77 “Historic Preservation for Unincorporated L.A. County Sites Gets Initial OK,” Los Angeles Times, January 28, 2015, https://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me-county-historic- preservation-20150128-story.html.

43 responsible for the regulation and designation of significant resources within the county’s unincorporated territories. 78 Composed of five members, each appointed by the county

supervisor to serve a four-year term, the commission is tasked with: identifying and

recommending the designation of Los Angeles County landmarks and districts, reviewing

applications for potentially impactful development near these landmarks, and advising the

Department of Regional Planning on the application of the Los Angeles County Mills Act

Program. 79

Notably, while the ordinance enables the county government to designate historic

properties in unincorporated land – a win for commercial vernacular – these efforts may be

too little too late when considering the sheer loss of Googie prior to 2015. Not to mention,

implementation of this ordinance is hindered by a few obstacles, namely the fees associated

with nominating a historic landmark in unincorporated territory – the highest of any

jurisdiction in Los Angeles – $1,287 for nominations with owner consent and $4,288 for

nominations without owner consent. 80

Moreover, many of the county’s incorporated cities also struggle to promote and

incentivize historic preservation objectives within their municipalities. The Los Angeles

Conservancy, a preservation advocacy organization, maintains a steady record of each city’s

preservation protections; scoring each jurisdiction on “the elements [it] has in place at the

local level, such as ordinances and incentive programs, to help preserve historic places.” 81

78 “Historical Landmarks and Records Commission,” Historic Preservation Ordinance § 3.30.080 (2015). 79 Historical Landmarks and Records Commission. 80 “Fee Schedule” (LA County Department of Regional Planning Filing Fees, 2020). 81 “About the Report Card | Los Angeles Conservancy,” accessed March 31, 2020, https://www.laconservancy.org/resources/preservation-report-card/about-report-card.

Disconcertingly, in 2014 the Los Angeles Conservancy assigned an “F” grade to fifty-one of the county’s eighty-eight cities (Appendix B). The LA Times provided multiple factors for this underperformance, noting:

“Newer communities mistakenly believe that they have no historic preservation resources while officials of other communities have delayed creating programs because of budget cuts tied to the recession… still other towns are failing to use protection tools they already have at their disposal.” 82

Of the eighty-eight cities and jurisdictions within the county, fifty-two lack a historic

preservation ordinance today. Thus, local Googie icons such as El Monte’s Driftwood Dairy

(fig. 3.2), one of the regions few surviving dairy drive-thrus; and the country’s oldest

operating McDonald’s (fig. 3.3); go without the crucial local designations necessary for their

preservation.

On the other hand, within the thirty-six cities with preservation ordinances, over

half of them see their efforts curbed by a lack of a dedicated preservation commission, and

requirements for owner consent in the landmark nomination process. Similarly, obscure

preservation ordinances hinder the landmarking process; such is the case in the city of

Covina – home of the iconic and threatened Covina Bowl – where local landmarking criteria

and processes are difficult to access. 83

Furthermore, rigid landmarking regulations – such as the “50-year rule” – has

encumbered the designation of Googie and the broader category of Modern commercial

82 “Most L.A. County Cities Failing to Protect Historic Sites, Study Says,” Los Angeles Times, March 14, 2014, https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2014-mar-14-la-me-adv-preservation-scorecard- 20140315-story.html. 83 “Cities | Los Angeles Conservancy,” accessed March 31, 2020, https://www.laconservancy.org/saving-places/preservation-by- city?field_population_value=All&field_grade_value%5B0%5D=F&page=4. The city of Covina, received a “D+” in the LA Conservancy’s report, losing points on the city’s lack of active designations and surveys despite the jurisdiction’s preservation ordinance.

45 vernacular. The fifty-year standard was established by the National Park Service in 1948, and codified in 1961, operating as a "filter to ward off potentially controversial decisions about the nature of historic site significance." 84 As stated by the National Park Service’s

Standard for Evaluating Significance Within Registered Historic Districts:

Ordinarily buildings that have been built within the past 50 years shall not be considered to contribute to the significance of a district unless a strong justification concerning their historical or architectural merit is given or the historical attributes of the district are considered to be less than 50 years old. 85

While the guideline has traditionally been intended to guard against “the listing of properties of passing contemporary interest,” its enforcement poses yet another obstacle in an already deleterious urban landscape of commercial transformation. Popularized in a period when "American modernist design had few fans and many detractors," the preservation of Googie and Mid-Century Modern architecture was further hindered by the application of the 50-year standard. Googie works constructed in the 1950s and 60s only recently “came of age” in the past two decades, years after its most iconic sites had been demolished. Furthermore, as explained by urban historian Elaine Stiles, the “exceptional importance” criterion serves to further “segregate the recent past by holding more-recent resources to a higher standard than their peers.” 86 Thus, as has been the case throughout

architectural practice, works that are deemed “exceptional” are rarely inclusive of the

vernacular fabric that populates Googie design. In the Los Angeles County, of the thirty-six cities with preservation ordinances, thirteen currently list a minimum building age of fifty years as a local designation requirement.

84 John H. Sprinkle, “‘Of Exceptional Importance’: The Origins of the ‘Fifty-Year Rule’ in Historic Preservation,” The Public Historian 29, no. 2 (2007): 90, https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2007.29.2.81. 85 “Standard for Evaluating Significance Within Registered Historic Districts,” Historic Preservation Certifications Under the Internal Revenue Code § 67.5 (1961). 86 Elaine Stiles, “50 Years Reconsidered,” Forum Journal 24, no. 4 (2010). 46

Figure 3.1: Los Angeles County Historic Preservation Report Card. (Nájera, 2020)

Figure 3.2: Driftwood Drive-Thru in El Monte, California. (Nájera, 2020)

Figure 3.3: Downey’s McDonald’s is currently the oldest operating in the country, yet it does benefit from local historic preservation measures. (Nájera, 2020)

The California Environmental Quality Act

According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, the California Environmental Quality Act

(CEQA) is “the primary legal tool used to protect historic resources in California.” 87 Despite its name, the act plays a larger role beyond protecting the environment. Implemented primarily by local jurisdictions, it governs the review and approval process of all large developments in the state, both public and private. 88 As a policy, CEQA requires a thorough,

public review of the potential environmental impacts of a proposed project, requiring

government agencies to minimize these effects to the greatest extent possible by seeking

alternative actions. With its work in identifying the environmental impact of future

development, CEQA has filled the role of conservator in moments of preservation oversight;

thus, becoming a crucial tool in the preservation of Los Angeles’s Googie.

Enacted at the heels of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 (NEPA), CEQA

was borne from the same period of environmental consciousness and advocacy that

villainized roadside commercial architecture. The environmental movement of the 1960s,

culminated with the passage of NEPA on January 1, 1970. 89 At the federal level, NEPA policy

was a mandate “to protect the environment and ensure that environmental concerns were

to be taken into account in any federal government legislation and federal government

programs.” 90 In an effort to fulfill these goals, the act established the Council of

Environmental Quality, a three-person advisory body whose duties included: “ensuring

87 Use of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Los Angeles Conservancy. 88 Olshansky, “The California Environmental Quality Act and Local Planning,” 313. 89 John Hart, “The National Environmental Policy Act and the Battle for Control of Environmental Policy,” Journal of Policy History 31, no. 4 (September 27, 2019): 464–87. 90 Hart, 466.

49 federal agencies meet the requirements of NEPA, providing oversight for the environmental impact assessment process, and developing regulations and guidance for agencies complying with the provision of the act.” 91 Following suit, California was the first state to

develop and adopt its own version of NEPA, establishing the Assembly Select Committee on

Environmental Quality. This body was tasked with the duty of implementing NEPA at the

state level and was ultimately responsible for the drafting and enactment of CEQA that same

year. 92

Despite the shared origin, there are key procedural differences between the two

acts: NEPA, applies strictly to projects receiving federal funding or approval by federal

agencies; by comparison, CEQA requirements are more extensive, applying to “projects

receiving any form of state or local approval, permit, or oversight.” 93 Nevertheless, at the

core of both acts is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), used to evaluate the

various environmental, social, and economic impacts of development:

The purpose of an environmental impact report is to provide public agencies and the public in general with detailed information about the effect which a proposed project is likely to have on the environment; to list ways in which the significant

91 Richard Crume, ed., “National Environmental Policy Act,” in Environmental Health in the 21st Century: From Air Pollution to Zoonotic Diseases, vol. 2, 2 vols. (Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2018), 407–8, https://web-a-ebscohost- com.proxy.library.upenn.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE2OTgwOTVfX0FO0?sid=afde cd8b-83bf-49b7-865d-eb9f6ec8678e@sdc-v-sessmgr01&vid=0&format=EB&rid=1. 92 Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, “The California Environmental Quality Act at 40,” California Legal History, 2018, Gale OneFile: LegalTrac. 93 Richard Crume, ed., “Environmental Impact Assessment,” in Environmental Health in the 21st Century: From Air Pollution to Zoonotic Diseases, vol. 1, 2 vols. (Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2018), 206–8, https://web-a-ebscohost- com.proxy.library.upenn.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE2OTgwOTVfX0FO0?sid=afde cd8b-83bf-49b7-865d-eb9f6ec8678e@sdc-v-sessmgr01&vid=0&format=EB&rid=1. To further explain the difference between both acts: while a development project in California that is funded strictly by private sources may be exempt from NEPA’s regulations, the project would nevertheless be subject to CEQA review and regulations throughout the permit and approval process.

effects of such a project might be minimized; and to indicate alternatives to such a project. 94

Consequently, with the level of scrutiny that follows, the EIA is often a source of tension and dispute. According to the Journal of Environmental Law approximately half of all

CEQA litigation involves challenges to an EIA. 95 While the objective of preserving the built environment may not have initially been within the act’s scope of purpose, historic preservation advocacy groups in Los Angeles often point to the EIA and its findings as an authority for curtailing the demolition or alteration of historic properties.

CEQA section 15064.5 clarifies that “any project that demolishes, destroys, relocates or alters a historic resource, impairs the historic integrity of that resource.” 96 Consequently,

a review agency must consult with a preservation office in order to identify potential

measures to mitigate the “significant adverse changes” in a historic resource. 97 In tangent to

historic preservation regulations, the mitigation efforts proposed by CEQA must be

“conducted in a manner consistent with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards. 98 Furthermore,

94 Association of Environmental Professionals, “2019 California Environmental Quality Act,” 21000– 21189 Public Resources § 21061 (2019). 95 Denise M Keele, “Climate Change Litigation and the National Environmental Policy Act,” Journal of Environmental Law 30, no. 2 (December 8, 2017): 285–309, https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqx030. 96 Association of Environmental Professionals, “2019 California Environmental Quality Act,” 15000– 15387 California Code of Regulations § 15064.5 (2019). 97 Association of Environmental Professionals. 98 Association of Environmental Professionals, “2019 California Environmental Quality Act,” 15000– 15387 California Code of Regulations § 15126.4 (2019). In instances where demolition is ultimately unavoidable, CEQA allows regulatory agencies the provision or documentation of a historic resource. This documentation includes a historic narrative, photographs, or architectural drawings, in effect mirroring the work of the National Park’s Historic American Building Survey. While CEQA broadens the protections typically afforded to designated historic properties, the guidelines clearly state that at the core of its statute is the safety and welfare of people. Therefore, even within CEQA there are exceptions to these protections. As section 15269 of the statute states that when a historic resource represents an imminent threat to the public or damage to an adjacent property, a project proposing to maintain, repair, restore, demolish, or replace the property may be exempt from the requirements of CEQA.

51 the act broadens the classification of historic structure to include any “resource listed in or

determined to be eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources.”

Eligibility in the California Register of Historical Resources relies heavily on a building’s

proven historical and cultural merit, this allows for CEQA to determine the significance of a

resource regardless of its present designation within the state or local historic register. 99

As an act, CEQA has promoted the preservation and longevity of California’s

environmental and historic resources with its inspection, restrictions, and detailed

mitigation plans. However, this scrutiny does not come without its critics, as CEQA is often

accused as being a tool for developmental obstruction and the curtailing of demolition.

Nevertheless, in its inclusive definition of historic resources, CEQA and its guidelines make

the case for the preservation of Los Angeles’s Googie architecture time and time again.

Advocacy: The Drive to Preserve Modern Design

In the past four decades, local, national, and international organizations committed

to preserving modern heritage have emerged. These include the widely recognized

institutions of DOCOMOMO International, the Modern Heritage Committee of the

Association for Preservation Technology (APT), and the ICOMOS International Scientific

Committee on Twentieth-Century Heritage. 100 The goals of these institutions have further

been propelled by the work of local advocacy organizations dedicated to championing the

preservation of the “recent past.”

99 Association of Environmental Professionals, 2019 California Environmental Quality Act, 2019. 100 Susan Macdonald, “Modern Matters: Breaking the Barriers to Conserving Modern Heritage (Article),” Conservation Perspectives, Conserving Modern Architecture, no. Spring (2013), https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/newsletters/28_1/modern_matters.ht ml. 52

Founded in 1978 during ongoing efforts to save the Los Angeles’s Central Library from impeding demolition, the Los Angeles Conservancy is the most active organization

dedicated protecting the county’s historic resources. With over 7,000 members and a staff

of seventeen, the Conservancy is currently the largest preservation organization in the

country; it has led walking tours throughout Los Angeles, held preservation-oriented

symposiums, provided technical assistance and resources to individuals seeking to preserve

history, and has helped create the county’s fifteen Historic Preservation Overlay Zones. 101

Consequently, it is little wonder that the organization has been behind multiple efforts to protect the county’s Googie architecture, successfully landmarking a number of diners, drive-thrus, motels, and gas stations.

The Los Angeles Conservancy’s Modern Committee (aptly nicknamed ModCom) has been among the most emphatic advocates for the preservation of Googie and other Modern structures. Initially known as the Fifties Task Force, ModCom formed shortly after the 1984 demolition of two Googie icons, Ship’s Westwood and Tiny Naylor’s. 102 As noted by Alan

Hess: “The Modern Committee of the Los Angeles Conservancy has used the term ‘Googie’ to

its advantage in actually saving the many examples and in broadening public awareness of

the style.” 103 Thus, where policy and ordinances have failed, individuals and organizations,

such as the Los Angeles Conservancy, have spearheaded the preservation of Los Angeles’s

Googie and modern. The following subsection explores the essential coalescence of

advocacy and legislation plays in preserving Los Angeles’ Googie.

101 Zoie Matthew, “The L.A. Conservancy Is Celebrating 40 Years of Saving Historic Structures,” Los Angeles Magazine, July 6, 2018, https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/la-conservancy-40/. 102 “ModCom’s History | Los Angeles Conservancy,” accessed March 27, 2020, https://www.laconservancy.org/explore-la/curating-city/modern-architecture/saving-modern- places/modern-committee/modcoms-history. Two additional Ships Coffee Shops were in Culver City and La Cienega, but they followed suit, facing closure and demolition by the mid-90s. 103 Hess, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture, 19. 53

COMPONENTS AT PLAY: CASE STUDIES

There is no one formula for the successful preservation of Los Angeles’s Googie and

commercial vernacular design. In analyzing cases that have withstood the test of time,

survival can be attributed to a variety of factors involving environmental review, advocacy,

and legislation. While the previous subsection introduced the key acts and players

contributing to the preservation of the style; this subsection will expand on the interplay of

these various components in preservation practice, focusing on the case-studies of

Whittier’s Tamale Building, Sunset Boulevard’s Lytton Savings, and Los Angeles’s Wich

Stand.

Unincorporated Los Angeles and the Preservation of Whittier’s Tamale Building

In the case of East LA’s Tamale building at 6421 Whittier Boulevard, CEQA and its

regulations regarding historic resources provided the impetus for its preservation when

local protections were lacking (fig. 3.4). Built in the shape of a giant tamale, the building is a

relic of Los Angeles’s once popular Programmatic architecture, and a predecessor of the

Googie style. However, despite its rarity, the eighty-five-year-old structure was made

vulnerable to alteration and demolition in 2013 when the building was placed on sale. 104

Located within unincorporated territory, the Tamale building was unable to draw support

from any existing local historic preservation ordinances. Consequently, the Los Angeles

Conservancy and local advocates called upon CEQA standards of review to protect the

building from future development. As a result, the Tamale building was successfully listed

on the California Register of Historic Resources at the conclusion of 2013, allowing CEQA

104 Adrian Scott Fine, “Re: Historical Significance of The Tamale at 6421 Whittier Boulevard, East Los Angeles,” May 14, 2013, Los Angeles Conservancy.

54 review to call for alternatives that would mitigate any future alteration or adverse impact to the significance of the structure. Ultimately, the Tamale of East L.A. was pulled from the

market, and despite its appetizing form it operates as a beauty salon today. 105

Figure 3.4: The former Tamale restaurant in East Los Angeles. (Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection)

105 Fine. 55

L.A. Conservancy v. City of Los Angeles (2016)

In the recent case of L.A. Conservancy v. City of Los Angeles, CEQA’s strict guidelines regarding the implementation of an Environmental Impact Report at the outset of a development project provided for the identification of a historic site in the city, the Chase

Bank at 8150 Sunset Boulevard (formerly Lytton Savings) stalling its slated demolition.

Named Lytton Savings when it was constructed in 1960, the Chase Bank building is

located at the bustling corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevard in Hollywood (fig.

3.5). The bank building was a departure from the traditional design typical of financial

institutions of the time. With a dramatic folded concrete roof that zigged-zagged beyond the bank’s glass walls, Lytton Savings is a dynamic example of the city’s Googie legacy. While the building underwent change of ownership throughout its lifespan, it retained its design features and its use as a financial institution. 106

However, despite this history and its architectural integrity, the structure was never designated as a historic property on either, the local, state or national register.

Consequently, in 2016, the City of Los Angeles approved plans for a Frank Gehry-designed,

$300 million mixed-use project at the southwest corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights

Boulevard. 107 Construction of the building would ultimately result in the demolition of

existing structures at the intersection, including the Lytton Bank.

Throughout its development and design process, the proposed project was riddled

with conflicting public and private interest. An Land Use Permit application called for the

106 “Lytton Savings, 8150 West Sunset Boulevard,” Agenda (Los Angeles, CA: Cultural Heritage Commission, 2016). 107 L.A. Conservancy v. City of LA, No. B284089 (Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District Division Four March 23, 2018).

56 demolition of the Lytton Bank and the adjacent strip mall in order to construct a sixteen- story apartment building with multiple levels of parking. 108 The project underwent a series

of design alterations following public meetings, during which neighbors expressed their

concerns regarding the design compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood and the

demolition of the block’s historic context. Nevertheless, the following year, the project was

fast-tracked for its economic development potential. 109

An initial draft of the project’s Environmental Impact Report further listed project

objectives that included: increasing the number of affordable housing, bringing convenient

neighborhood-serving commercial uses, and enhancing the pedestrian experience, to name

a few. However, the draft also found the Lytton building on the project site as eligible for

designation as a local Historic Cultural Monument due to it being “an early example in

Southern California of the Mid-Century Modern Bank building type, and an early example of

Kurt Meyer’s work.” 110 Taking into consideration the historic integrity of the site, the report

provided a listing of eight alternative design schemes for the proposed project, three of

which sought to preserve the Lytton Bank. Nevertheless, despite the documentation and

proposal alternatives, the final application dismissed these recommendations, opting for a

design scheme that would result in the demolition of the Lytton Building. The City Council of

Los Angeles adopted the Planning and Land Use Management Committee’s recommendation

to approve the non-preservation-oriented design scheme. Consequently, on December

2016, the Los Angeles Conservancy sued the City of Los Angeles.

108 L.A. Conservancy v. City of LA. 109 L.A. Conservancy v. City of LA. 110 L.A. Conservancy v. City of LA.

In 2017, the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled in favor of the L.A. Conservancy and

their public interest lawsuit, declaring that with the proposal alternatives outlined by the

CEQA Environmental Impact Assessment, an effort could be made to preserve the existing

Lytton Bank. 111 While the success was short-lived with the ruling overturned by a

subsequent appellate court, it nonetheless illustrates the CEQA’s potential in identifying and

protecting buildings that have yet to go through the process of designation on a historic

Figure 3.5: The former Lytton Savings, currently Chase Bank on Sunset Boulevard. (Nájera, 2020)

111 L.A. Conservancy v. City of LA. 58

Wich Stand, Los Angeles, CA

Located on Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles, the flamboyant Wich Stand restaurant and coffee shop is yet another example on the crucial role that advocacy plays in extending the life of local Googie icons. Designed by Armét and Davis in 1957, the Wich Stand was the

epitome of gravity-defying architecture, characterized by its 35-foot illuminated pylon sign

and a cantilevered roof extending beyond glass walls (fig. 3.6). The lively décor permeated

the interiors as well, as noted by the LA Times:

“Inside the coffee shop curving booths and a boomerang-shaped counter made all the surfaces seem fluid. Bright spotlights, lightweight metal tables and chairs and floating circles of painted canvas gave a festive air, as if life were one long outdoor barbecue.” 112

Unfortunately, the 1980s were a difficult time for the once popular eatery, declining

sales coupled with vandalism eventually led to its closure in 1988. Worried about the

restaurant’s foreseeable demolition, local advocates with the support of the Los Angeles

Conservancy, called for the structure’s preservation. Regrettably, the eatery’s location

within unincorporated Los Angeles extinguished any efforts towards local designation.

Nevertheless, conservationists gained a small victory in 1989, when the Wich Stand was

successfully designated as a California Point of Interest. 113 Though the designation is honorific and bears few legal protections, it served to delay indelible development and further cemented the notion of the Wich Stand as a local Googie landmark.

112 Leon Whiteson, “Short Future for Futuristic Coffee Shop? Architecture: Although the Wichstand Was Granted Historic Landmark Status by Los Angeles County, the Googie-Style Building May Still Face the Wrecking Ball,” Los Angeles Times, September 10, 1990, http://search.proquest.com/docview/281109913?pq-origsite=summon. 113 Carol Chastang, “Windsor Hills: Happy Days to Health Food for This Landmark: Renovation: A ’50s-Style Coffee Shop, the Wich Stand, Gets New Life as a Simply Wholesome Store.,” Los Angeles Times, April 9, 1995, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-09-we-52652-story.html. 59

Following a wave of opposition between developers and activists, the property sat vacant for seven years. However, in 1993, Percell Keeling, owner of the health conscious

Simply Wholesome health food store, purchased the property to expand his steadily growing business. Restorations and construction of the project began shortly after Percell acquired a loan from the county’s Community Development Commission. Seeking to maintain the integrity of the famed Googie design, Percell hired architect John H. Morris. In

turn, Morris kept the restaurants distinctive pylon features, while gutting the interior for

Percell’s vision of a food store and studio locale. 114 Construction of the property began in

April 1995, the business opened the following year and continues in operation today.

Though the façade has been muted by a forest green paintjob, the pylon remains, aimed

towards the sky as it always has been (fig. 3.6). Thus, within the class of California’s

remaining Googie structures, there are those fortunate enough to adapt to changing needs

of business and program, evading the looming threat of obsolescence and demolition.

114 “South Bay History: Cruising to the Wich Stand Was Way of Life in the 1960s,” Daily Breeze (blog), January 14, 2019, https://www.dailybreeze.com/south-bay-history-cruising-to-the-wich-stand-was- way-of-life-in-the-1960s. 60

Figure 3.6: The Wich Stand, undated.

Figure 3.7: The former Wich Stand, now the site of Simply Wholesome (Sam Gnerre, January 2019)

4. IDENTIFYING SUCCESS AND FAILURE: THREE LA CASE STUDIES

While the previous section examined the impact of advocacy and legislation on the

preservation of Googie, this section will examine factors beyond the mandate of legal

frameworks and their effect on the style’s preservation. These factors are propelled by the

intangible forces of convenience, sense of place, and economic accessibility; in order to

promote the preservation and longevity of Googie design. By assessing the three

commercial corridors of Sunset Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard, and the city of Santa

Monica, I provide a framework for the comparison of informal preservation techniques

amid commercial pressures and contextual change. As a baseline, each area of study is

located within a city benefitting from a strong and consistent preservation practice. 115

Nevertheless, each study area has benefitted from a diversity of informal preservation

techniques that have affected the outcome of its Googie structures. This research seeks to

answer the following questions: What factors are conducive for the preservation of the

style? And just as important, what constitutes success?

SUNSET BOULEVARD

Located in the city of Los Angeles’s Hollywood neighborhood, Sunset Boulevard has

benefited from the city’s strong preservation ordinances and a reverence for a 1950s

celebrity culture eager to evoke its cinematic Golden Age within its built environment. The

Los Angeles Conservancy’s Report Card granted the city an A+ grade for its efforts, atypical

for much of the region. The scoring is attributed to the city’s early adoption of a historic

preservation ordinance (adopted in 1962 it was one of the earliest in the nation for a major

115 Hess, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture.

62 metropolitan city); its active Mills Act Program (the second largest in the state); and its

prolific designation of local landmarks and historic districts. 116 Furthermore, the establishment of the city’s Adaptive Reuse ordinance in 2001 facilitated the re-use of under- utilized historic buildings, saving many from demolition. 117 In 2007, Los Angeles became a

Certified Local Government, granting the city eligibility to state and federal grants to further support its preservation objectives and goals. 118 Lastly, the city recently completed the most

expansive preservation survey ever undertaken by a single municipality, SurveyLA, which

documents over 800,000 parcels spanning many decades.

Sunset Boulevard is widely recognized beyond the local architectural and cultural

lexicon; stretching twenty-two miles east to west across Hollywood and portions of West

Hollywood, it was the setting for the rise and development of the film industry and the

region’s celebrity culture that inspired such films as Billy Wilder’s 1950s iconic “Sunset

Boulevard.” The neighborhood’s atmosphere of creativity and artistry, road further inspired local artists – Ed Ruscha documented the eclectic variation of Googie, Art Deco, and Modern architecture in his art piece Every Building on the Sunset Strip (1966).

To further emphasize the effects that this culture has had on the Googie architecture

of Sunset Boulevard, we return to “Hess’s Tour” (discussed in the introductory section of

116 Moreover, the city established its Office of Historic Resources in 2006 to coordinate the city’s historic preservation activities and further support its Cultural Heritage Commission. 117 “Adaptive Reuse Projects | LADBS,” accessed April 15, 2020, http://www.ladbs.org/services/core-services/plan-check-permit/plan-check-permit-special- assistance/adaptive-reuse-projects. 118 “Certified Local Government Program/Historic Preservation,” August 27, 2008, Office of the City Clerk, Los Angeles, https://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=07-0397. The CLG program encourages local government participation in the, evaluation, registration, and preservation of historic properties within their jurisdictions. As of 2013, there were 11 Certified Local Governments in the Los Angeles County, including: Burbank, Calabasas, Glendale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Pomona, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, South Pasadena, and West Hollywood. 63 this thesis). Of the 409 Googie buildings listed in “Hess’s Tours” in 1984, eighteen were located within the Hollywood and West Hollywood neighborhoods; among these, sixteen

were situated along a four-mile portion of Sunset Boulevard. These varied within the typical

Googie typologies of cafes, restaurants, motels, car washes, small stores, and offices.

As of January 2020, ten of the sixteen buildings are extant. The six buildings

demolished since the 1984 survey consisted of a motel, carwash, and a few cafes, including

John Lautner’s famous and eponymous Googie’s Coffee Shop. While there is little variation

between the boulevard’s surviving Googie structures and those demolished, there is a minor

geographic distinction with four having been located within a quarter mile of the juncture of

Sunset Boulevard and North Highland Avenue. At this location the popular and eye-catching

Carolina Pines Jr. and Hallmark motels once competed to attract the waves of tourists

visiting star-studded Hollywood. Today shopping strips and recent fast-food restaurants

address the shifting needs of the neighborhood’s inhabitants and tourist population.

The surviving ten Googie structures along the boulevard contribute towards

maintaining a neighborhood character that has flourished under a persistent tourist

industry eager to recall Hollywood’s Golden age. Such buildings include the zig-zagged

Plush Pup (now known as Pinche Tacos) and the domed and eye-catching Cinerama Theatre

adjacent to the streamlined-inspired, albeit contemporary, Amoeba Records (figs. 4.1-4.4).

As noted by SurveyLA, the corridor is adjacent to the Orange Grove-Selma and the Sunset

Plaza Drive Residential Historic Districts, both of which have sought to preserve the region’s

association to the city’s early entertainment industry and the individuals that propelled it.

Consequently, there is little wonder why the corridor has been popular among tourists for

decades. Of the surviving buildings noted by Hess, those that remain also include the

Saharan Hotel, Sunset-Vine Tower, and the Screen-Actors Guild all of which capture the flair

and history of a bygone era of studio sets and movie stars. 64

Figure 4.1: Pacific's Cinerama Theatre, circa 1963. (Marvin Rand, Welton Becket & Associates)

Figure 4.2: Pacific's Cinerama Theatre. (Nájera, 2020)

Figure 4.3: The contemporary Amoeba Music, inspired by local Googie design. (Nájera, 2020)

Figure 4.4: Formerly the Plush Pup, Pinches Tacos retains its zig-zagged ceiling. (Nájera, 2020)

VAN NUYS BOULEVARD

A second notable corridor in the City of Los Angeles is the major north-south arterial road of Van Nuys Boulevard. Traversing the northwest region of the city and portions of the county’s San Fernando Valley, the ten-mile boulevard travels through the

communities of Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, and Panorama City. Consistently lined with

commercial establishments since the mid-twentieth century, the boulevard’s history as a

commercial corridor coincided with the broader narrative of the nation’s developing

highway system. Its vast six-lane stretch was a direct reflection of the county’s car-centric

lifestyle and its “cruising” culture of the 1960s and 70s inspired such films as 1979’s Van

Nuys Blvd. 119

With a reputation centered on car culture Van Nuys Boulevard became a hotspot for

Googie gas stations, car washes, and automobile dealerships, among the typical commercial

and recreational typologies. Unlike Sunset Boulevard, who’s Modern and Googie

architecture has benefitted from a tourism industry eager to relieve the culture and glitz of

Hollywood; Van Nuys Boulevard has evolved with the whims of the commercial landscape.

This evolution has not been kind to the Googie designs that Hess recorded decades ago, and

survival is best characterized by an adaptation propelled by economic convenience and

accessibility.

“Hess’s Tours” recommended readers to visit seventeen Googie structures that lined

the boulevard in 1984. Unlike its more successful contemporaries a few miles west in

119 Robert Rufrano et al., “The Cruising Scene on Van Nuys Blvd.,” Los Angeles Times, August 23, 1975, sec. B4, ProQuest, http://search.proquest.com/docview/157723483?pq- origsite=summon&http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/59984. Cruising culture refers to the popular activity of driving leisurely and at times randomly down roads and boulevards. The activity often attracted car enthusiasts, in Van Nuys Boulevard the practice dissipated in the 80s as anti-cruising laws were enacted following years of disrupted traffic flow and interrupted bus routes. 67

Sunset Boulevard, just over half survive today. Evidently, within this class, adaptive reuse has been the most successful (though informal) method in extending the life of the boulevard’s Googie structures; such has been the case of the Panorama Theater and Great

Western Savings.

Adaptive Reuse of the Panorama Theatre and Great Western Savings

the Panorama Theatre with its vertical block lettering exemplified the use of large, eye-

catching signage to attract motorists driving along the busy boulevard (fig. 4.5). The Googie

structure functioned as the local theatre for half a century before being converted into a

church in the early 2000s. While the congregation has changed in the past two decades,

much of the building remains as originally constructed, easily transitioning from a space of

entertainment to one of worship. However, this change in usage is not far-fetched when one

considers that both a theater and a church are designed with the intent to host gatherings of

people. Thus, this small Googie theater became the natural meeting place for a congregation

seeking an economic alternative to new construction. Unlike Sunset Boulevard’s Cinerama

theatre that has benefitted from an environment seeking to extend the atmosphere of a

bygone era, the longevity of the Panorama Theatre has been tied to the adaptability of its

function and the adaptability of its surroundings. The survival and adaptation of the theater

illuminates the economic drivers that can contribute to the preservation of Googie

architecture in areas lacking traditional preservation protections.

Figure 4.5: The former Panorama Theatre, now home to the Universal Church. (Nájera, 2020)

Similarly, the Great Western Savings, constructed in 1957 and designed by W.A.

Sarmiento, operated as a bank for decades before it was sold and converted into the present

furniture showroom (fig. 4.6). Unique in its design, the Googie features of this structure

include a partially domed roof structure over large glass walls, the Los Angeles Conservancy

likens this feature to “an alien spacecraft touched down in the middle of Panorama City’s

shopping district.” 120 Like the Panorama Theatre, the Great Western Savings was geared for

adaptation; by design, the wide open spaces once primed for the services of banking were

complementary to the openness essential for a successful furniture showroom (fig. 4.7).

120 “Panorama Bank | Los Angeles Conservancy,” accessed April 15, 2020, https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/panorama-bank. 69

Figure 4.6: Great Western Savings on Van Nuys Boulevard (W.A. Sarmiento Collections)

Figure 4.7: The former Great Western Bank, now a furniture showroom. (Nájera, 2020)

Corky’s and the Threat of Demolition

Figure 4.8: A closed Corky’s, photographed in January 2020. (Nájera, 2020)

While adaptive reuse has been the solution for the informal preservation of several

of the boulevard’s most recognizable Googie sites, it is not a catch-all and with waning sales

and steadily declining businesses these commercial structures are under constant pressure

to adapt. Such is the case with the Armét and Davis designed, Stanley Burke’s Coffee Shop.

The eatery opened its doors in 1958, featuring its characteristic pylon sign, partial rock-

covered facade, and its distinctive curved roof that cantilevered beyond glass walls (fig. 4.8).

It was these unique Googie features that made the coffee shop a local hotspot in its early

days. With an attached banquet room, it was also a key gathering place for civic groups and

activities; but it claimed later fame as a performance venue at the start of Billy Joel’s career

and as the setting for a number of films and television shows.

The restaurant was known as Stanley Burke’s until the early 1960s when it acquired the new moniker “Corky’s” as it transitioned from café to 24-hour diner. After 25 years the

restaurant underwent a second change in ownership and was renamed Lamplighter. Driven

by nostalgia, the owners of the Lamplighter eventually reverted to the restaurant’s former

name of Corky’s in the early 2000s as Van Nuys Boulevard’s cruising made a comeback. 121

However despite the past decade’s investment to restore the restaurant to its glory years,

Corky’s closed in December of 2019 over a leasing dispute. Despite its close association to

the street’s car-centric history and the city’s pro-preservation practice, Corky’s has yet to be

nominated as a local Los Angeles landmark making it vulnerable to demolition.

Although the commercial establishments on either side of Van Nuys Boulevard have

changed over time, the automobile still reigns supreme. Notably of the seventeen Googie

structures noted by Hess, those that survived to present day either adapted in program or

were car-centric from the start. Typologies such as carwashes, car-repair shops, and

dealerships had far greater survivability than the Googie restaurants and bowling alleys

once found on the corridor. Case-in-point, the boulevard’s multiple Big Boy and Coffee Dan restaurants were demolished and replaced by commercial strips, dealerships, and gas stations. Van Nuys Boulevard emphasizes the ephemeral nature of the commercial corridor,

and the difficulty of preserving Googie and other modern architecture as tastes and fashions

change over time.

121 Christopher Campbell, “Cruising Returns to Van Nuys Boulevard,” Hot Rod, 62, no. 10 (October 2009). 72

SANTA MONICA

Proactive in its preservation approach, Santa Monica has successfully preserved the

its Modern heritage, and by proxy has created an environment where Googie thrives. Like

Los Angeles, Santa Monica benefits from a strong preservation practice. The city established

its historic preservation ordinance in 1976 and subsequently amended it to include

additional programs that further protected its built environment. Additionally, Santa

Monica was designated a Certified Local Government in 1992 – a decade prior to Los

Angeles’s own designation – further emphasizing a strong commitment to a

professionalized preservation practice. The Los Angeles Conservancy’s latest Report Card

graded the city with an A+ grade, attributing its scoring to the city’s early adoption of a

historic preservation ordinance, its accessible landmark and designation guidelines, and the

city’s Landmarks Commission Review designed to curtail the demolition of any building

over forty years of age.

Of the three corridors studied in this section, Santa Monica is indisputably the

wealthiest, with a median household income of over $150,000. Furthermore, like Sunset

Boulevard, the beachfront city and its pier has propagated a California fantasy of fame,

sunshine, and glamour; imbuing the city with a character unique to much of the county.

Thus, the city’s combination of rich preservation resources, its economic vitality, and its

desire to maintain a sense of place, has contributed to the conscientious preservation of not

only Googie architecture, but the modern architectural styles that populate and thrive

throughout.

Of the eleven Googie structures listed in “Hess’s Tour,” only two have been

demolished. One listing, Mel’s Drive-In has been fastidiously restored to its former glory as

corner eatery; meanwhile the other ten, varying in typologies that range from gas stations,

73 department stores, bowling alleys, and restaurants, still operate today further enforcing the city’s unique longevity of both business and building in a fluctuating commercial landscape.

Penguin Coffee Shop, Santa Monica, CA

Mel’s Drive-In diner located at the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic Boulevard, followed a trajectory consisting of shifting businesses before developers restored the local

Googie icon to its former business. Designed by architectural firm Armét & Davis in 1959, the diner design featured high ceilings, a wide slanting roof cantilevering beyond the building’s walls, and kitschy signage starring the eponymous penguin mascot (fig. 4.9). 122

For decades the diner flourished under the demands of a growing motorist-base making its

way through Route 66, the glowing neon penguin a cheerful beacon for quick eats and a

lively atmosphere. After three decades, and a decline in sales, the Penguin shuttered its

doors before reopening months later as Western Dental (fig. 4.10). Over time the high

ceilings and terrazzo flooring were lost as the interior was altered to accommodate the

clinic’s needs; the exterior for the most part remained unchanged, the cheerful penguin

mascot advertising orthodontal services rather than burgers and malts. The dental office

closed its doors in August of 2016, making room for the restoration of the former diner. 123

The former Penguin Coffee Shop was not on the market for long before being acquired by Mel’s Drive-In restaurant chain. Mel’s Drive-In had its start during the same

Atomic age that had inspired Los Angeles’s Googie design. For decades the chain has operated as a 50’s time capsule, retaining the colorful and showy design of the era. In

122 Hess, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture, 198. 123 Tim Loc, “The Gorgeous Googie-Style Penguin Coffee Shop Will Be Resurrected As A Mel’s Drive In,” LAist (blog), November 3, 2016, https://laist.com/2016/11/03/penguin_coffee_shop.php.

74 purchasing and restoring the former diner, business owner, Colton Weiss paid homage to

the shared history of Googie architecture and the city’s car-culture. 124 While the Armét and

Davis design had never been designated as a local historic landmark, it was previously listed

on the City’s Historic Resources Inventory, making its restoration compliant to review and

approval by the city’s Architectural Review Board. The project further acquired a

Conditional Use Permit from the Santa Monica Planning Commission in order to reestablish

the structure’s original restaurant use and to expand upon original footprint of 4,836

square feet, additional work included the construction of additional outdoor dining and

seating. 125 Notably, the work was exempt from CEQA’s Environmental Analysis, pursuant

Section 15331 (Class 31) for Historical Resource Restoration/ Rehabilitation. 126 Receiving

the Santa Monica Conservancy Historic Preservation Award for its conscientious redesign to

the restaurants former history, Mel’s Drive-In opened its doors in the summer of 2018 (fig.

4.11). 127

124 Angel Carreras, “Mel’s Drive-in Opens,” Santa Monica Daily Press, June 26, 2018, https://www.smdp.com/mels-drive-in-opens/167079. 125 “Conditional Use Permit Application - 1670 Lincoln Boulevard” (City of Santa Monica, September 21, 2016), 12, https://www.smgov.net/departments/pcd/agendas/Planning- Commission/2016/20160921/s2016092109-B.pdf. 126 “Conditional Use Permit Application - 1670 Lincoln Boulevard.” 127 Staff, “Santa Monica Conservancy Announces 2019 Award Winners,” Santa Monica Lookout (blog), May 20, 2019, https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/May- 2019/05_20_2019_Santa_Monica_Conservancy_Announces_2019_Award_Winners.html. 75

Figure 4.9: The Penguin Coffee Shop, circa 1960. (Collection of Armét, Davis, Newlove Architects, Santa Monica Public Library)

Figure 4.10: Beauchamp Western Dental (D.V. Devito, 1991) 76

Figure 4.11: A restored Mel’s Drive-In. (Nájera, 2020) Like Van Nuys Boulevard, Santa Monica has also practiced adaptive reuse to extend

the life of Googie and other Modern designs. Zucky’s Delicatessen on Wilshire Boulevard has

been adaptively reused while still maintaining the architecture’s exuberant character.

popular Googie style of the era through its floor-to-ceiling glass windows, portions of a cantilevered roof, and a sign pylon advertising the restaurant in bright neon lettering. For

four decades, the restaurant thrived under the attention of a constant flow of beachgoers

but change in ownership in the 80s and a steadily growing list of repairs and renovations

eventually led to its closure in 1993. 128 The restaurant was shuttered for well over a decade

128 Deli Suddenly Closes After 39 Years in Santa Monica,” Los Angeles Times, February 16, 1993, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02- 16-Milesme-131 Corwin,-story.html. “A Counter Culture Dies : Zucky’s 77 before being converted into its present use as a branch of the First Republic Bank. Like

Mel’s Drive-In approach in preserving the restaurant’s former signage, the First Republic

Bank has preserved Zucky’s neon lettering a clear indication of the city’s pride in its Modern

architectural heritage and the economic vitality to promote that stewardship.

Figure 4.12: First Republic Bank in Santa Monica, formerly Zucky's Cafe. (Nájera, 2020)

In studying these three case-study corridors, it is evident that several factors beyond the traditional framework of preservation practice have contributed to the survival of Los Angeles’s Googie. Influenced by the intangible forces of convenience, sense of place, and economic accessibility, Googie designs such as the Panorama Theater and Great

Western Savings have adapted to alternative programs and uses; meanwhile, restoration

and preservation in the name of nostalgia, has allowed Googie to thrive in places eager to recall past eras.

5. CONCLUSION: SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Googie, and more broadly commercial vernacular, is a tangible reflection of the development of Los Angeles and the taste and culture of an era influenced by speed and innovation. Inspired by the fast-moving ubiquity of the automobile Googie provided a visual representation of an optimistic future in a post-WWII American landscape. By means of visionary ideas on aesthetic and form, the style culminated in flamboyant and streamlined designs accentuated by steep, gravity-defying angles; the vibrant hues of neon signage; and expansive glass windows; all meant to draw in a new generation of car-centric consumers.

As an architectural style it blurred the conventionally strict barriers of high-art and

vernacular design, with elite Los Angeles firms and architects lending a hand in its

proliferation throughout the region. Nevertheless, discredited by tastemakers and critics,

and unable to readily adapt to a transforming commercial environment, Googie was short-

lived with multiple cases of the style undergoing demolition.

With the majority of Googie architecture designed in the 1950s and 60s, these

structures often did not meet the age-requirements in a historic preservation framework

that already placed commercial vernacular structures at a disadvantage. Thus, as case-

studies convey, the preservation of Googie, and other modern styles, relies upon a

confluence of factors that include multiple actors across local, state, and federal

jurisdictions. In evaluating the successes and failures in preserving Los Angeles’s Googie, I

have reached the following conclusions:

The problems faced in preserving Googie and Modern architecture are not unique

within the expanse of the Los Angeles County. Furthermore, with fewer than half of the

county’s eighty-eight incorporated cities integrating a historic preservation ordinance

within their municipal code, local protections for Modern architecture are minimal; and

with large swathes of the county located in unincorporated territory, historic designations 79 until quite recently have been solely honorific, forcing advocates and preservationists to

demand the protection of local architecture by virtue of the environment and the promotion

of a sense of place.

There is no one formula for the successful preservation of Los Angeles’s Googie. In

assessing the case-studies of Googie architecture that have successfully navigated the multiple obstacles threatening the style’s survival, longevity can be attributed to a variety of factors relying heavily on the passion of local advocates, community support, creative

ventures in adaptive reuse, and nostalgia for a bygone era. Though limited, the

identification of these beneficial factors may be advantageous in the expanding the

repertoire of preservation techniques for the everyday design of the commercial vernacular.

FUTURE RESEARCH

This thesis has focused on the influence that public reception, shifting commercial landscapes, and preservation frameworks has had in preserving and elevating Los Angeles’s

Googie architecture. Opportunities for future research may lie in the exploration of the

varying typologies associated with Googie design, researching the nuances of functionalism

and obsolescence within the commercial vernacular, and drawing out distinctions between

the longevity of utilitarian car-centric typologies (dealerships, carwashes, and gas stations),

and the more commodified typologies of restaurants, retail, and recreation.

Furthermore, research can delve into the physical materiality of Googie and the

issues associated with conserving Modern architecture. As observed by the Getty’s 2013

Colloquium to Advance the Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage, the transition from craft-

based to industrialized construction introduced new methods, materials and component

80 systems in architecture, believed to be maintenance-free. 129 However, as the constant cycle

of renovation and repair in high-profile works, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater,

has revealed, “many building materials and systems of the Modern and postwar eras have

reached the end of their physical and economic life span, requiring a great deal of care and

maintenance to sustain them in the future.” 130 Thus research can explore the physical challenges and disadvantages in preserving Googie and other functionalist forms of architecture.

LARGER IMPLICATIONS

Ultimately, the ephemerality and demolition of Googie buildings alludes to the

perpetual truth of architecture: buildings are seldom stagnant; their utility and function

fade with age; and the systems that support them (be they physical, cultural, or societal),

change with time. As people, we are constantly surrounded by architecture, living our lives

through its spaces; and yet, with the passing consumption of stylistic fads, we forget that the

places we create reflect our histories and our values. As expressed by Hess, Googie is found in the coffee shops, bowling alleys, car washes, and gas stations that populate our urban

lives. These are the everyday places that art histories reluctantly acknowledge until they are

all but gone; but one can find art and beauty in these ordinary places and in the stories they

tell. In protecting Googie we preserve a snapshot of the history and values of a past

generation for the generations to come.

129 Kyle C. Normandin and Susan Macdonald, “A Colloquium to Advance the Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage” (Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, March 6, 2013), http://hdl.handle.net/10020/gci_pubs/colloquium_report. 130 Kyle Normandin, “Physical Conservation Challenges Facing Modern Architecture,” A Colloquium to Advance the Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage (Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, March 6, 2013), http://hdl.handle.net/10020/gci_pubs/colloquium_report. 81

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“Googie Architecture, 1950-1959.” In DISCovering U.S. History. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2003. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2104240242/CSIC?u=upenn_main&sid=CSIC&xi d=daa4ffd0. Hart, John. “The National Environmental Policy Act and the Battle for Control of Environmental Policy.” Journal of Policy History 31, no. 4 (September 27, 2019): 464–87. Haskell, Douglas. “Googie Architecture.” House and Home, February 1952. http://dh101.humanities.ucla.edu/DH101Fall12Lab2/archive/files/7c39d2dcb428 971b0123b174d8319448.pdf. Heimann, Jim. California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, n.d. Hess, Alan. Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, n.d. Los Angeles Times. “Historic Preservation for Unincorporated L.A. County Sites Gets Initial OK,” January 28, 2015. https://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me- county-historic-preservation-20150128-story.html. Historical Landmarks and Records Commission, Historic Preservation Ordinance § 3.30.080 (2015). Kaplan, Sam Hall. LA, Lost & Found: An Architectural History of Los Angeles. LA, Lost & Found : An Architectural History of Los Angeles. New York: Crown, n.d. Keele, Denise M. “Climate Change Litigation and the National Environmental Policy Act.” Journal of Environmental Law 30, no. 2 (December 8, 2017): 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqx030. L.A. Conservancy v. City of LA, No. B284089 (Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District Division Four March 23, 2018). Langdon, Philip. Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants. Orange Roofs, Golden Arches : The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants. New York: Knopf, 1986. Liebs, Chester H. Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture. Main Street to Miracle Mile : American Roadside Architecture. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 1985. Loc, Tim. “The Gorgeous Googie-Style Penguin Coffee Shop Will Be Resurrected As A Mel’s Drive In.” LAist (blog), November 3, 2016. https://laist.com/2016/11/03/penguin_coffee_shop.php. Los Angeles County Mills Act Program, Los Angeles Municipal Code § Ord. 2019-0004 (2019). “Lytton Savings, 8150 West Sunset Boulevard.” Agenda. Los Angeles, CA: Cultural Heritage Commission, 2016. Macdonald, Susan. “Modern Matters: Breaking the Barriers to Conserving Modern Heritage (Article).” Conservation Perspectives, Conserving Modern Architecture, no. Spring (2013). https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/newsletters/28_1/m odern_matters.html. 84

Matthew, Zoie. “The L.A. Conservancy Is Celebrating 40 Years of Saving Historic Structures.” Los Angeles Magazine, July 6, 2018. https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/laconservancy-40/. “ModCom’s History | Los Angeles Conservancy.” Accessed March 27, 2020. https://www.laconservancy.org/explore-la/curating-city/modern- architecture/saving-modern-places/modern-committee/modcoms-history. Los Angeles Times. “Most L.A. County Cities Failing to Protect Historic Sites, Study Says,” March 14, 2014. https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2014-mar-14-la-me-adv- preservation-scorecard-20140315-story.html. Normandin, Kyle. “Physical Conservation Challenges Facing Modern Architecture.” A Colloquium to Advance the Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, March 6, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10020/gci_pubs/colloquium_report. Normandin, Kyle C., and Susan Macdonald. “A Colloquium to Advance the Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage.” Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, March 6, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10020/gci_pubs/colloquium_report. Novak, Matt. “Googie: Architecture of the Space Age.” Smithsonian Magazine. Accessed April 24, 2020. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/googie-architecture-of-the- space-age-122837470/. Olshansky, Robert B. “The California Environmental Quality Act and Local Planning.” Journal of the American Planning Association 62, no. 3 (September 30, 1996): 313–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944369608975697. “Panorama Bank | Los Angeles Conservancy.” Accessed April 15, 2020. https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/panorama-bank. Rattenbury, Kester, and Samantha Hardingham, eds. Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown: Learning from Las Vegas Renaud, John, and Jessica Goodman, eds. . SuperCrit ;Federal No. 2. Historic Abingdon Preservation [England] ; Laws: Routledge, The Official 2007. Compilation of U.S. Cultural Heritage Statutes. 2018th ed. Washington D.C.: State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science Directorate National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior, 2017. Rome, Adam. “‘Give Earth a Chance’: The Environmental Movement and the Sixties.” The Journal of American History 90, no. 2 (2003): 525–54. https://doi.org/10.2307/3659443. Rufrano, Robert, RJ Parker, Bill Friedman, and David Smith. “The Cruising Scene on Van Nuys Blvd.” Los Angeles Times. August 23, 1975, sec. B4. ProQuest. http://search.proquest.com/docview/157723483?pq- origsite=summon&http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/59984. Smith, Kevin. “Iconic Covina Bowl Closing Its Doors Forever.” San Gabriel Valley Tribune, February 28, 2017. https://www.sgvtribune.com/business/20170228/iconic- covina-bowl-closing-its-doors-forever. Daily Breeze. “South Bay History: Cruising to the Wich Stand Was Way of Life in the 1960s,” January 14, 2019. https://www.dailybreeze.com/south-bay-history-cruising-to-the- wich-stand-was-way-of-life-in-the-1960s. 85

Sprinkle, John H. “‘Of Exceptional Importance’: The Origins of the ‘Fifty-Year Rule’ in Historic Preservation.” The Public Historian 29, no. 2 (2007): 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2007.29.2.81. Staff. “Santa Monica Conservancy Announces 2019 Award Winners.” Santa Monica Lookout (blog), May 20, 2019. https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/May- 2019/05_20_2019_Santa_Monica_Conservancy_Announces_2019_Award_Winners.ht ml. Standard for Evaluating Significance Within Registered Historic Districts, Historic Preservation Certifications Under the Internal Revenue Code § 67.5 (1961). Steele, James. Los Angeles Architecture: The Contemporary Condition. London: Phaidon, 1993. Stiles, Elaine. “50 Years Reconsidered.” Forum Journal 24, no. 4 (2010). Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning. “Unincorporated Los Angeles,” November 28, 2018. http://planning.lacounty.gov/view/unincorporated_los_angeles_county/. Venturi, Robert., Denise Scott-Brown, and Steven Izenour. Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1972. Werdegar, Kathryn Mickle. “The California Environmental Quality Act at 40.” California Legal History, 2018. Gale OneFile: LegalTrac. Whiteson, Leon. “Short Future for Futuristic Coffee Shop? Architecture: Although the Wichstand Was Granted Historic Landmark Status by Los Angeles County, the Googie-Style Building May Still Face the Wrecking Ball.” Los Angeles Times, September 10, 1990. http://search.proquest.com/docview/281109913?pq- origsite=summon.

APPENDIX A: DIAGRAMMING GOOGIE CHARACTERISTICS

The following diagrams are by no means an extensive listing of Googie typologies, they merely illustrate examples of the style and highlight key features commonly associated with Googie architecture.

APPENDIX B: LOS ANGELES COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRACTICE

The following table is a synthesis of the Los Angeles Conservancy Grading criteria and (where applicable) information derived from each city’s historic preservation department. The eighty-eight cities in Los Angeles are categorized here as “Cities with Historic Preservation Ordinances as of 2019” and “Cities without Historic Preservation Ordinances as of 2019.”

Definitions: City: Name of City, date of incorporation, and population count Grade: Current grade recorded by the Los Angeles Conservancy HSPV Comm: Notes whether the city has an active Historic Preservation Commission. CLG: Certified Local Government HRS: Historic Resources Survey. Notes whether the city has ever conducted an HRS Owner Consent Req: Notes whether owner consent is required for local designation Min Age Req: Notes minimum age requirement for local designation in specified city

Cities with Historic Preservation Ordinances as of 2019 Preservation Practice Designation Criteria Owner Min Age City Grade HSPV Comm. CLG HRS Consent Req Req Azusa Incorporated: December 29, 1898 C Yes 50 Population 46361

Baldwin Park Incorporated: January 25, 1956 C- Population 75390

Beverly Hills Incorporated: October 22, 1906 C- Yes 45 Population 34109

Bradbury Incorporated: July 26, 1957 C Yes Yes Population 1048

Burbank Incorporated: July 08, 1911 A Yes Yes Population 103340

Calabasas Incorporated: April 05, 1991 A+ Yes Population 23058

Commerce Incorporated: January 28, 1960 C- No Yes Population 12823

Covina Incorporated: August 14, 1901 D+ Yes Population 47796

Culver City Incorporated: September 20, 1917 A- Yes Yes Yes 50 Population 38883

El Segundo Incorporated: January 18, 1917 D No Yes Yes 50 Population 16654

Glendale Incorporated: February 15, 1906 A- No Yes Yes No Population 203054

Glendora Incorporated: November 13, 1911 B Yes Population 50073

Hermosa Beach Incorporated: January 10, 1907 D+ No Yes No 50 Population 19506

Huntington Park Incorporated: September 01, 1906 A Yes Population 58114

Irwindale Incorporated: August 06, 1957 D+ Yes Population 1422

Long Beach Incorporated: December 13, 1897 A Yes Yes Population 462257

Los Angeles Incorporated: April 4, 1850 A+ No Yes Yes Yes Population 3792621

Manhattan Beach Incorporated: December 07, 1912 C- 45 Population 35135

Maywood Incorporated: September 02, 1924 D- Yes Yes Population 27395

Monrovia Incorporated: December 15, 1887 A- Yes Population 36590

Pasadena Incorporated: June 19, 1886 A+ Yes Yes Yes Yes Population 137122

Pomona Incorporated: January 6, 1888 A Yes Yes Population 149058

Redondo Beach Incorporated: April 29, 1892 A- Yes Yes 50 Population 66748

Rolling Hills Estates Incorporated: January 24, 1957 C- Yes Yes Population 8067

San Fernando Incorporated: August 31, 1911 B+ Yes Yes Yes 50 Population 23645

San Gabriel Incorporated: April 24, 1913 B Yes Population 39718

San Marino Incorporated: April 25, 1913 D Population 13147

Santa Clarita Incorporated: December 15, 1987 C Yes 50 Population 210888

Santa Monica Incorporated: December 9, 1886 A+ Yes Yes Yes No 50 Population 89736

Sierra Madre Incorporated: February 07, 1907 C+ Population 10917

South El Monte Incorporated: July 30, 1958 D+ Population 20116

South Gate Incorporated: January 15, 1923 D+ Population 94396

South Pasadena Incorporated: February 29, 1888 A+ Yes Yes Population 25619

West Covina Incorporated: February 17, 1923 C Yes 50 Population 106098

West Hollywood Incorporated: November 29, 1984 A+ Yes 50 Population 34399

Whittier Incorporated: February 28, 1898 A Yes Yes 50 Population 85331

Cities WITHOUT Historic Preservation Ordinances as of 2019 Preservation Practice Designation Criteria Owner Min Age City Grade HSPV Comm. CLG HRS Consent Req Req Alhambra Incorporated: July 11, 1903 F Yes Population 83653

Arcadia Incorporated: August 05, 1903 F Yes Population 56364

Artesia Incorporated: May 29, 1959 F Yes Population 16522

Avalon Incorporated: June 26, 1913 F Yes Population 3728

Bell Incorporated: November 07, 1927 F Population 35477

Bell Gardens Incorporated: August 01, 1961 D+ Population 42072

Bellflower Incorporated: September 03, 1957 F Yes No Population 76616

Carson Incorporated: February 20, 1968 F Yes No Population 91714

Cerritos Incorporated: April 24, 1956 F Population 49041

Claremont Incorporated: October 03, 1907 A+ Yes Yes No Population 34926

Compton Incorporated: May 11, 1888 F Population 96455

Cudahy Incorporated: November 10, 1960 F No Yes Yes Population 23805

Diamond Bar Incorporated: April 18, 1989 F No Yes Population 55544

Downey Incorporated: December 17, 1956 F Yes Yes Population 111772

Duarte Incorporated: August 22, 1957 F Yes Population 21321

El Monte Incorporated: November 18, 1912 F Population 113475

Gardena Incorporated: September 11, 1930 F Yes Population 58829

Hawaiian Gardens Incorporated: April 14, 1964 F Population 14254

Hawthorne Incorporated: July 12, 1922 F Population 84293

Hidden Hills Incorporated: October 19, 1961 F Population 1856

Industry Incorporated: June 18, 1957 F Yes No Population 219

Inglewood Incorporated: February 14, 1908 F Yes Population 109673

La Cañada Flintridge Incorporated: December 08, 1976 F Yes Yes No Population 20246

La Habra Heights Incorporated: December 04, 1978 F Population 5325

La Mirada Incorporated: March 23, 1960 F Yes Yes Population 48527

La Puente Incorporated: August 01, 1956 F Yes Population 39816

La Verne Incorporated: September 11, 1906 C+ No Yes Yes Population 31063

Lakewood Incorporated: April 16, 1954 F No No Population 80048

Lancaster Incorporated: November 22, 1977 F Yes Population 160316

Lawndale Incorporated: December 28, 1959 F Yes Population 32769

Lomita Incorporated: June 30, 1964 F No Yes Population 20256

Lynwood Incorporated: July 16, 1921 F No No Population 69772

Malibu Incorporated: March 28, 1991 F No Yes Population 12645

Montebello Incorporated: October 15, 1920 F No Yes Yes Population 62500

Monterey Park Incorporated: May 29, 1916 F Population 60269

Norwalk Incorporated: August 26, 1957 F Yes Yes No Population 105549

Palmdale Incorporated: August 24, 1962 F No Yes Yes Population 152750

Palos Verdes Estates Incorporated: December 20, 1939 F Population 13438

Paramount Incorporated: January 30, 1957 F No Yes Population 54098

Pico Rivera Incorporated: January 29, 1958 F No Yes No Population 62942

Rancho Palos Verdes Incorporated: September 07, 1973 F Yes Yes No Population 41643

Rolling Hills Incorporated: September 18, 1957 F Population 1860

Rosemead Incorporated: August 04, 1959 F Population 53764

San Dimas Incorporated: August 04, 1960 B No Yes No Population 33371

Santa Fe Springs Incorporated: May 15, 1957 F Population 16223

Signal Hill Incorporated: April 22, 1924 F Yes Population 11016

Temple City Incorporated: May 25, 1960 F No Yes Yes Population 35558

Torrance Incorporated: May 12, 1921 F Yes Yes No Population 145438

Vernon Incorporated: September 22, 1905 F Population 112

Walnut Incorporated: January 19, 1959 C+ Yes Population 29172

Westlake Village Incorporated: December 11, 1981 F Yes No Population 8270

APPENDIX C: HESS’S TOURS

Referred throughout the text as “Hess’s Tours,” the following table is a synthesis of the two editions of Alan Hess’s “A Guided Tour of Googie” (1984 and 2004) and 2019 data. “Hess’s Tour” identifies 457 examples of Googie architecture in Los Angeles and the adjacent Orange County. Of this total, seventeen accounted for housing tracts, these have been omitted from the table. Prior to analysis, each building was cross-referenced between the two publications to avoid repetition. Each listing was then manually searched across Google and Bing mapping services to identify the demolition and extant conditions across the three time periods of 1984, 2004, and 2019.

Data Dictionary: Name: Business or building name in Hess’s “A Guided Tour of Googie” Address: Exact address, or as close as an approximation as possible Type: Commercial, civic, and institutional typologies Built: Year Built Status: Status as of December 2019 Pub (Publication): Edition of “A Guided Tour of Googie” where the listing appears

LOS ANGELES COUNTY NAME ADDRESS TYPE BUILT STATUS PUB

1200 Valley Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 2004 Alhambra - CA 91801

41 W Huntington Dr Rod's Coffee Shop Restaurant Extant 2004 Arcadia - CA 91007

Van de Kamp's 7 E Huntington Dr Restaurant 1967 Extant 2004 Currently - Denny's Arcadia - CA 91006

Hamburger Stand 233 E Huntington Dr Restaurant Restored 1984 Currently - The Derby Arcadia - CA 91006

563 E Foothill Blvd McDonald's Restaurant 1954 Demolished 1984 Azusa - CA 91702

560 E Foothill Blvd Drive-In Azusa Foothill Drive-in Theater 1961 Extant 2004 Azusa - CA 91702 Theater

4612 Florence Ave Fountain Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Bell - CA 90201

Big G Market and Shopping 10227 Rosecrans Ave Commercial 1957 Remodeled 2004 Center Bellflower - CA 90706

14 N La Cienega Blvd Tiny Naylor's Restaurant 1957 Demolished Both Beverly Hills - CA 90211

9900 Wilshire Blvd Robinsons-May Commercial Demolished 2004 Beverly Hills - CA 90210

427 N Crescent Dr Union 76 Gas Station Gas Station 1965 Extant Both Beverly Hills - CA 90210

9884 S Santa Monica Blvd Darrow Office Building Commercial 1947 Extant 2004 Beverly Hills - CA 90212

Lawry's Restaurant 55 N La Cienega Blvd Restaurant 1946 Remodeled 2004 Currently - The Stinking Rose Beverly Hills - CA 90211

375 W Birch St Commercial Building Commercial 1998 Extant 2004 Brea - CA 92821

6976 Beach Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 2004 Buena Park - CA 90621

6650 Beach Blvd Buena Park Civic Center Civic 1957 Extant 2004 Buena Park - CA 90621

7762 Beach Blvd Remodeled- Radisson Hotel Hospitality 2004 Buena Park - CA 90620 Max

Coffee Shop 8101 Stanton Ave Remodeled- Restaurant 2004 Currently - Nachimban Church Buena Park - CA 90620 Max

8150 La Palma Ave Remodeled- Sears Commercial 1954 2004 Buena Vista - CA 90620 Max

4221 W Magnolia Blvd Sand's Cleaners Commercial Demolished 1984 Burbank - CA 91505

1911 W Olive Ave Safari Inn Hospitality 1957 Extant 2004 Burbank - CA 91506

Orange Julius Stand 1911 W Olive Ave Restaurant Extant Both Currently - Coffee Commissary Burbank - CA 91506

3700 W Riverside Dr Lakeside Car Wash Car Wash 1956 Extant 2004 Burbank - CA 91505

4211 W Riverside Dr Bob's Big Boy Restaurant 1949 Extant Both Burbank - CA 91505

910 W Magnolia Blvd Car Wash Car Wash 1960 Extant Both Burbank - CA 91506

Woody's Smorgasburger 913 N San Fernando Blvd Restaurant 1968 Extant 2004 Currently – IHOP Burbank - CA 91504

Olive Manor Motel 924 W Olive Ave Hospitality Extant 2004 Currently - Frank's Restaurant Burbank - CA 91506

2300 Victory Blvd Remodeled- Union Hall Institutional 1958 1984 Burbank - CA 91506 Max

2600 W Victory Blvd Remodeled- Ralph's Market Commercial 1984 Burbank - CA 91505 Max

Thrifty 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd Commercial Demolished 1984 Currently – Westfield Canoga Park - CA 91303

8301 Canoga Ave Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 2004 Canoga Park - CA 91304

100

Canoga Park Library 20939 Sherman Way Civic 1961 Extant 2004 Currently - Community Center Canoga Park - CA 91303

21100 Sherman Way Calidad Auto Sales Dealership Extant 2004 Canoga Park - CA 91303

22327 S Wilmington Ave Spires Restaurant Restaurant Extant 2004 Carson - CA 90745

9171 De Soto Ave AMF Rocket Bowl Bowl Demolished 2004 Chatsworth - CA 91311

10220 Topanga Canyon Blvd Rosie's Coffee Shop Restaurant Extant 2004 Chatsworth - CA 91311

21418 Devonshire St Chatsworth Veterinary Center Civic Extant 2004 Chatsworth - CA 91311

6311 E Washington Blvd Firestone Offices Commercial 1958 Demolished 2004 Commerce - CA 90040

1950 N Central Ave Bowl Bowl Demolished 1984 Compton - CA 90222

2111 Rosecrans Ave Compton Drive-In Theater Theater Demolished 1984 Compton - CA 90221

15904 Atlantic Ave Dale's Donuts Restaurant Extant 2004 Compton - CA 90221

1845 Rosecrans Ave Compton Car Wash Car Wash Extant Both Compton - CA 90221

502 Rosecrans Ave United Oil Gas Station Gas Station Extant 2004 Compton - CA 90222

McDonald's 981 Rosecrans Ave Currently - Image Management Restaurant Closed Both Compton - CA 90222 Systems

1060 W San Bernardino Rd Covina Bowl Bowl 1955 Closed Both Covina - CA 91722

Ship's Culver City 10601 Washington Blvd Restaurant 1957 Demolished Both Currently - Starbucks Culver City - CA 90232

2901 S La Cienega Blvd Norm's Restaurant Demolished 1984 Culver City - CA 90232

10144 Culver Blvd Apartment Apartment Extant 1984 Culver City - CA 90232

10144 Culver Blvd Ambassador Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Culver City - CA 90232

11166 Venice Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Extant 1984 Culver City - CA 90232

Memorial Hospital Medical Center 3828 Delmas Terrace Civic Extant 1984 Currently - Southern California Culver City - CA 90232 Hospital at Culver City

101

4017 Sepulveda Blvd Johnie's Restaurant Extant 2004 Culver City - CA 90230

Culver City Audiorium 4117 Overland Ave Theater Extant 2004 Currently - Veteran's Auditorium Culver City - CA 90230

4401 Elenda St Robert Lee Frost Auditorium Theater Extant 2004 Culver City - CA 90230

Brotman Medical Center 9808 Venice Blvd Civic Extant 2004 Currently - Medical Office Building Culver City - CA 90232

Culver Theater 9820 Washington Blvd Theater Extant 2004 Currently - Kirk Douglas Theater Culver City - CA 90232

Desert Hot Springs Motel 67710 San Antonio St Currently - The Lautner Hospitality 1947 Extant 2004 Desert Hot Springs - CA 92240 Compound

10030 Lakewood Blvd California Federal Bank Commercial 1957 Demolished 2004 Downey - CA 90240

8400 Firestone Blvd Simpson Buick Dealership Demolished 1984 Downey - CA 90241

10207 Lakewood Blvd McDonald's Restaurant 1953 Extant Both Downey - CA 90240

Foxy's Restaurant 10924 Paramount Blvd Restaurant 1967 Extant Both Currently - Downey Brewing Co. Downey - CA 90241

Harvey's Broiler 7447 Firestone Blvd Restaurant Extant Both Currently - Bob's Big Boy Downey - CA 90241

8831 Rosecrans Ave Waikikian Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Downey - CA 90242

11847 Valley Blvd Scott Pontiac Sign Dealership Demolished 2004 El Monte - CA 91732

3571 Peck Rd Taco Village Restaurant Demolished Both El Monte - CA 91731

10724 Lower Azusa Rd Driftwood Dairy Restaurant 1960 Extant 2004 El Monte - CA 91731

Ven-Cinco Car Wash 17432 Ventura Blvd Car Wash Extant Both Currently - Premier Car Wash Encino - CA 91316

1400 Elks View Ln Fullerton Elks Lodge #1993 Hospitality Extant 2004 Fullerton - CA 92835

2500 Nutwood Ave Hope International University Civic Extant 2004 Fullerton - CA 92831

Jack in the Box 815 W Commonwealth Ave Restaurant 1951 Remodeled 2004 Currently - George's Hamburgers Fullerton - CA 92832

506 W Commonwealth Ave Remodeled- Medical Office Building Commercial 2004 Fullerton - CA 92832 Max

102

15421 Crenshaw Blvd El Camino Café Restaurant Demolished 1984 Gardena - CA 90249

1016 W El Segundo Blvd Caesar's Coffee Shop Restaurant Extant 2004 Gardena - CA 90247

Durango Burgers 13416 Crenshaw Blvd Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Alberto's Mexican Food Gardena - CA 90249

13424 Crenshaw Blvd Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors Restaurant Extant Both Gardena - CA 90249

Orange Julius 16006 Crenshaw Blvd Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Gigi's Pizza Gardena - CA 90249

M & W Soul Food 2222 West Rosecrans Ave Currently - Mathew's Home Style Restaurant 1958 Extant 2004 Gardena - CA 90249 Cooking

2420 Rosecrans Ave Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 Gardena - CA 90249

Gas Station 1401 Rosecrans Ave Gas Station Remodeled 2004 Currently - Hitek Lube' N Tune Gardena - CA 90249

401 N Brand Blvd Glendale Federal Savings Commercial 1956 Closed Both Glendale - CA 91203

Bob's Big Boy Corporate 1001 E Colorado St Commercial 1951 Demolished Both Headquarters Glendale - CA 91205

1401 S Glendale Ave Flower Shop Commercial Demolished 1984 Glendale - CA 91205

2195 Galleria Way Car Dealership Dealership 1947 Demolished 1984 Glendale - CA 91210

225 E Broadway Fidelity Federal Savings Commercial 1956 Demolished 2004 Glendale - CA 91206

900 E Colorado St Bob's Big Boy Restaurant 1951 Demolished 1984 Glendale - CA 91205

Glen Capri Motel 6700 San Fernando Rd Hospitality Extant 2004 Currently - Glen Capri Motel Glendale - CA 91201

3625 San Fernando Rd Algemac's Coffee Shop Restaurant 1946 Remodeled 2004 Glendale - CA 91204

213 W Rte 66 Taco Paco Restaurant Extant Both Glendora - CA 91740

16943 Devonshire St Woody's Smorgasburger Restaurant 1963 Extant 2004 Granada Hills - CA 91344

13765 Hawthorne Blvd Holly's Restaurant Demolished 1984 Hawthorne - CA 90250

11908 Hawthorne Blvd Chip's Restaurant 1957 Extant Both Hawthorne - CA 90250

103

13201 Hawthorne Blvd Denny's Restaurant 1958 Extant 2004 Hawthorne - CA 90250

3507 Jack Northrop Ave Hawthorne Airport Civic Extant 2004 Hawthorne - CA 90250

4025 W El Segundo Blvd Jim's Char Burger Restaurant Extant Both Hawthorne - CA 90250

7023 Sunset Blvd Hallmark Motel Hospitality Demolished 1984 Hollywood - CA 90028

6290 Sunset Blvd Sunset-Vine Tower Commercial 1964 Extant 2004 Hollywood - CA 90028

5881 Warner Ave Shopping Center Commercial Extant 1984 Huntington Beach - CA 92649

Peak's 2850 Slauson Ave Restaurant 1960 Demolished 1984 Currently - Tam's Burgers Huntington Park - CA 90255

2870 Florence Ave Gas Station Gas Station Demolished 2004 Huntington Park - CA 90255

2500 E Slauson Ave Norm's Restaurant Extant 1984 Huntington Park - CA 90255

Warner's Theater 6716 Pacific Blvd Theater Extant 2004 Currently - Warner Blink Fitness Huntington Park - CA 90255

4848 W Century Blvd Winchell's Donuts Restaurant 1960 Closed 2004 Inglewood - CA 90304

10306 Hawthorne Blvd Sign Sign Demolished 2004 Inglewood - CA 90304

11163 S Prairie Ave Tropicana Bowl Bowl 1959 Demolished 1984 Inglewood - CA 90303

Thrifty 11340 Crenshaw Blvd Commercial Demolished 1984 Currently - Rite-Aid Inglewood - CA 90303

3408 W Century Blvd Hollypark Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 2004 Inglewood - CA 90303

Huddle Imperial 3945 W Imperial Hwy Restaurant Demolished 1984 Currently – Torch Inglewood - CA 90303

Taco Fiesta 4350 W Century Blvd Restaurant Demolished 1984 Currently - Burger King Inglewood - CA 90304

Norm's 4410 W Century Blvd Restaurant Demolished Both Currently - Norma's Inglewood - CA 90304

10709 Hawthorne Blvd Lennox Car Wash Car Wash 1960 Extant 2004 Inglewood - CA 90304

11205 Crenshaw Blvd Brolly Hut Restaurant Extant 2004 Inglewood - CA 90303

104

Sheri's 115 S La Brea Ave Restaurant 1958 Extant Both Currently - Cafetales Restaurant Inglewood - CA 90301

4700 W Century Blvd Century 21 Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 Inglewood - CA 90304

Safeway 8451 Crenshaw Blvd Commercial 1960 Extant 2004 Currently - 99 Cents Only Inglewood - CA 90305

905 Edgewood St Apartment House Apartment Extant 2004 Inglewood - CA 90302

Wynn's 801 S La Brea Ave Currently - Crusade Christian Commercial 1947 Remodeled 2004 Inglewood - CA 90301 Faith Center

370 E Whittier Blvd La Habra 300 Bowl Bowl Extant 2004 La Habra - CA 90631

1255 N Hacienda Blvd La Puente Lanes Bowl 1959 Closed 2004 La Puente - CA 91744

1150 Hayland St Medical Building Commercial Extant 1984 La Puente - CA 91744

1150 N Hacienda Blvd Medical Building Civic 1958 Extant 2004 La Puente - CA 91745

Santa Fe Station Café 4101 N Lakewood Blvd Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Sunrise Café Lakewood - CA 90712

4355 Hawthorne Blvd Bob's Big Boy Restaurant 1955 Demolished 2004 Lawndale - CA 90260

2448 Pacific Coast Hwy Norm's Restaurant Extant 1984 Lomita - CA 90717

6400 Pacific Coast Hwy Sea Point Marina Hotel Hospitality Closed 2004 Long Beach - CA 90803

1640 Pacific Coast Hwy Dimy's Restaurant 1956 Demolished 1984 Long Beach - CA 90806

Norm's 1795 Long Beach Blvd Restaurant 1963 Demolished 2004 Currently - King Taco Long Beach - CA 90813

3290 E Artesia Blvd Farmers and Merchants Bank Commercial Demolished 2004 Long Beach - CA 90805

Java Bowl 3801 E Pacific Coast Hwy Bowl Demolished 2004 Currently - Bay Hill Apartments Long Beach - CA 90804

4251 Long Beach Blvd Hof's Hut Restaurant Demolished 2004 Long Beach - CA 90807

1907 E Carson St Angel Food Donuts Restaurant Extant 2004 Long Beach - CA 90807

2100 N Bellflower Blvd Sear's Commercial Extant 2004 Long Beach - CA 90815

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3680 Atlantic Ave Branch Library Civic Extant 2004 Long Beach - CA 90807

Crocker Anglo Bank 3804 Atlantic Ave Commercial Extant 2004 Currently - Bank of America Long Beach - CA 90807

4055 N Bellflower Blvd Ruth Bach Branch Library Civic 1957 Extant 2004 Long Beach - CA 90808

Worthington KIA Car Dealership 4201 E Willow St Dealership Extant 2004 Currently - Multiple Restaurants Long Beach - CA 90815

Grissinger's 4390 Atlantic Ave Restaurant 1953 Extant Both Currently - George's 50s Diner Long Beach - CA 90807

6730 E Carson St Heartwell Golf Course Clubhouse Recreational Remodeled 2004 Long Beach - CA 90808

6715 Sunset Blvd Hollywood Reporter Building Commercial Closed 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90028

4901 Compton Ave Bethlehem Baptist Church Religious 1944 Closed Both Los Angeles - CA 90011

6099 Wilshire Blvd Romeo's Times Square Restaurant 1955 Closed Both Los Angeles - CA 90048

800 South La Brea Ave Firestone Store Commercial Closed 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90036

10113 Venice Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90034

1016 S La Cienega Blvd Ship's La Cienega Restaurant 1967 Demolished Both Los Angeles - CA 90035

1017 Hilgard Ave 28th Church of Christ, Scientist Civic 1956 Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90024

Smorgyburger 1027 N Vermont Ave Restaurant Demolished 1984 Currently – IHOP Los Angeles - CA 90029

Biff's 10811 W Pico Blvd Restaurant 1950 Demolished 1984 Currently - Camera Store Los Angeles - CA 90064

11407 Santa Monica Blvd Dolores Coffee Shop Restaurant Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90025

1310 E Olympic Blvd Hot Dog Stand Restaurant Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90021

1401 N La Brea Ave Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90028

1503 W Martin Luther King Jr Coliseum French Dip Blvd Restaurant Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90062

1716 N Western Ave Pioneer Chicken Restaurant 1963 Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90027

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2282 E Firestone Blvd Firestone Store Commercial Demolished Both Los Angeles - CA 90002

Tiny Naylor's 3037 Wilshire Blvd Restaurant Demolished Both Currently - Tiny Island Los Angeles - CA 90010

Pioneer Savings Bank 3245 Wilshire Blvd Commercial 1953 Demolished 2004 Currently - Pacific Union Los Angeles - CA 90010

3625 E Century Blvd Medical Center Civic Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90002

3740 Crenshaw Blvd Majestic Pontiac Dealership Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90016

Sports Arena 3939 S Figueroa St Currently - Banc of California Stadium Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90037 Stadium

400 South La Brea Ave Pontiac Dealership Dealership Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90036

Sears Roebuck and Company 4550 W Pico Blvd Commercial Demolished Both Currently - Lowe's Los Angeles - CA 90019

Norm's 4700 Sunset Blvd Currently - Kaiser Permanente Restaurant 1957 Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90027 Medical Center Urgent Care

Carolina Pines, Jr. #2 505 Vermont Ave Hospitality 1962 Demolished 1984 Currently - Jerry's Los Angeles - CA 90020

5311 Crenshaw Blvd Crenshaw Ford Dealership 1947 Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90043

5465 Santa Monica Blvd Sherri's Restaurant 1962 Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90029

5500 W Pico Blvd Day N Nite Laundry Commercial Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90019

5511 Melrose Ave Nickodell's Restaurant Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90038

555 W 5th St Googie's Restaurant 1955 Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90013

5570 Wilshire Blvd Mullen and Bluett Store Commercial 1949 Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90036

610 S Rampart Blvd Robert Taylor Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90057

6800 Sunset Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90028

Pioneer Chicken 7290 Sunset Blvd Restaurant 1965 Demolished Both Currently - Café Mungo Los Angeles - CA 90046

8000 Sunset Blvd Schwab's Drugstore Commercial Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90046

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8000 Sunset Blvd Googie's Restaurant 1949 Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90046

Carolina Pines, Jr. #1 7065 N La Brea Ave Hospitality Demolished 1984 Currently - Copper Penny Los Angeles - CA 90046

7203 Van Nuys Blvd Denny's Restaurant 1958 Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 91405

7353 Melrose Ave Gas Station Gas Station Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90046

8501 S Figueroa St Norm's Restaurant 1955 Demolished 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90003

Vons Market 8730 Vermont Ave Commercial 1950 Demolished 2004 Currently – Church Los Angeles - CA 90044

922 Gayley Ave In-N-Out Burger Restaurant 1998 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90024

1000 Vin Scully Ave Dodger Stadium Stadium 1962 Extant Both Los Angeles - CA 90012

10003 Normandie Ave Kindle's Do-Nuts Restaurant Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90044

Starlight Motel 10112 San Pedro St Hospitality Extant Both Currently – Eb Los Angeles - CA 90003

Car Wash 10399 W Pico Blvd Car Wash Extant Both Currently - Crown Car Wash Los Angeles - CA 90064

10400 Wilshire Blvd Sinai Temple Religious 1956 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90024

10401 Wilshire Blvd Apartment Building Apartment 1951 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90024

Snap's 10531 S Western Ave Currently - New Beginning Faith Commercial 1958 Extant Both Los Angeles - CA 90047 Center

10680 W Pico Blvd Citibank Commercial Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90064

Bullocks Westwood 10860 Le Conte Ave Commercial 1950 Extant 2004 Currently - Target and Ralphs Los Angeles - CA 90024

10967 Santa Monica Blvd Jack in the Box Restaurant 1958 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90025

111 S Grand Ave Walt Disney Concert Hall Theater 2003 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90012

Southgate Bowl 11243 Vermont Ave Currently - W R Portee Bowl Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90044 Evangelistic World

Southwest Bowl and Coffee Shop 11633 S Western Ave Bowl Extant 2004 Currently - The Foundation Center Los Angeles - CA 90047

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12125 Venice Blvd Mar Vista Bowl Bowl 1959 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90066

Don Lee Mutual Studio 1313 Vine St Currently - Pickford Center for Commercial Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90028 Motion Pictures

1662 Florence Ave Florence Car Wash Car Wash 1961 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90001

Jack in the Box 1723 W Imperial Hwy Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Baskin Robbins Los Angeles - CA 90047

1850 Whitley Ave Hollywood Ardmore Apartments Apartment 1962 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90028

McDonald's 1900 S Central Ave Restaurant 1956 Extant Both Currently - Tacos el Gavilan Los Angeles - CA 90011

201 World Way Theme Building Restaurant 1962 Extant Both Los Angeles - CA 90045

Preble's 2227 N Figueroa St Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently – IHOP Los Angeles - CA 90065

Donly's 2300 Fletcher Dr Restaurant 1958 Extant Both Currently - Astro's Los Angeles - CA 90039

Car Wash 256 S Atlantic Blvd Car Wash Extant 2004 Currently - Pep Boys Auto Parts Los Angeles - CA 90022

Irv White Buick Dealership 263 South La Brea Ave Dealership Extant 1984 Currently - Trader Joe's Los Angeles - CA 90036

Pittman Dog and Cat Hospital 2901 W Exposition Blvd Civic Extant 2004 Currently - Ark Hospital Los Angeles - CA 90018

3281 W 6th St Founder's Church Civic Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90020

Hannah-Barbera Building 3400 Cahuenga Blvd W Currently - Added Value Commercial 1962 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90068 Marketing Agency/ LA Fitness

Teddy's 3451 W Slauson Ave Restaurant Extant 1984 Currently - Slauson Donuts Los Angeles - CA 90043

Broadway Department Store 3650 W Martin Luther King Jr Currently - Baldwin Hills Blvd Commercial 1949 Extant Both Crenshaw Plaza Los Angeles - CA 90008

May Company 4005 Crenshaw Blvd Commercial 1948 Extant Both Currently - Macy's Los Angeles - CA 90008

Bank 4401 Crenshaw Blvd Commercial Extant 2004 Currently - Chase Bank Los Angeles - CA 90043

Windsor Hills Shopping Center 4401 W Slauson Ave Currently - Copies Plus Computer Commercial 1948 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90043 Repair Union Oil Building 450 S Bixel St Currently - Los Angeles Center Commercial 1958 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90017 Studios

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Brown Derby Car Café 4500 Los Feliz Blvd Restaurant 1950 Extant 2004 Currently - Multiple businesses Los Angeles - CA 90027

Wich Stand 4508 W Slauson Ave Restaurant 1957 Extant Both Currently - Simply Wholesome Los Angeles - CA 90043

Jump N' Jack 5812 Overhill Dr Restaurant Extant Both Currently - LA Louisanne Los Angeles - CA 90043

Dinah's Coffee Shop 6521 S Sepulveda Blvd Currently - Dinah's Family Restaurant Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90045 Restaurant

6710 La Tijera Blvd Pann's Restaurant Extant Both Los Angeles - CA 90045

6360 Sunset Blvd Cinerama Dome Theater 1963 Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90028

Celestial Motel 7410 S Vermont Ave Hospitality Extant Both Currently - Travel Inn Motel Los Angeles - CA 90044

Theater 7510 Vermont Ave Currently - Ramona Gospel and Theater Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90044 Exhibit Theater

7920 Sunset Blvd Director's Guild Commercial Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90046

7800 Beverly Blvd CBS Television City Commercial 1952 Extant Both Los Angeles - CA 90036

The Plush Pup 8200 Sunset Blvd Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Pinches Tacos Los Angeles - CA 90046

Plastic Surgery Center 8760 Sunset Blvd Commercial 1962 Extant 2004 Currently - Mutato Muzika Los Angeles - CA 90069

8017 W 3rd St Car Wash Car Wash Extant 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90048

849 S Harvard Blvd Harvard Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90005

8601 S Bellanca Ave Denny's Restaurant Extant 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90045

Stan's Kite Restaurant 9131 Vermont Ave Currently - Casa Honduras Restaurant 1957 Extant Both Los Angeles - CA 90044 Restaurant Lankershim Blvd & Burbank Denny's Blvd Restaurant Extant Both Los Angeles - CA 91601

Thriftmart 12210 Santa Monica Blvd W Commercial Remodeled Both Currently - Smart and Final Los Angeles - CA 90025

3730 Crenshaw Blvd Holiday Bowl and Coffee Shop Restaurant 1957 Remodeled 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90016

Baldwin Theater 3747 South La Brea Ave Currently - Application Support Theater 1949 Remodeled Both Los Angeles - CA 90016 Center

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419 N Fairfax Ave Canter's Delicatessen Restaurant 1959 Remodeled 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90036

The Post-War House 4950 Wilshire Blvd Commercial 1946 Remodeled 2004 Currently - In Art Studio Los Angeles - CA 90010

Motel 5547 W Century Blvd Hospitality Remodeled Both Currently - Travelodge Hotel Los Angeles - CA 90045

Screen Actor's Guild 7750 Sunset Blvd Commercial 1956 Remodeled Both Currently - Visages Photo Agency Los Angeles - CA 90046

1501 Vine St Remodeled- ABC Studio Commercial 1984 Los Angeles - CA 90028 Sym

11709 Long Beach Blvd Arden Theater Theater 1957 Demolished 1984 Lynwood - CA 90262

10301 Long Beach Blvd Comstock Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Lynwood - CA 90262

Bonanza Family Restaurant 11025 Atlantic Ave Restaurant Extant 1984 Currently - Mariscos La Playita Lynwood - CA 90262

Cecy's Tacos 12130 Long Beach Blvd Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - El Infierno Restaurant Lynwood - CA 90262

12512 Atlantic Ave Liquor Sign Commercial Extant 2004 Lynwood - CA 90262

3344 Lynwood Rd Cove Apartments Apartment Extant Both Lynwood - CA 90262

Washington Mutual Bank 700 S Sepulveda Blvd Commercial Extant 2004 Currently - Chase Bank Manhattan Beach - CA 90266

Jim's Super Burger 4356 Slauson Ave Restaurant Extant Both Currently - El Piquin Mexican Grill Maywood - CA 90270

Gas Station 5645 Atlantic Blvd Gas Station Extant Both Currently - Shell Gas Maywood - CA 90270

North Shore Yacht Club 99155 Sea View Dr. Currently - Salton Sea History Recreational 1958 Restored 2004 Mecca - CA 92254 Museum

Mission Hills Bowl 10430 Sepulveda Blvd Bowl 1957 Extant 2004 Currently - Ross Department Store Mission Hills - CA 91345

10825 Sepulveda Blvd The Bear Pit Restaurant Extant 2004 Mission Hills - CA 91345

Bowlium Lanes and Coral Reef 4666 Holt Blvd Bowl Restored Both Lounge and Bowl Montclair - CA 91763

1527 Whittier Blvd Jack's Salad Bowl Restaurant 1958 Demolished 2004 Montebello - CA 90640

525 N Garfield Ave A&G Commercial Extant 2004 Montebello - CA 90640

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5150 Pomona Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Extant 1984 Monterey Park - CA 91754

Valley House Motel 9401 Sepulveda Blvd Hospitality Extant Both Currently - Hometown Inn North Hills - CA 91343

Allstate Savings 5077 Lankershim Blvd Currently - Mixed-Use Commercial Demolished Both North Hollywood - CA 91601 Construction

Office Tower 12160 Victory Blvd Commercial 1960 Extant Both Currently - Wells Fargo Building North Hollywood - CA 91606

Chinese American Food 12527 Victory Blvd Restaurant Extant 1984 Currently - Vic's Thai Food North Hollywood - CA 91606

Car Wash and Coffee Shop 5964 Laurel Canyon Blvd Car Wash 1960 Extant Both Currently - NOHO Café North Hollywood - CA 91607

Peak's 6506 Laurel Canyon Blvd Currently - Downtown Philly Restaurant 1961 Extant Both North Hollywood - CA 91606 Cheese Steak

6622 Lankershim Blvd Lankershim Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 North Hollywood - CA 91606

6551 Lankershim Blvd Jack in the Box Restaurant 1958 Remodeled 2004 North Hollywood - CA 91606

First Lutheran Church of 18355 Roscoe Blvd Religious Extant Both Northridge Northridge - CA 91325

Foxy's 9255 Reseda Blvd Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently – Edok Northridge - CA 91324

11110 Alondra Blvd Cerritos Junior College Civic 1961 Extant 2004 Norwalk - CA 90650

11565 Firestone Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 Norwalk - CA 90650

12350 Imperial Hwy Norwalk Library Civic 1969 Extant 2004 Norwalk - CA 90650

12700 Norwalk Blvd Norwalk City Hall Civic Extant 2004 Norwalk - CA 90650

12727 Norwalk Blvd Norwalk County Building Civic 1968 Extant 2004 Norwalk - CA 90650

Norwalk Square Shopping Center 14133 Pioneer Blvd Sign 1950 Extant 1984 Sign Norwalk - CA 90650

14029 Pioneer Blvd Norwalk Square Shopping Center Commercial 1950 Remodeled 2004 Norwalk - CA 90650

1120 N Mountain Ave Armstrong's Nursery Commercial 1956 Demolished 2004 Ontario - CA 91762

Bob's Big Boy 8300 Van Nuys Blvd Restaurant Demolished 1984 Currently - Commercial Strip Panorama City - CA 91402

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8510 Van Nuys Blvd Biff's Restaurant 1950 Demolished 1984 Panorama City - CA 91402

8750 Van Nuys Blvd Panorama Bowl Bowl Demolished 1984 Panorama City - CA 91402

Great Western Savings 8201 Van Nuys Blvd Commercial 1957 Extant 1984 Currently - LAFurniture Panorama City - CA 91402

Panorama Theater 9100 Van Nuys Blvd Theater 1949 Extant 2004 Currently - Multiple Businesses Panorama City - CA 91402

13724 Garfield Ave Crossroad Restaurant Restaurant Demolished 2004 Paramount - CA 90723

8702 Rosecrans Ave Laundry Commercial Demolished 2004 Paramount - CA 90723

1616 E Colorado Blvd Bob's Big Boy Restaurant 1953 Demolished 1984 Pasadena - CA 91106

2915 E Colorado Blvd Gwinn's Restaurant 1948 Demolished 1984 Pasadena - CA 91107

1200 E California Blvd Beckman Auditorium Theater 1963 Extant 2004 Pasadena - CA 91125

1633 E Colorado Blvd Saga Motel Hospitality 1960 Extant 2004 Pasadena - CA 91106

2000 E Colorado Blvd Car Dealership Dealership Extant 1984 Pasadena - CA 91107

2818 E Colorado Blvd Astro Motel Hospitality 1957 Extant Both Pasadena - CA 91107 Stuart Pharmaceutical Factory and Offices 3360 E Foothill Blvd Commercial 1958 Extant 2004 Currently - The Stuart at Sierra Pasadena - CA 91107 Madre Villa Apartments Robinsons 777 E Colorado Blvd Commercial 1951 Extant 2004 Currently – Target Pasadena - CA 91101

Bullock's Pasadena 401 S Lake Ave Commercial 1947 Remodeled 2004 Currently - Macy's Pasadena - CA 91101

6001 Rosemead Blvd McDonald's Restaurant 1964 Demolished 1984 Pico Rivera - CA 90660

8340 Washington Blvd Office Building Commercial Demolished 2004 Pico Rivera - CA 90660

9001 Mines Ave Pico Rivera Library Civic 1961 Demolished 2004 Pico Rivera - CA 90660

Imperial 400 Motel 6623 Rosemead Blvd Currently - Angels Motel Pico Hospitality Extant 2004 Pico Rivera - CA 90660 Rivera

8913 Washington Blvd McDonald's Restaurant 2001 Extant 2004 Pico Rivera - CA 90660

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9001 Telegraph Rd Biff's Restaurant Extant 1984 Pico Rivera - CA 90660

Washington Mutual Bank 9125 E Whittier Blvd Commercial Extant 2004 Currently - Chase Bank Pico Rivera - CA 90660

Jim's Char Broiled Burgers 9013 Slauson Ave Restaurant Remodeled Both Currently - Alberto's Mexican Food Pico Rivera - CA 90660

888 W Mission Blvd Mission Family Coffee Shop Restaurant Closed 2004 Pomona - CA 91766

2180 West Holt Blvd Brasilia Motel Hospitality Demolished 2004 Pomona - CA 91768

310 W Foothill Blvd Henry's Restaurant 1957 Demolished 1984 Pomona - CA 91767

McDonald's 1057 E Mission Blvd Restaurant Extant Both Currently - Ama Donuts Pomona - CA 91766

Van de Kamp's Coffee Shop 1371 S East End Ave Restaurant 1969 Remodeled 2004 Currently - Tacos Mexico Pomona - CA 91766

Tate Motors, Inc. 896 E Holt Ave Commercial 1957 Remodeled 2004 Currently - Santa Fe Outlets Pomona - CA 91767

8850 Foothill Blvd Kapu-Kai Bowling Rancho Cucamonga - CA Restaurant Demolished 1984 Currently - Albertson's 91730

69-934 Highway 111 Charthouse Restaurant Restaurant 1978 Demolished 2004 Rancho Mirage - CA 92270

70260 CA-11 Blue Skies Village Commercial 1953 Remodeled 2004 Rancho Mirage - CA 92270

100 Terranea Way Amusement MarineLand Rancho Palos Verdes - CA 1954 Closed 1984 Park 90275 5755 Palos Verdes Dr S Wayfarers Chapel Rancho Palos Verdes - CA Religious 1947 Extant 2004 90275

1700 S Pacific Coast Hwy Palos Verdes Inn Hospitality Closed 1984 Redondo Beach - CA 90277

1212 S Pacific Coast Hwy Arby's Restaurant Demolished 2004 Redondo Beach - CA 90277

Plush Horse Inn 1708 S Pacific Coast Hwy Hospitality 1955 Extant 2004 Currently - Multiple Businesses Redondo Beach - CA 90277

5858 S Pacific Coast Hwy Apartments Apartment Extant 1984 Redondo Beach - CA 90277

Coffee Dan's 18300 Sherman Way Commercial 1956 Demolished 1984 Currently - Shoe City Reseda - CA 91335

1601 San Fernando Rd Mission Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 San Fernando - CA 91340

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14727 Rinaldi St Remodeled- Thrifty Restaurant 1984 San Fernando - CA 91340 Max

Edward's San Gabriel Drive-In 174 W Valley Blvd Drive-In Demolished 1984 Theater San Gabriel - CA 91776 Theater

Goody's Coffee Shop 865 E Las Tunas Dr Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Goody's Restaurant San Gabriel - CA 91776

10017 Orr and Day Rd Lucky's Hamburgers Restaurant Closed Both Santa Fe Springs - CA 90670

13210 Telegraph Rd Premier Lands Commercial 1960 Demolished 2004 Santa Fe Springs - CA 90670

11710 Telegraph Rd Santa Fe Springs Civic Center Civic 1976 Extant 2004 Santa Fe Springs - CA 90670

Biff's 1714 Wilshire Blvd Restaurant Demolished 1984 Currently - Ace Music Santa Monica - CA 90403

Lincoln Blvd & Ocean Park Car Wash Blvd Car Wash Demolished 1984 Santa Monica - CA 90405 Liquor Store 1308 Pico Blvd Currently - Yummy.com Commercial Extant 2004 Santa Monica - CA 90405 Neighborhood Market

Gas Station 1325 Pico Blvd Gas Station Extant 2004 Currently - Joy Automotive Santa Monica - CA 90405

1704 Montana Ave Montana Avenue Branch Library Civic 1960 Extant 2004 Santa Monica - CA 90403

1855 Main St Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Civic 1958 Extant Both Santa Monica - CA 90401

Civic Center Bowl 234 Pico Blvd Bowl Extant Both Currently - Bowlmore Lanes Santa Monica - CA 90405

2800 Lincoln Blvd Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 Santa Monica - CA 90405

2901 Pico Blvd Rae's Restaurant 1952 Extant Both Santa Monica - CA 90405

302 Colorado Ave Sears Commercial 1947 Extant 2004 Santa Monica - CA 90401

Zucky's 431 Wilshire Blvd Restaurant 1954 Extant 2004 Currently - First Republic Bank Santa Monica - CA 90401

Penguin Coffee Shop 1670 Lincoln Blvd Restaurant 1959 Restored Both Currently - Mel's Drive-In Santa Monica - CA 90404

Coffee Dan's 130 Wilshire Blvd Restaurant 1954 Demolished 1984 Currently - Biff's Santa Monica - CA 90401

Parasol Restaurant 12241 Seal Beach Blvd Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Panera Bread Seal Beach - CA 90740

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14401 Ventura Blvd Casa de Cadillac Dealership 1950 Extant Both Sherman Oaks - CA 91423

Kerry's 14846 Ventura Blvd Restaurant Extant Both Currently - Mel's Drive-In Sherman Oaks - CA 91403

Stanley Burke's 5043 Van Nuys Blvd Restaurant 1958 Closed Both Currently - The Cork Lounge Sherman Oaks - CA 91403

Lucky Boy Hamburger Stand 4135 E Firestone Blvd Restaurant Demolished Both Currently - McDonald's South Gate - CA 90280

9203 Atlantic Ave Arena Bowl Bowl Demolished 1984 South Gate - CA 90280

9316 Atlantic Ave Office Building Commercial Demolished 2004 South Gate - CA 90280

9331 Long Beach Blvd Theatro Los Pinos Theater Demolished 2004 South Gate - CA 90280

3900 Firestone Blvd Southgate Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 South Gate - CA 90280

9100 Long Beach Blvd Lido Theater Theater Extant 2004 South Gate - CA 90280

1414 Fair Oaks Ave Smith and Williams Offices Commercial Extant 2004 South Pasadena - CA 91105

Preble's 601 Fair Oaks Ave Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Shaker's South Pasadena - CA 91030

12050 Beach Blvd Pacific Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 2004 Stanton - CA 90680

11097 Beach Blvd McDonald's Restaurant 2002 Extant 2004 Stanton - CA 90680

11590 Tuxford St Laurel Canyon Car Wash Car Wash Demolished 2004 Sun Valley - CA 91352

Rondee Coffee Shop 12341 San Fernando Rd Restaurant 1955 Remodeled 2004 Currently - El Palacio Sylmar - CA 91342

19616 Ventura Blvd Corbin Bowl Bowl Extant 2004 Tarzana - CA 91356

9136 Las Tunas Dr Wonder Cleaners Commercial 1950 Extant 2004 Temple City - CA 91780

2035 Salton Dr Sundowner Motel Hospitality Demolished 2004 Thermal - CA 92274

El Camino College Administration 16007 Crenshaw Blvd Civic Demolished 2004 Building Torrance - CA 90506

Plum's 17234 Crenshaw Blvd Restaurant Extant 1984 Currently - El Señor Barber Torrance - CA 90504

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18120 Hawthorne Blvd Coco's Restaurant 1966 Extant 2004 Torrance - CA 90504

24600 Crenshaw Blvd Palos Verdes Bowl Bowl Extant 2004 Torrance - CA 90501

4801 Pacific Coast Hwy South High School Civic Extant 2004 Torrance - CA 90505

5808 S Pacific Coast Hwy Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Torrance - CA 90505

Sultan Car Wash 13703 Victory Blvd Car Wash Demolished Both Currently - Gas Station Van Nuys - CA 91401

Bob's Big Boy 16851 Sherman Way Commercial 1956 Demolished 1984 Currently - ARCO Van Nuys - CA 91406

Bob's Big Boy 5355 Van Nuys Blvd Restaurant 1959 Demolished 1984 Currently - Honda Dealership Van Nuys - CA 91401

6600 Van Nuys Blvd Coffee Dan's Restaurant 1958 Demolished 1984 Van Nuys - CA 91405

Coffee Dan's 6833 Van Nuys Blvd Restaurant 1958 Demolished 2004 Currently - Arby's Van Nuys - CA 91405

15237 Sherman Way Tune Up Masters Commercial Extant 2004 Van Nuys - CA 91405

16063 Sherman Way Beeps Restaurant Extant 2004 Van Nuys - CA 91406

Doughnut Shop 16844 Sherman Way Restaurant Extant 2004 Currently - Mama's Donuts Van Nuys - CA 91406

7530 Van Nuys Blvd Valley Car Wash Car Wash Extant 2004 Van Nuys - CA 91405

16918 Saticoy St Heart's Coffee Shop Restaurant Extant 2004 Van Nuys - CA 91406

Bob's Big Boy 1001 W Garvey Ave Restaurant 1958 Demolished 1984 *Now part of a highway West Covina - CA 91790

Taco Paco 437 S Glendora Ave Restaurant 1959 Extant Both Currently - Peter's El Loco West Covina - CA 91790

8445 Santa Monica Blvd Ritts Co. Furniture Store Commercial Closed 2004 West Hollywood - CA 90069

7257 Sunset Blvd Ralph's Market Commercial Extant 1984 West Hollywood - CA 90046

7212 Sunset Blvd Saharan Motel Hospitality Remodeled 2004 West Hollywood - CA 90046

Ben Frank's 8585 Sunset Blvd Restaurant 1962 Remodeled Both Currently - Mel's West Hollywood - CA 90069

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470 N La Cienega Blvd Norm's Restaurant 1957 Restored Both West Hollywood - CA 90048

Milliron's Department Store 8739 S Sepulveda Blvd Commercial 1949 Remodeled Both Currently - Kohl's Westchester - CA 90045

13221 Whittier Blvd Jack's Coffee Shop Restaurant Extant 2004 Whittier - CA 90602

13230 Penn St Whittier City Hall Civic 1955 Extant 2004 Whittier - CA 90602

13583 Whittier Blvd Liquor Store/Office Building Commercial Extant 2004 Whittier - CA 90605

Clock Country Club 14000 Telegraph Rd Currently - Candlewood Country Recreational Extant 2004 Whittier - CA 90604 Club

15545 Whittier Blvd Friendly Hills Bowl Bowl Extant 2004 Whittier - CA 90603

8002 Greenleaf Ave Walt's Dry Cleaners Commercial Extant 2004 Whittier - CA 90602

Vons Market 7038 Pickering Ave Remodeled- Currently - Regency Christian Commercial 1950 2004 Whittier - CA 90602 Max Center International

20122 Vanowen St Remodeled- Bowl Bowl 1984 Winnetka - CA 91306 Max

Valley Music Center 20600 Ventura Blvd Currently - Jehovah's Witness Civic 1964 Demolished 2004 Woodland Hills - CA 91364 Center Furniture Store 19855 Ventura Blvd Currently - Animal Adoption Commercial Extant Both Woodland Hills - CA 91364 Center

Woodlake Lanes 23130 Ventura Blvd Bowl Extant 2004 Currently - Bowlero Bowl Woodland Hills - CA 91364

1014 W Huntington Dr Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Arcadia - CA 91007

389 Palos Verdes Blvd Tiki Apartments Apartment Extant 2004 Redondo Beach - CA 90277

3070 Los Feliz Blvd Los Allen Wert'z Candies Angeles Restaurant 1949 Demolished 2004 Los Angeles - CA 90039

Sky Palm International Lodge 210 N Tustin St Hospitality Restored 2004 Currently - Sky Palm Motel Orange - CA 92867

12056 Ventura Blvd Tiny Naylor's Restaurant 1961 Demolished 1984 Studio City - CA 91604

12101 Ventura Blvd Car Wash Car Wash 1960 Demolished 1984 Studio City - CA 91604

Dupar's 12036 Ventura Blvd Restaurant Extant Both Currently - Sephora Studio City - CA 91604

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Hughes Market 12842 Ventura Blvd Commercial Extant 2004 Currently - Ralphs Market Studio City - CA 91604

ORANGE COUNTY NAME ADDRESS TYPE BUILT STATUS PUB

1760 W Lincoln Ave Kettle Motel and Restaurant Hospitality Closed 2004 Anaheim - CA 92801

La Palma Chicekn Pie Shop and 928 N Euclid St Commercial 1956 Closed 2004 Shopping Center Anaheim - CA 92801

1120 N West St Professional Building Commercial Demolished 2004 Anaheim - CA 92801

1925 W Lincoln Ave Anaheim Bowl Bowl 1957 Demolished 1984 Anaheim - CA 92801

2191 S Harbor Blvd Bob's Big Boy Restaurant 1958 Demolished 1984 Anaheim - CA 92802

130 S Beach Blvd Americana Motel Hospitality Extant 2004 Anaheim - CA 92804

1313 Disneyland Dr Amusement Disneyland Extant 2004 Anaheim - CA 92802 Park

201 Brookhurst St Linbrook Bowl Bowl Extant 2004 Anaheim - CA 92804

Anaheim Professional Building 3855 E La Palma Ave Commercial Extant 2004 and Rexall Drugstore Anaheim - CA 92807

Moonscape Park 601 N Brookhurst St Currently - Brookhurst Junior Civic 1974 Extant 2004 Anaheim - CA 92801 High School

1100 Harbor Blvd Remodeled- Commercial Building Commercial 2004 Anaheim - CA 92805 Max

1176 W Katella Ave Remodeled- Space Age Lodge Hospitality 1984 Anaheim - CA 92802 Max

1830 S West St Remodeled- Eden Roc Motel Hospitality Both Anaheim - CA 92802 Max

Bob's Big Boy 328 N Stanton Ave Remodeled- Restaurant 1955 2004 Currently - Buena Vista Inn Anaheim - CA 92801 Max

Beachlin Car Wash 126 S Beach Blvd Currently - Beach-Lin Hand Car Car Wash 1963 Restored 2004 Anaheim - CA 92804 Wash

Coast Anaheim Hotel 1855 S Harbor Blvd Currently - Sheraton Park Hotel at Hospitality Restored 2004 Anaheim - CA 92802 Anaheim Resort

800 W Katella Ave Anaheim Convention Center Civic 1967 Restored 2004 Anaheim - CA 92802

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Gas Station 2436 Newport Blvd Currently - Ultimate Engineering Gas Station Demolished 2004 Costa Mesa - CA 92627 Group Office Building 1917 Newport Blvd Currently - Westside Rental Commercial Extant 2004 Costa Mesa - CA 92627 Connection

2180 Newport Blvd Stater Market Commercial 1950 Restored 2004 Costa Mesa - CA 92627

475 E 17th St Firestone Tire Station Commercial Restored 2004 Costa Mesa - CA 92627

12141 Lewis St Tower of Hope Religious 1966 Extant 2004 Garden Grove - CA 92840

Garden Grove Community Drive- 12141 S Lewis St Religious 1959 Extant Both in Church Garden Grove - CA 92840

13280 Chapman Ave Crystal Cathedral Religious 1978 Extant Both Garden Grove - CA 92840

Bob's Big Boy 12032 Harbor Blvd Currently - Coco's Bakery Restaurant 1958 Remodeled 2004 Garden Grove - CA 92840 Restaurant

1550 Jamboree Rd Chevron Gas Station Gas Station Extant 2004 Newport Beach - CA 92260

Stuffed Shirt Restaurant 2241 West Coast Hwy Currently - A'maree's Clothing Restaurant Extant 2004 Newport Beach - CA 92663 Store Newport Balboa Savings and 3366 Via Lido Loan Commercial Remodeled 2004 Newport Beach - CA 92663 Currently - HanaHaus

1600 Jamboree Rd Remodeled- Shell Gas Station Gas Station 2004 Newport Beach - CA 92260 Max

Jack in the Box 2102 S Bristol St Restaurant 1951 Demolished 2004 Currently - Tacos Mexico Santa Ana - CA 92704

Tom Mccann Shoe Store 2603 Bristol St Commercial Remodeled 2004 Currently - AutoZone Auto Parts Santa Ana - CA 92704

La Quinta Inn 6950 Beach Blvd Hospitality Demolished 2004 Currently - Franklin Motel Buena Park - CA 90621

RIVERSIDE COUNTY NAME ADDRESS TYPE BUILT STATUS PUB

100 N Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs Spa Hotel Hospitality 1955 Demolished 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262

Alpha Beta Market 425 Sunrise Way Ste A Commercial 1960 Demolished 2004 Currently - Ralphs Market Palm Springs - CA 92262

727 E Palm Canyon Dr Denny's Restaurant Demolished 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262

1111 E Palm Canyon Dr Ocotillo Lodge Hospitality 1956 Extant 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92264

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146 N Palm Canyon Dr Town and Country Center Commercial 1948 Extant 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262

225 W Baristo Road Del Marcos Motel Hospitality 1947 Extant 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262

Gas Station 2796 N Palm Canyon Dr Currently - North Palm Canyon Gas Station 1964 Extant 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262 Fuel Tramway Gas Station 2901 North Palm Canyon Dr Currently - Palm Springs Visitors Gas Station 1963 Extant 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262 Center

333 South Palm Canyon Dr Robinsons Department Store Commercial 1958 Extant 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262

Coachella Valley Savings & Loan 499 S Palm Canyon Dr Commercial 1960 Extant 2004 Currently - Chase Bank Palm Springs - CA 92262

City National Bank 588 S Palm Canyon Dr Commercial 1959 Extant 2004 Currently - Bank of America Palm Springs - CA 92264

701 W Baristo Road Palm Springs Tennis Club Recreational Extant 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92262

1000 E Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs Biltmore Hospitality 1948 Remodeled 2004 Palm Springs - CA 92264

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INDEX

50-year rule ...... 40, 45 G A Geddes, Norman Bel ...... 10 Adaptive Reuse ...... 19, 68, 71, 77, 80 Googie . 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Adaptive Reuse Ordinance ...... 42 19, 24, 25, 28, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43, Architectural Record ...... 14 44, 45, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 67, Armét and Davis ...... 59, 71, 75 68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 99, 107, Armét, Louis ...... See Armét and Davis 108 Art Deco ...... 3, 7, 8, 63 Googie Buildings Association for Preservation Technology ...... 52 Brown Derby ...... 8, 110 Automat ...... 29 Carolina Pines Jr...... 64 Automobile Culture 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 26, 27, 28, 32, 67, Cinerama Theatre ...... 64, 65, 68, 110 72, 79 Corky's ...... 71, 72 Covina Bowl ...... 1, 2, 3, 45, 101 Donut Hole ...... 33, 34, 35 B Driftwood Dairy ...... 45, 102 Banham, Reyner ...... 15 East LA's Tamale Building ...... 54 Blake, Peter ...... 37 Googie Coffee Shop ...... 4, 13, 14 Brand, Stewart ...... 24 Jack in the Box ...... 33, 102, 108, 109, 112, 120 Lytton Savings ...... 56, 57, 58 McDonald's ...... 31 C Mel’s Drive-In ...... 73, 74, 75, 78 California Environmental Quality Act ... 5, 42, 49, 50, Norm's ...... 32 51, 52 Panorama Theater ...... 67, 68, 69, 78, 112, 113 California Uniform Building Code ...... 42 Plush Pup ...... 64, 110 California’s State Historical Building Code ...... 42 Ship's ...... 32, 53 Carr, Donald ...... 32 Tiny Naylor's ...... 32, 53 Carson, Rachel ...... 32 Wich Stand ...... 59, 60, 61, 110 Certified Local Government ...... 63, 73 Zucky's ...... 77, 78 Claude Neon ...... See neon Claude, George ...... See neon H commercial1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, Harrison, Harry ...... 10 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 49, 54, 57, 62, 67, 71, 72, Haskell, Douglas ...... 13 74, 79, 80 Heimann, Jim ...... 8, 15 Commercial Architecture .... 1, 4, 5, 10, 14, 18, 19, 24, Hess, Alan ...... 4, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 53, 62, 63, 31, 35, 36, 37, 49 64, 67, 72, 73, 74, 81, 99 Horn and Hadart ...... 29 D I Davis, Eldon ...... See Armét and Davis Decorated Shed ...... 33, 35, 37, 38, 39 ICOMOS ...... 52 DOCOMOMO ...... 52 Izenour, Steven ...... 15, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 Duck ...... 34, 35, 37, 38, 39 K E Kaplan, Sam Hall ...... 6 Esperdy, Gabrielle ...... 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32 L F Langdon, Phillip ...... 16, 29, 33 Federal Housing Administration ...... 28 Lautner, John ...... 10, 13, 14, 31, 64 Futurama ...... 10 Learning Las Vegas ...... 15, 16, 35, 36, 37, 38 Los Angeles Conservancy ..... 5, 44, 45, 49, 53, 54, 57, 59, 62, 69, 73

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M Sarmiento, Wenceslao Alfonso ...... 69 Scott Brown, Denise ...... 15, 35, 36, 37 Main Street ...... 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32 Signage ...... 7, 16, 28, 59, 71, 77 McAllister, Wayne ...... 10 Space Age ...... 10, 16, 17, 31, 33, 119 Meston, Stanley ...... 10 Steele, James ...... 12 Mid-Century Modern ...... 3, 33, 57 Streamlined Moderne ...... 10 Mills Act ...... 41, 44, 63 Sunset Boulevard . 4, 5, 12, 14, 56, 62, 63, 64, 67, 68, Modern Architecture ...... 12, 52, 81 73, 104, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 117 SurveyLA ...... 63, 64 N T National Historic Preservation Act ...... 41 Neon...... 1, 4, 7, 37, 74, 77, 79 Taxpayer Strips ...... 26

P U Pacific Electric ...... 7 Unincorporated Territory ...... 40, 43, 44, 59, 79 Pereira, William ...... 68 Powers, Daly, and DeRosa ...... 1 Programmatic ...... 3, 8, 10, 15, 16, 33 V Van Nuys Boulevard ... 5, 62, 67, 70, 72, 77, 108, 112, R 113, 116, 117 Venturi, Robert ...... 15, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 Roadside Architecture ...... 25, 28, 29, 32 W S Williams, Wayne ...... 33, 116 Santa Monica ..... 5, 62, 63, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 94, 100, 106, 107, 108, 110, 115, 117

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