Historic Housing in L.A.
Can historic housing help us answer today’s pressing needs for affordable housing?
Bungalow Court in Los Angeles by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Bungalow Court
Nothing is quite as quintessentially SoCal as the bungalow court.
Bungalow Court in Eagle Rock by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
As L.A.’s population boomed in the 1920s, bungalows became popular because they offered both density and affordability. The shared courtyard connected residents to the outdoors and each other.
Edinburgh Bungalow Court (2015) by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Edinburgh Bungalow Court was constructed in 1923 for entertainment industry workers. In 2015, it continued to provide Angelenos an affordable place to live.
Community members rally for Edinburgh Bungalow Court by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
This was until a new owner attempted demolition, spurring neighborhood activists to preserve this piece of Hollywood history. Neighbors banded together to designate Edinburgh a Historic-Cultural Monument, which halted demolition.
Edinburgh Bungalow Court, interior (2023) by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Following more than eight years of uncertainty and demolition threats, a project to restore the Edinburgh Bungalow Court was completed in 2023.
Chase Knolls (2013) by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Garden Apartment
Garden Apartments emerged from the Garden City Movement in the early twentieth century. Urban planners envisioned communities that were low density and human scale, where people and cars were separated and shared open space would foster connection between people and nature.
L.A. Conservancy tour map of Chase Knolls by L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Designed by African American architects Heth Wharton and Ralph Vaughn, Chase Knolls is organized around three main courtyards that meld public and private space.
Chase Knolls (2013) by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
In 2000, owners introduced a plan that would demolish 260 units and build 403 new units. This spurred the designation of the building and a new plan that added 140 new units in areas where carports existed. Completed in 2021, Chase Knolls’ 401 housing units blend new and old.
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Many multi-family residences tell important stories.
Built in 1924, Hotel Watkins/Rubaiyat Room was once a renowned African American hotel and blues music venue. It was converted into apartments in 1945 and is a contributor to the Jefferson Park HPOZ.
Dingbat Apartment by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Dingbat
In the 1950s and 1960s, L.A. was flooded with stucco box apartments decorated with bright colors and ornamental designs.
Hayworth Avenue Dingbats by Jessica Hogdgon/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Dingbats like the cluster on Hayworth Avenue were affordable, added density, and parking.
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Apartment house
The Gaylord Apartments in Koreatown is a prominent example of a 1920s apartment house. Originally the 13-story building was intended as a cooperative for wealthy residents. Today, it is home to a multicultural middle and working class population.
Laurelwood Apartments by Architectural Resources GroupLos Angeles Conservancy
Courtyard Apartment
Multi-family housing reveals evolutions in design to meet new social and environmental needs. The Laurelwood Apartments, designed by master architect R. M. Schindler, is one of the first and best Modern expressions of the ubiquitous courtyard apartment complex.
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This stretch of Los Feliz Boulevard is rich with historic courtyard apartments. It was designated a California State Historic District in 2024.
Tenants at Ozawa Boarding Houses by Lindsay Mulcahy/L.A. ConservancyLos Angeles Conservancy
Tenants' Rights
Preserving affordable housing means keeping tenants housed. As preservationists worked to designate the Ozawa boarding houses, two historic Japanese American boarding houses, tenants formed an association to ensure they could stay in their longtime homes at their current rents.
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Adaptive Reuse
Many historic buildings can— and have been – repurposed for housing. Casa de Rosas in West Adams has served many functions since 1893, from a school, to interim housing, to 100% affordable housing for veterans today.
Written by Lindsay Mulcahy. Lindsay is the Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator with the L.A. Conservancy.
