3rd HPOZ Tour Highlights Hidden Gems

At Home with History: Exploring Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, a self-driving neighborhood and house tour will be presented by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the HPOZ Alliance, and the featured HPOZs on Sunday, April 18, 2004

This will be a rare opportunity to experience five of Los Angeles’ Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs), tour one house in each neighborhood, and discover why HPOZs are sweeping our city.

As a city of neighborhoods, Los Angeles boasts a constantly expanding array of HPOZs – historic districts designated by the City of Los Angeles. HPOZs play a key role in maintaining the unique character of L.A.’s vastly diverse communities and enhancing the quality of life for residents. As the HPOZ movement continues to sweep the city, it’s bringing to light remarkable residential enclaves that are often overlooked.

The public will have the chance to explore five of these historic communities on the tour. The Los Angeles Conservancy is presenting this tour in partnership with the HPOZ Alliance and each of the featured HPOZs. Guests on this self-driving tour can visit as many of the five neighborhoods as they’d like, at their own pace. Each stop will feature a tour of a representative house in the HPOZ, as well as “neighborhood ambassadors,” area residents available to discuss what it’s like to live in the neighborhood. Guests will receive a detailed tour map and guide, as well as a booklet describing all of the city’s existing HPOZs.

This year’s tour highlights five HPOZs that rank among L.A.’s best-kept secrets:

• Melrose Hill illustrates why Los Angeles is known as the “bungalow capital of the world” – this small community was developed largely between 1911 and 1926, at the height of the style’s popularity. Built in 1920, the featured home includes details handcrafted by the original owner, Douglas Donaldson, a leader of Southern California’s Arts & Crafts Movement.

• Spaulding Square, a charming neighborhood of modest Period Revival homes built between 1916 and 1926, has a history closely tied to the development of Hollywood, the entertainment industry, and the regional transportation system (the Red Cars). The featured home is a 1917 Colonial Revival.

• West Adams Terrace, the city’s newest HPOZ, is a trove of significant buildings that reflect L.A.’s architectural evolution. The featured house is a 1910 Classical Revival mansion that now serves as headquarters for the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles.

• Whitley Heights, an enclave of Spanish Colonial Revival homes developed between 1918 and 1928, reflects the ambiance of a Mediterranean village. Tucked in the lush hills near the Hollywood Bowl, this community housed many of Hollywood’s elite, from Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino to Gloria Swanson, Judy Garland, and Bette Davis.

• University Park, developed as one of L.A.’s first suburbs in the 1880s, is filled with landmarks and diverse architectural styles. The featured house is a Victorian Italianate residence, one of the oldest homes in the area.

Tour tickets cost $30.00 for the general public and $25.00 for Conservancy members. Advance reservations are essential. To order tickets, visit the Conservancy’s website at www.laconservancy.org or call the Ticket Hotline at 213.430.4219.