Cooper Arms Apartments facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cooper Arms
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 455 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, California |
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| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | Curlett & Beelman; Scofield Construction |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001538 |
| Added to NRHP | December 28, 2000 |
The Cooper Arms Apartments is a very old and important building in downtown Long Beach, California. It's located right on Ocean Boulevard. This tall, twelve-story apartment building was built in 1923. It looks like a fancy old European palace.
The Cooper Arms was one of the first buildings in Long Beach to be called a "Historic Landmark" in 1980. This means it's a special place that the city wants to protect. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Today, people own their own apartments inside, like condos.
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What Does Cooper Arms Look Like?
The Cooper Arms is a twelve-story building made of strong steel and concrete. Its outside walls are brick covered with stucco. It stands on Ocean Boulevard, at the corner of Linden Avenue.
The building was designed by architects named Curlett & Beelman. Its style is called "Renaissance Revival." This means it looks like buildings from the Renaissance period in Europe. It also has some cool details from other styles, like ancient Egypt.
Cool Features Inside and Out
When it was first built, Cooper Arms had 159 apartments. People could buy their own apartment, which was a new idea back then. Building it cost a lot of money for the time, about $1,350,000. This made it the most expensive project in Long Beach at that time.
The building had some amazing features. On the 12th floor, there was a big sunroom and a fancy ballroom. The ballroom had a domed ceiling and beautiful decorations. There was also a lovely garden on the ground floor. This garden led to a covered walkway that went through the building.
A brochure from 1922 showed off all the modern comforts. These included steam heating and fast elevators. Apartments also had instant hot water and early versions of refrigerators. They even had "disappearing beds" and "dustless roller screens" for windows!
History of Cooper Arms
The Cooper Arms was built by a man named Larkin Cooper. He bought eight houses on Ocean Boulevard to make space for this big project. Mr. Cooper came from Kansas, where he used to work with feed and grain.
In April 1922, the local newspaper, the Long Beach Daily Telegram, announced the plan. They said Long Beach would get "the finest apartments in the whole Southland."
Building During a Boom Time
The building was constructed from 1923 to 1924. This was a time when Long Beach was growing very fast. Many new buildings were going up, and lots of people were moving there.
When construction started in March 1923, the Los Angeles Times newspaper wrote about it. They said Cooper Arms would be "one of the most imposing structures of its kind west of Chicago." At that time, Long Beach didn't have many tall buildings. The Times thought Cooper Arms would become a famous landmark that ships could see from far away.
Surviving the Earthquake
In 1933, a big earthquake hit Long Beach. But the Cooper Arms building was very strong. It was built with steel and concrete, so it didn't get much damage.
One person who lived there during the earthquake remembered it well. They said the building just swayed back and forth. It held together perfectly. This shows how well it was built.
In 1974, the building turned 50 years old. Three of the first people who lived there were still residents! The local newspaper noted that the building's exciting early days had changed. The fancy lounge, which was once busy, was now quiet.
Today, the Cooper Arms is run by the Cooper Arms Homeowners Association. People own their apartments there, just like condominiums.
Why Cooper Arms is Historic
In 1980, the city of Long Beach named Cooper Arms a Long Beach Historic Landmark. It was one of the first seven buildings to get this special title. Other famous buildings like the Villa Riviera and First Congregational Church were also in this first group.
The Cooper Arms was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in October 2000. This is a list of important places in the United States that are worth protecting.
Images for kids
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The Cooper Arms
