El Greco Apartments facts for kids
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El Greco Apartments
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El Greco Apartments, June 2008
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 817 N. Hayworth Avenue, Los Angeles, California |
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| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Pierpont, F. & Walter S. Davis |
| Architectural style | Spanish Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002017 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 03 1988 |
The El Greco Apartments is a special apartment building in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929 and has a beautiful Spanish Revival style. This building is famous for a few reasons. Many film stars used to live there. Also, the entire building was once moved from one part of Los Angeles to another! Today, it provides homes for senior citizens.
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Building a Spanish-Style Home
The El Greco Apartments were built between 1929 and 1930. They were one of the first buildings in an area called Westwood Village. The building has two stories and 12 apartments. It was designed by architect Clara Bertram Humphrey. She modeled it after the home of a famous artist named El Greco in Toledo, Spain.
The El Greco building was very important for the look of Westwood Village. Its red tile roof and brick courtyard became a popular style. Many other buildings in Westwood Village copied this elegant Spanish design.
Famous Residents of El Greco
When it was first built, the El Greco was like a hotel. Many international film stars lived there. Imagine living in the same building as these famous people!
- Erich von Stroheim: An Austrian director known for silent films like Greed.
- Michael Curtiz: A director who made classic movies such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, Angels with Dirty Faces, and Casablanca.
- Joel McCrea: An actor who starred in films like Foreign Correspondent by Alfred Hitchcock.
Saving and Moving the Building
By the late 1970s, many old buildings in Westwood Village were being torn down. New, tall buildings were built in their place. In 1979, the owner of the El Greco Apartments wanted to demolish it too. They planned to build new apartments called condominiums.
Tenants Fight to Save Their Homes
The people living in the El Greco Apartments did not want their homes destroyed. They started a movement to save the building. Some tenants, like Adam Nimoy (the son of actor Leonard Nimoy), worked with City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky. They wanted the city to declare the building a historic monument.
In February 1980, their efforts paid off! The city's Cultural Heritage Board declared the El Greco a Historic-Cultural Monument. This stopped the demolition plans. The board members called it "a stunning building that ought to be saved." Later, the Los Angeles City Council also voted to prevent its demolition.
A Big Move for a Big Building
After the demolition was stopped, people thought about what to do with the building. One idea was to move it to a new location. In 1984, a group called Alternative Living for the Aging (ALA) came up with a plan. They wanted to move the El Greco to the Beverly-Fairfax district. There, it would become affordable housing for senior citizens.
The City Council agreed to let them try. The building's owner even paid $55,000 to help with the moving costs. Other groups and people raised about $600,000 for the land and repairs. Even Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in Star Trek, helped raise money!
In September 1985, the amazing move happened. The El Greco was carefully cut into four large pieces. These pieces were then hauled from Westwood to its new home in the Beverly-Fairfax district. The architect in charge, Peter de Bretteville, made sure to save everything. This included the Spanish roof tiles and the charming brick courtyard with its fish pond. It was a huge and difficult project!
New Life for Seniors
The relocated El Greco Apartments opened in December 1986. It became a home for senior citizens. It offers "alternative living" for seniors who are healthy but prefer not to live alone. Each resident is paired with a "buddy" to check on each other daily. It's a friendly place where people can live together and support each other.
In 1988, the El Greco Apartments were officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site in the United States.
Images for kids
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Self-portrait of El Greco, the artist who inspired the building's name.
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Erich von Stroheim was one of the early residents of the El Greco.
