Highland Park Police Station facts for kids
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Highland Park Police Station
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Highland Park Police Station, 2007
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 6045 York Blvd., Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA |
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| Built | 1926 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000874 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 22, 1984 |
The Highland Park Police Station on York Boulevard in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California is the city's oldest surviving police station. This historic building, which once served as a busy police station, is now home to the Los Angeles Police Museum. It has been recognized as a special Historic Cultural Monument and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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History of the Police Station
This police station was built between 1925 and 1926. It cost about $100,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! The station officially opened in April 1926. Important police leaders, like Chief Edgar Davis, attended the opening ceremony.
Many important police investigations were handled at the Highland Park station. For example, detectives here worked on some very well-known cases. Later, in 1963, Daryl Gates, who would become a famous LAPD Chief, was in charge of this very station. He wrote about how interesting it was to return to a place where he had once been in a bit of trouble.
The station closed its doors in 1983. The Los Angeles Police Department moved its Northeast Division to a new, more modern building. Because the old station was empty, there was a chance it might be torn down. To save it, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission officially named it a Historic Cultural Monument in January 1984. Just two months later, in March 1984, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This makes it the only local police station in California listed on the National Register.
Filming Location for TV Shows
Because the Highland Park Police Station is the last police station in Los Angeles built in the 1920s, it's a popular spot for filming. Movie and TV crews often want to use it as a background for their shows. The city's film office would schedule film crews months in advance. The building has been used in TV shows like Mathnet (from 1987–88) and as the police station in Pawnee (in 2011).
Los Angeles Police Museum
Today, the building is home to the Los Angeles Police Museum. This museum is a great place to learn about the history of the LAPD. You can see old photographs, police uniforms, badges, and even real police cars. There's also a "paddy wagon," which was used to transport people.
The museum shows how the LAPD started in 1869 and how it has grown over the years. You can even see the original jail cells from when it was a working police station. The museum also has a copy of the first policewoman's uniform. This uniform was worn by LAPD officer Alice Stebbins Wells in 1910, who was one of the first policewomen in the nation! The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's also open on the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
See also
