Homer Laughlin Building facts for kids
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Homer Laughlin Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The building in 2014
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
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| Location | 317 South Broadway, Los Angeles |
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| Built | 1897, 1905 |
| Built by | Smith & Carr |
| Architect | John B. Parkinson (1897) Thornton Fitzhugh or Harrison Albright (1905 addition) |
| Part of | Broadway Theater and Commercial District (ID79000484) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Designated CP | May 9, 1979 |
The Homer Laughlin Building is a famous building in downtown Los Angeles. It's best known for being home to the Grand Central Market, which is the city's biggest and oldest public market. You can find it at 317 South Broadway.
Contents
A Look Back: The Homer Laughlin Building's Story
The Homer Laughlin Building was built by a man named Homer Laughlin. He was a businessman from Ohio who started a company that made china dishes. This building was very special because it was Los Angeles's first building made to be fireproof and had a strong steel frame.
The first part of the building, which had six floors, was designed in 1896 by an architect named John B. Parkinson. The builders were Smith & Carr. In August 1898, a store called Coulter's Dry Goods opened its doors here.
Growing Bigger: The 1905 Expansion
In 1905, the building got bigger! An addition was built that stretched all the way to Hill Street. This new part was called the Laughlin Annex or the Lyon Building. It was also very important because it was the first building in Los Angeles to use reinforced concrete. This strong concrete was designed by either Harrison Albright or Thornton Fitzhugh.
The first big store in the expanded building was the Ville de Paris department store. Later, in 1917, the Grand Central Market moved in. It has been there ever since, on the ground floor of the building. This spot was chosen because it was close to the Angels Flight Railway. This made it easy for people from Bunker Hill to visit.
In the 1920s, a famous American architect named Frank Lloyd Wright even had an office in the building.
Changing Looks and Modern Updates
The original building was built in a style called Beaux Arts. Over the years, its look changed a lot. For example, in the 1960s, a tile covering was added to the outside. This hid the windows on the second floor.
In the 1990s, the Homer Laughlin Building and the Grand Central Market got a big makeover. This project was led by developer Ira Yellin and architect Brenda Levin. The buildings next door, like the Million Dollar Theater Building and the Bradbury Building, were also updated. As part of this renovation, new homes were added to the building. This made it one of the first places in downtown Los Angeles to have both businesses and homes in many years.
In 2013, Ira Yellin's wife, Adele Yellin, took charge of the Market. She started bringing in new food sellers. These new vendors have helped turn the nearly 100-year-old food market into a popular place for amazing food. This ongoing update has received many awards. For example, Bon Appetit magazine named it one of the "Hot 10" restaurants in the country in 2014.
Special Recognition: Historic Designations
In 1979, the Broadway Theater and Commercial District in Los Angeles was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important places in the United States. The Grand Central Market was included as a key part of this district. Later, in 2019, the Homer Laughlin Building itself was named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #1183. This means it's a very important historical and cultural site in Los Angeles.
See also
- List of contributing properties in the Broadway Theater and Commercial District
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Downtown Los Angeles
