This is the first installment of an ongoing series called Then and Now. The hope and intention is to explore the ever changing landscape of Hollywood. Through this we build an appreciation for what came before and potentially what we strive to preserve. The series helps give a snapshot into the past to see what might be in store for the future.

The Hollywood Heritage Preservation Resource Center is located at the epicenter of Hollywood development. The unprepossessing commercial building which currently occupies the site gives no hint of the significant role the parcel has played in Hollywood history. Situated in the middle of the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District, the block between Cahuenga and Wilcox has seen many changes. It seems auspicious that our current endeavor to promote Hollywood’s history should find a home here.

Originally subdivided into residential lots, this section switched to commercial use in the 1920s. Cahuenga Avenue is still a major route to the San Fernando Valley, although it bears little resemblance to the wagon trail it was when Hollywood’s founders, Harvey and Daeida Wilcox, moved to the area.

In 1883 Daeida Wilcox and her husband Harvey moved to Southern California, purchasing a 120-acre ranch at the foot of the Cahuenga Pass in 1886. After a chance meeting with Mrs. Rockefeller on a train, she learned that one of their properties was named “Hollywood.” She appropriated the name for her newly acquired holdings. In 1887, Wilcox drew up subdivision plans for the ranch and filed a tract map under the name “Hollywood, California” with the county recorder. Daeida envisioned a small town with cultural amenities, schools, and churches. Parcels were set aside for each of these activities.

Harvey Wilcox passed away in 1891, and Daeida continued with her vision for Hollywood. In 1894, she married Philo J. Beveridge, with whom she had four children. As she and other landowners continued to develop the area, she looked for ways to separate her community from the other “villages” and subdivisions springing up around Los Angeles.

In 1899, Daeida met renowned French artist Paul DeLongpre, who was interested in creating a residence and gallery in Hollywood, where other French residents were living. DeLongpre had an established following and could bring a cultural attraction to the suburban enclave. In exchange for three of his paintings, he was given three lots near the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and the west side of Cahuenga. He built an elegant Mission Revival home and studio, surrounding the structure with manicured gardens. The site quickly became a stop on the “Balloon Route”, a day trip for tourists and potential homebuyers from downtown Los Angeles.

By 1903, Hollywood was incorporated as a city of the sixth class. The first three decades of the twentieth century brought rapid change to Hollywood. DeLongpre passed away in 1911, and the gardens were closed. That same year, independent motion picture producers began establishing “studios” for film production. Mrs. Beveridge passed away in 1914 as commercial establishments were vying for land on the Boulevard. By 1927, the DeLongpre house was demolished and a major “movie palace”, the Warner Brothers Theatre, was constructed on land nearby. The DeLongpre property had commercial frontage on Hollywood Boulevard, with the majority of the site serving as parking lots ever since.

**Some of the works available at the DeLongpre Home**

The location is the birth home of Hollywood. What began as a tract with fields and fruit trees is now a lively and vibrant part of Los Angeles.

Part of our Preservation Resource Center explores some of this key history. Documents, photographs, and even an early film of this period are all in the Hollywood Heritage collection and are on display at the Center. Postcards and souvenirs allow visitors of today to experience some of the magic of that earlier era and we are fortunate to have these items.

Can you imagine the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga if the gardens were still a feature? Certainly a different quality. It is a core reason why we work to preserve aspects of the lived environment so that a parking lot is not the end result for decades. We have the chance to shape future decisions in the Hollywood landscape so that past choices can find a home in current plans. We rely on all of you to speak up and share your passion for Hollywood. We hope this inspires you!

Further links / research:

1) Article from KCET - https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-balloon-route-a-tourists-trolley-trip-through-early-1900s-los-angeles

2) Balloon Route Ephemera -https://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/balloon-route-trolley-trip

3) Delongpre and Botanic Gardens-https://la.curbed.com/2017/10/6/16350698/hollywood-history-paul-delongpre-rose-garden

Then and Now

NEW POSTCARD COLORING BOOK!

Remembering Our Past