In 2007, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named West Hollywood as One of America’s 12 Distinctive Destinations.
Despite that honor, some residents feel the city is not doing enough to preserve its historic buildings. They cite the , designed by famed architect Edward Fickett, FAIA, as an example of the city failing to preserve a historic building that could have been adapted for another use.
Another example is the proposed demolition of Great Hall/Long Hall in Plummer Park, the only buildings in Los Angeles County build by the Depression-era Works Progress Administration.
Also frequently cited is the the film studio run by silent-era superstars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. with several others slated to meet the wrecking ball.
That’s why a new organization focused on historic preservation is forming. The West Hollywood Historic Preservation Organization will have its initial meeting on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. All people interested in preserving the city’s historic treasures to invited to attend.
“Historic places are vitally important in making a one-of-a-kind community; they create character, an unmistakable sense of place, a special quality that no other city can duplicate,” the group said in a press statement.
“Without its unique social history and the districts, neighborhoods and structures that reflect that culture, past and present, West Hollywood would not be West Hollywood,” the statement continues. “It would lack its defining characteristics and energy, the things that make it special. It could eventually resemble any other city in America. West Hollywood should set its sights higher.”
While the city created a Historic Preservation Commission in 1989, the Weho Historic Preservation Organization feels that citizen advocacy is needed to ensure that more historic properties are preserved.
Tuesday’s organizational meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the historic chapel at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard. The guard at the front gate will direct attendees to free parking.