It’s time for Council to decide whether to protect two historic WeHo buildings

West Hollywood City Council is set to consider a proposal to designate two prominent commercial buildings, located at 7900 and 7906 Santa Monica Boulevard, as local cultural resources. The proposal follows a recommendation by the Historic Preservation Commission, which held a public hearing on May 22, 2023, and subsequently voted unanimously in favor of the designations.

The building at 7900 Santa Monica Boulevard, known in 1929 as the Hardy Building, was constructed with two stories in height on the northern half of the building fronting Santa Monica Boulevard. The building also features a mezzanine as a third level at the rear. The ground floor of the corner building was originally designed for and occupied by the West Hollywood National Bank. Today, a striking four-sided clock, manufactured by the O.B. McClintock Company, remains affixed to the northeast corner of the building.

O.B. McClintock, a Minneapolis-based clockmaker and inventor, operated his company between 1917-1950. His clocks were primarily installed for banks and financial institutions but can also be found on government buildings, schools, or on free-standing pedestals and brackets and used as town clocks. His clocks are still found in cities throughout the United States today.

The neighboring building at 7906 Santa Monica Boulevard, the Campbell Building, was constructed as a two-story multi-tenant brick commercial building. It maintains a surface parking lot at the rear of the property along the public alley to the south. Like its neighbor, it played a significant role in the city’s commercial development during the 1920s.

The buildings are located on the southwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, formerly known as Crescent Junction. When each of the two buildings was constructed in 1924, they were designed and sited to attract the interest and attention of passersby on the streetcar, and later in automobiles.

The Historic Preservation Commission found that the buildings have a strong association with early patterns of West Hollywood’s history, particularly the period of commercial development that accompanied the Pacific Electric Railway expansion in the 1920s. The document prepared by the Planning & Development Services Department states that the buildings embody the distinctive characteristics of their original 1920s era of construction as vernacular brick commercial buildings. They also reflect significant geographical patterns, including those associated with the Crescent Junction and the expansion of the town of Sherman.

The buildings retain all seven aspects of historic integrity as defined by the National Park Services and continue to convey their historic significance. They reflect significant geographical patterns, including those associated with different eras of growth and settlement, particular transportation modes, or distinctive examples of community or park planning.

During the public hearing held by the Historic Preservation Commission, five members of the public spoke in favor of the designations, and four members submitted position slips supporting the proposal. The recommendation for the City Council to adopt a resolution designating the buildings as local cultural resources was made without any appeals filed.