I’m eagerly awaiting the upcoming tour June 6 of historic and beautiful homes in West Adams Heights, an area with a gorgeous mix of architectural styles and a rich history.
“The Heights of Elegance” is the name of the self-guided tour, sponsored by the West Adams Heritage Association (WAHA), that will open the doors to several of West Adams Heights’ grand mansions, most never before opened to the public.
West Adams Heights was developed at the turn of the century and was favored by many noted and wealthy Angelenos of the time for its picturesque location on a hill, which afforded views of downtown, the ocean, and scenic landscape vistas. Renowned architects were employed to design imposing homes.
But the area is not only filled with spectacular samples of architecture, it has significance in the history of social equality in L.A. West Adams Heights achieved national renown around the middle of the 20th century, as the community where racial divides were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in response to lawsuits headlined by well-known actresses Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers, among others.
I’ve been on one of WAHA’s previous tours, a Christmas tour, and it was great fun. Well organized with knowledgeable docents and sometimes even food provided by the homeowners, the event drew excited viewers and created a wonderful sense of camaraderie. Some owners will explain how they fixed up their homes, many of which fell into great disrepair in the last part of the 20th century before new buyers came in to the area to restore these architectural gems.
You’ll find a variety of architectural styles, from Beaux Arts to Spanish Colonial Revival to Craftsman. The homes are big and beautifully built, in scale and proportion.
I’m so grateful the City of Los Angeles passed into law an historical preservation overlay zone that limits what can be done to the exterior of the homes so that the unique character of the neighborhood is retained. You’ll be grateful, too, once you tour these historic treasures.