Central Highland Park

Central Highland Park. . , A Bustling Town , Central Highland Park is home to art galleries, coffeehouses, a cinema, a farmer's market, a bicycle shop, and other businesses which, in many cases, occupy buildings constructed more than a century ago when the district first began to transition from residential to commercial. By the end of the first decade of the 20th century, Central Highland Park boasted rail service, schools, markets, a lumberyard, real estate offices, churches, a post office, a bank, and more. A few homes have remained from that era, including the modest Charles and Nettie Williams Home (built in 1892), the Colonial Revival-style Reeves House (built in 1905), and the Craftsman Morrell Home (also built in 1905) - all of which are designated Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monuments. , The First Bank in Highland Park , Highland Park Bank (or the Bank of Highland Park) opened in 1906. The Classical Revival-style building was designed by architect Thornton Fitzhugh, who also designed Downtown Los Angeles' Pacific Electric Building and Highland Park's Presbyterian Church. The bank's first president was George Washington Ewing Griffith who originally moved to Highland Park to retire, but after building a home there, re-entered the banking business. , Upon the bank's dedication, he gave a long speech that wove the opening of the bank into a tale of manifest destiny, which began with the birth of Christ and culminated in the opening of a financial institution. More impressively, he correctly prophesied the future importance of Los Angeles, then a fairly small city of roughly 230,000, overshadowed in California at that time by San Francisco. , The former Highland Park Bank has changed hands several times since, and eventually became a Chase Bank. In 1922, Highland Park Bank became part of Security Trust and Savings Bank and moved down the street to the John and Donald Parkinson-designed Security Trust and Savings Bank building, which opened in 1923. The facade of the former Highland Park Bank building was substantially altered in 1960 to feature murals designed by famed artist and architect Millard Sheets, who designed over fifty Southern California bank branches for Howard F. Ahmanson Sr.'s Home Savings of America. The mosaics on this particular location were executed in 1972, from Sheets' designs by Nancy Colbath and Denis O'Connor and feature scenes of people and horses. , The Ebell Club , The Highland Park Ebell (Women's) Club, founded in 1903, was named for a 19th century pioneer in women's education, Dr. Adrian Ebell. Early members studied history, literature, and music. They began to award scholarships to local students in 1907, which has become their signature activity. Members advocated for community development, women's and children's health, schools, libraries, arts, and conservation. Ebell members also worked tirelessly for women's suffrage, which was established in California in 1911. Local women raised the money, bought the land, and financed construction of the Clubhouse at 131 South Avenue 57. It was designed by Sumner Hunt and Silas Burns, whose eclectic building incorporates elements of Italianate, Mission Revival, and Prairie styles. The building was completed in 1912 and declared Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument No. 284 in 1984. , Masonic Temple Building , The Highland Park Masonic Temple, a three-story brick building on the corner of Avenue 56 and North Figueroa, was completed in 1923. For sixty years, the second and third stories were home to Lodge No. 382 of the Free and Accepted Masons. Architect Elmore Robinson Jeffrey, who was also Lodge Master in 1927, designed the building with elements of both Renaissance Revival and Mediterranean Revival styles. In 1983, the Masons left after they proved unable to upkeep the building to meet seismic safety requirements. It was later purchased, renovated, and reopened as a banquet hall, with attention given to preserving numerous period details, including doorknobs embossed with Masonic symbols, cherry wood paneling, and the Anaglypta wallpaper. In 1990, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.