Hollywood in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Whitley Heights

Historic District

— 1918 - 1928 —

Whitley Heights Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, August 26, 2023

1. Whitley Heights Marker

Inscription.
Whitley Heights.
Built 1920.
National Register of Historic Places.

Erected 1982 by U.S. Dept. of the Interior; and Whitley Heights Civic Association.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Entertainment • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 34° 6.398′ N, 118° 20.141′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Hollywood. Marker is on Whitley Terrace west of Whitley Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6658 Whitley Terrace, Los Angeles CA 90068, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Montecito Apartments (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lasky-DeMille Barn (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Lasky-DeMille Barn (about 700 feet away); Château Des Fleurs (about 700 feet away); Ojai Apartments (about 700 feet away); Hollywood’s First Major Film Company Studio (about 700 feet away); Hollywood American Legion Post 43 (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Lasky-DeMille Barn (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.

Regarding Whitley Heights.

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This is a residential neighborhood and historic preservation overlay zone in the Hollywood Hills, within walking distance of the Hollywood Bowl. Originally known as a residential area for actors and other people in the motion picture industry, it is divided between a hillside single-family district and an apartment area. It is notable for an attempt by its homeowners' group and the city to close off public streets to outside traffic, an effort that was ruled illegal by the courts.
Hobart J. Whitley, a Canadian-American businessman and real estate developer, bought the hillside area in 1901 and 1903. In 1918, Whitley commissioned architect Arthur S. Barnes to design Whitley Heights as a Mediterranean village on the steep hillsides above Hollywood Boulevard. Whitley sent Barnes to study the architecture and landscaping of Italy's historic hill towns before returning to the Southland, where he designed most of the Whitley Heights houses between 1918 and 1928. The development grew during the 1920s, and it became the first Hollywood celebrity community.
The hill's narrow, winding streets, paved in 1926, connected by flights of pedestrian stairs and supported by retaining walls, still serve the community. Electrical lines and utilities placed in underground conduits, another novel concept for the times, as well as the original street lamps, function as they did in the late 1920s.

Photographed By Craig Baker, August 26, 2023

2. Whitley Heights Marker

The marker is to the left of the archway.

In the 1950s, construction of the Hollywood Freeway through the district resulted in the destruction of 49 houses, including those where actors Rudolph Valentino and Charlie Chaplin had lived. A home belonging to actress Bette Davis was destroyed in the early 1960s for a proposed Hollywood museum that was never built. Other notable residents include Marlene Dietrich, W.C. Fields, Judy Garland, Lillian Gish, Harold Lloyd, Carole Lombard, Donald O'Connor, and Ronald Reagan.
In 1982 Whitley Heights was made a state historic district by the California Historical Resources Commission and added to the National Register of Historic Places as a U.S. Historic District.

H.J. Whitley House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, August 26, 2023

3. H.J. Whitley House

Built in 1920. Located at 2073 Grace Avenue.

6621 Whitley Terrace image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, August 26, 2023

4. 6621 Whitley Terrace

Built in 1922. The marker is at lower right.

6613 Whitley Terrace image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, August 26, 2023

5. 6613 Whitley Terrace

Built circa 1920. The marker is to the right of the gate.

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 8, 2023

6. Street Sign

Whitley Heights Historical Preservation Zone - City of Los Angeles

Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 172 times since then and 94 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 2, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 6. submitted on October 8, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.