Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

O’Melveny Home

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

1. O’Melveny Home Marker

Inscription.
Henry W. O'Melveny home, built 1908.
Hunt, Eager & Burns, architect.
W.C. Calhoun, contractor.
2004 Landmark Award #85.

Erected 2004 by Windsor Square - Hancock Park Historical Society. (Marker Number 756.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.

Location. 34° 3.905′ N, 118° 19.394′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park. Marker is at the intersection of Plymouth Boulevard and 5th Street, on the left when traveling north on Plymouth Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 501 S Plymouth Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90020, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Petitfils-Boos House (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wilshire United Methodist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); The Ebell of Los Angeles (approx. 0.3 miles away); Thomas Churchill Residence (approx. 0.6 miles away); Memorial Library (approx. 0.7 miles away); Cora B. Henderson House

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(approx. ¾ mile away); 221 St Andrews Place Residence (approx. ¾ mile away); Wiltern Theatre (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.

Regarding O’Melveny Home. Architect Sumner P. Hunt was at the time in partnership with Wesley Eager, with Silas Burns just joining the firm; the house they designed was in the fashionable English domestic style, which shunned the popular Victorian mode. On February 20, 1908, the Department of Buildings issued a permit authorizing construction at Wilshire Blvd and New Hampshire Ave, the home’s original location.
In 1930, when Wilshire Blvd started getting too congested, Henry O'Melveny, a founder of one of the city's most esteemed law firms, O'Melveny & Myers, picked up his 9,708 square-foot seven-bedroom mansion and moved it to South Plymouth Blvd in the Windsor Square area of Los Angeles.

Designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 756 in 2003.
Significance Statement:
The property meets the criteria for LAHCM designation because it embodies the "distinguishing characteristics of an architectural-type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction,"

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

2. O’Melveny Home Marker

as a good example of English Tudor Revival architecture within the Arts and Crafts movement. While not indicated in the LAHCM designation, this property also meets eligibility criteria for its association with the "notable work of a master builder, designer, or architect," as a work by master architecture firm Hunt, Eager and Burns. After the home was relocated, architect Gordon Kaufman designed additions and alterations, with the addition of an attached garage with servants' quarters above.
The property meets the criteria for LAHCM designation because it is identified with "historic personages," as the home of Henry W. O'Melveny. O'Melveny was a leading attorney in Los Angeles and was a founder of the Southwest Museum.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. — John O’Melveny, son of Henry W. O'Melveny.

O’Melveny Home image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

3. O’Melveny Home

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

4. O’Melveny Home

Evans Residence image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

5. Evans Residence

Located nearby at 419 S. Lorraine Blvd, built in 1913. Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 115.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 60 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 4, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5. submitted on October 5, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.