OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Google Streetview (new tab)

Overview

U-shaped in plan, the Los Altos Apartment building was a typical courtyard apartment house of the 1920s in many respects. The courtyard plan proved a popular way for rooms on double-loaded corridors to receive natural light, and provided a grand entry experience for the visitor. Often, courtyard apartments also had spacious lobbies to greet visitors. In style, the Los Altos possessed the usual Spanish Colonial Revival detailing, also very popular in the 1920s.

Building History

The Los Angeles architect Edward Butler Rust, Jr., (1883-1958) designed the Los Altos Apartments for the building's developers, Mayo-Wright Properties, Incorporated, likely in 1925. The building's completion occurred in 1926.

The Los Angeles Times noted in its edition of 11/22/1925, that the Los Altos Apartments would be completed early in 1926:
"Assuring it will be ready for occupancy soon after the first of the year, interior plastering was started yesterday at the Los Altos apartments, topping the knoll at Wilshire Boulevard and Bronson avenue. The property cost $750,000 and is another own-your-own apartment house addition to Los Angeles. To plaster the 212 rooms in the five-story structural sttel building, more than 85,000 yards of product made by the Plastered Products Company will be used as the foundation." (See "Interior Work on Large Flat Building Begins," Los Angeles Times, 11/22/1925, p. E8.)

Another note of 03/28/1926 said of the building: "The Los Altos Apartments, individually owned apartment home structure on Wilshire Boulevard, at Bronson, has reached the point of almost final completion, according to Luther T. Mayo and Preston S. Wright, owners and builders. the lobby has been tastefully furnished in keeping with Spanish architectural style used on the building itself, and is open for inspection. Mrs. Blanche Bryson has been appointed hostess-manager for the Los Altos, and is explaining social and recreational features planned for the tenant owners." (See "'Own-Your-Own' Apartments to be Ready Soon," Los Angeles Times, 03/28/1926, p. E3.)

A 11/1926 article in the Los Angeles Times discussed the Los Altos Apartments along with two others--the A.G. Menkin Apartment House at 726 South Normandie Avenue and the Asbury Apartments at 6th and Carondolet Streets--as being indicative of a trend toward the construction of higher quality multifamily dwellings. The article said of the the Los Altos: "The Los Altos apartment building on Wilshire Boulevard, corner of Bronson, has established a new standard of beauty and dignity in Los Angeles apartment-house construction. The building is of steel frame construction, five stories in height and finished in Spanish and Italian style of architecture, with a beautiful art stone and stucco exterior and red-tile roofing around the top of the building. The Los Altos fronts 144 feet on Wilshire Boulevard and 150 feet on Bronson. It involved an expenditure of approximately $1,000,000, and contains 212 rooms divided into seventy-five apartments of two, three and four rooms and six maisonette duplex apartments of from four to seven rooms each. The owners and builders of the Los Altos are Luther T. Mayo and Preston S. Wright of the Mayo-Wright Properties, Inc. The building was designed by Architect E.B. Rust." (See "Higher Quality in Flats Shown," Los Angeles Times, 11/14/1926, p. E1.)

The Los Altos Apartments was apparently the first cooperatively-financed apartment building in Los Angeles, CA. The group of investors included William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) and Marion Davies (1897-1961), the actress. Hearst and Davies had a long-time relationship, and both owned apartments in the building. Hers consisted of 8 rooms (and 5 bedrooms) on two floors.

The cooperative dissolved in 1929, and the building became an apartment house and hotel until about 1960. Numerous Hollywood luminaries includingLoretta Young(1913-2000), Bette Davis(1908-1989)and Judy Garland(1922-1969), all resided here.After that time, 10 suites were renovated to become offices.

Lawrence N. Field and a syndicate of investors bought the Los Altos Apartments in 10/1970. (See the "Los Altos Apartments Changes Ownership," Los Angeles Times, 10/04/1970, sect. K, p. 21.)

Thomas Stagen of Stagen Realty and Management bought the building in 1977. Stagen had moved to the neighborhood in 1942, and watched tenants and guests come and go from the grand building as a child. At the time he owned the Los Altos Apartments, Stagen estimated that it contained 72 units, of which 20 were used by businesses. (SeeLos Angeles Times, 09/18/1977, part 8, p. 1, and "Los Altos Apartments Changes Ownership," Los Angeles Times, 10/04/1970, sect. K, p. 21.)

Later owners includedAllen Gross and Arax Harutunian, who renovated the building in the late 1990s.

Building Notes

A five-story building, the Los Altos contained 68 units in 2015, according to the Los Angeles County Assessor. It valued the land and property at $5,100,494 in that year.

PCAD erroneously credited Arthur E. Harvey (1884-1971) as the architect of the Los Altos Apartments up until 09/07/2023. Harvey did work with Mayo-Wright Properties, Incorporated, just after the completion of the Los Altos, at both the Santa Monica Professional Building (1928) and the nearby Wilshire Professional Building (1929). Dr. Janet Lever contacted the author on 09/06/2023, however, to indicate her sources were certain that its architect was E.B. Rust. Subsequent research corroborated Rust's authorship via a Los Angeles Times article of 11/14/1926. [See "Higher Quality in Flats Shown," Los Angeles Times, 11/14/1926, p. E1.] The California State Library does have a photograph of the Los Altos that indicated Arthur Harvey as its architect, so there might be a complex story about its design, but, for now, Rust should be given credit.)

Alteration

The lobby was altered during the 1970s to meet new fire codes. A Los Angeles Times article of 1977 indicated: "Before the lobby was modified to meet fire regulations, there were mezzanine alcoves where musicians once played for dances in the lobby. The alcoves were closed off, along with the open stairways which would be dangerous in case of a serious fire, [owner Thomas Stagen] said."(See David M. Kinchen, "Los Altos Charms Easterners: Mixes Residential, Business Tenants," Los Angeles Times, 09/18/1977, p. I1.

In 1998, Allen Gross and Arax Hartunian supervised a restoration project on the Los Altos Apartments. (See Victoria Looseleaf, "Hollywood history lesson; the revival of the Hearst mistress house" Los Angeles Downtown News, 03/16/1998. p. 8.)