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This building had Romanesque detailing of vague, but probably Spanish origin. It occupied the site nearly at the center of Nicholas Priester's Ranch, at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Vermont Avenue.

According to the Los Angeles Times obituary on Katherine Ludwig (1873-1948), her father was Nicholas Priester, any early farmer in the city. The obituary said that Mrs. Ludwig had been "...born on her father's ranch at what is now Santa Monica Boulevard and Berendo Street in Hollywood...." Priester had been the "...third settler in Hollywood, [who] had migrated from Australia and was engaged in the raising of grain." (See "Obituary: Katherine Ludwig," Los Angeles Times, 05/01/1948, p. 8.) An earlier 1908 article in the Los Angeles Times outlined an inheritance squabble that occurred after Nicholas's death in 12/1907. It said: ""Nicholas Priester, who owned a 100-acre farm on Santa Monica Avenue, between Center street and Vermont avenue, came to Los Angeles thirty-six years ago. He died last December. In 1887, he married Mrs. Anna Priester, his deceased brother's wife, who came from Germany. The farm, originally worth but $2000, has increased greatly in value with the growth of the city, and such portions as remain in the family are held by a corporation in which the children are stockholders. Priester left three sons by his first marriage, William, Michael and Nicholas, and three daughters, Katherine, Mary and Martha, all of whom are legatees under his will of 1887, except William, the executor, who says his father gave him thirty-five acres many years ago as his share." (See "Brooks Must Appear Sober; Judge Smith Scolds Lawyer in Tangled Case," Los Angeles Times, 03/11/1908, part II, page 1.)