Resource Report

Historic Resource Summary

Names
Occidental Boulevard Parkway and Street Trees (Primary)
Occidental Boulevard Parkway and Street Trees (Historic)
Important Dates
1905-01-01 (Built Date)
Images
Occidental Boulevard Parkway and Street Trees - PHOTO
Resource Types
Site
Architect
Builder
Owner

Location Information

Addresses
Location Description
No descriptions recorded
Occidental Boulevard, between Beverly Blvd and 6th St
Administrative Areas
Westlake Community Plan Area (Community Plan Area)
Los Angeles City Council District 13 (Council District)
Los Angeles City Council District 1 (Council District)
RAMPART VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (Neighborhood Council)
TEMPLE-BEAUDRY NEIGHBORHOOD (Neighborhood)
WESTLAKE NEIGHBORHOOD (Neighborhood)

Resource Description

Classification
Type: Landscape, Landscaped Median   Use: Historic        
Type: California OHP Resource Attribute - HP29. Landscape architecture          
Features
No components recorded
Architectural Description
Series of landscaped medians down the center of Occidental Boulevard; includes grass and several varieties of palm trees.
Alterations
Appears to be unaltered

Resource Significance

Evaluation Details

Date Evaluated
2013-11-04
Context/Theme
Residential Development and Suburbanization, 1850-1980
Streetcar Suburbanization, 1888-1933
Suburban Planning and Development, 1888-1933
Tract/subdivision feature
Landscaped Median
Eligibility Standards
  • Is associated with the original planning and design of a streetcar tract or subdivision
  • Dates from the period of significance
  • Retains most of the essential physical and character-defining features of the type
  • Original feature associated with tract/subdivision planning and design
  • Associated tract/subdivision was not evaluated as a potential district
    • Integrity Aspects
    Feeling
    Association
    Workmanship
    Materials
    Setting
    Design
    Retains sufficient integrity to convey significance
    Location
    California Historic Resources Status Codes (explanation of codes)
    5S3
    Significance Statement
    Excellent example of a residential tract feature in Westlake. This landscaped median and street trees were installed as part of the original Occidental Park tract in 1905. The median was originally requested by developers of the Occidental Park tract to protect the thoroughfare from encroachment by telephone poles. The request for the median was embraced by the city park department, as it was hoped it would become part of a continuous system of "parkways" linking Griffith Park, Agricultural Park (now Exposition Park), Sunset Park (now LaFayette Park) and Westlake Park (now MacArthur Park). Set in the center of the 120-foot wide roadway the median is 20 feet in width and a half-mile in length. The improvements were installed and maintained by the park department. When completed, this stretch of Occidental Boulevard was praised as one of the handsomest boulevards in Los Angeles. While a system of interconnected parkways was never realized, this median does link to LaFayette Park at its southern terminus. The landscaped median and street trees appear to meet local criteria only and may not meet significance thresholds for National Register or California Register eligibility.
    Periods of Significance
    From: 1905-01-01

    External References

    External System References

    SurveyLA ID: df4cd583-d85d-46b0-9c76-74e924500d33

    Related Resources

    Related Historic Resources

    None

    Related Historic Districts

    None

    Related Activities

    SurveyLA - Westlake Survey (was assessed in / assessed)

    Related Historic Events

    None

    Related People/Organizations

    Historic Resources Group (Surveying Firm, was surveyed by / surveyed)

    Related Information Resources

    Images
    Documents
    SurveyLA: Westlake Historic Resources Survey Report (Document/Text, is referred to in / refers to)

    SurveyLA

    SurveyLA is the first comprehensive program to identify significant historic resources throughout the City of Los Angeles, and is scheduled to be completed in 2017. HistoricPlacesLA includes SurveyLA data published to date. Find out more about SurveyLA at: http://www.preservation.lacity.org/survey

    Office of Historic Resources

    Office of Historic Resources
    Department of City Planning
    221 N. Figueroa Street, Suite 1350
    Los Angeles, CA 90012
    (213) 847-3676 phone
    Email: planning.historicplacesla@lacity.org
    http://www.preservation.lacity.org
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