The Cherokee Building is a historic two-story commercial structure located at 6630 W. Hollywood Boulevard and 1652 N. Cherokee Avenue in Hollywood, California.
Cherokee Building | |
 The building in 2024 | |
  Location of building in Los Angeles County | |
| Location | 6630 W. Hollywood Blvd. and 1652 N. Cherokee Ave., Hollywood, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°06′05″N 118°20′04″W / 34.1015°N 118.3344°W |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Norman W. Alpaugh |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Part of | Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District (ID85000704) |
| Designated CP | April 4, 1985 |
History
editThe Cherokee Building was built by Norman W. Alpaugh in 1929 and features a Spanish Colonial Revival design.[1] The building was Hollywood's first drive-in business, and it catered to the automobile by having a large motor entrance at the rear of the building where motorists could park and enter, rather than entering from the street.[2]
One of the Cherokee Building's original tenants was a hair salon that acted as a front for a Prohibition-era illegal card club and gambling speakeasy. In the 1930s, Gene Austin opened a nightclub in the building, and that business was followed by several bars, including a gay bar.[3][4] In 1944, the bar changed to Boardner's, whose name has remained ever since.[5]
In 1938, Larry Edmunds Bookshop moved into one of the building's storefronts.[2] In the 1960s and 70s, several clothing stores popular with rock musicians were located in this building.[4]
In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Cherokee Building listed as a contributing property in the district.[1]
In 1993, the building was sold for $2.76 million.[6]
Architecture
edit
The Cherokee Building was built with concrete in an L-shaped configuration. The building features a Spanish Colonial Revival design, one that includes an elaborate stringcourse, a tiled roof, Moorish arches, a brick patio with a tiled fountain as its focal point, Churrigueresque and wrought iron ornamentation, and ornamental medallions.[1]
Filming location
editCherokee Building tenants Boardner's and Larry Edmunds Bookstore are popular film locations.[7][8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form - Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District". United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. April 4, 1985.
- ^ a b "The Cherokee Building - Hollywood Historic Site". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ Xaque Gruber (December 16, 2017). "Boardners Celebrates 70 Years As Hollywood Boulevard's Classic Bar". Huffington Post.
- ^ a b James Bartlett (June 27, 2017). "Gangsters, ghosts and a classic haunt: The history of Hollywood's Cherokee Building". LA Weekly.
- ^ Steven Mikulan (April 26, 2000). "Hollywood, Straight Up". LA Weekly.
- ^ "6630 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028". PropertyShark. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "Community Highlights: Meet Tricia La Belle". Voyage LA. July 15, 2022.
- ^ Mallor, Mary (November 18, 2021). "Larry Edmunds Bookshop in the Hollywood Walk Of Fame". Heart of Hollywood.