Guaranty Building (Hollywood, California)
Guaranty Building, also known as Guaranty Building and Loan Association, Hollywood Guaranty Building, Allstate Title Building, and L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition Building, is a historic high-rise Beaux Arts office building located at 6331 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It is currently owned by the Church of Scientology.
Guaranty Building | |
 Guaranty Building, 2008 | |
  | |
| Location | 6331 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°6′6.87″N 118°19′40.36″W / 34.1019083°N 118.3278778°W |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | John C. Austin, Frederick M. Ashley |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Part of | Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District (ID85000704) |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000481 |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated NRHP | September 4, 1979 |
| Designated CP | April 4, 1985 |
History
edit
Hollywood's Guaranty Building was built in 1923, with Gilbert Bessemyer as the owner[1] and Charlie Chaplin and Cecil B. DeMille included as investors.[2] The building features Beaux-Arts architecture and was designed by John C. Austin and Frederick M. Ashley, with John Austin and his partners noted at the time for their work on Los Angeles City Hall, Griffith Observatory, Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, Shrine Civic Auditorium, and Hollywood Masonic Temple.[1] Upon completion, the building was appraised for $1,325,000[3] and over the years, its tenants have included Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. Demille, Hedda Hopper, Al Jolson, Rudolph Valentino, and others.[4][5]
The building was hit hard by the Great Depression, with its primary tenant Guaranty Savings declaring bankruptcy in 1930, an event that had ripple effects throughout Hollywood. Allstate Title Company moved into the location the following year and aided in the area's recovery.[1]
In 1979, the building was included in the National Register of Historic Places,[1] and in 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the register, with the Guaranty Building listed as a contributing property in the district.[6]
Scientology
editIn 1988, the Church of Scientology purchased the building for $5.1 million,[5] to be used as management organizations for the Scientology network of corporations. It is the official corporate office for Church of Scientology International and Religious Technology Center. On the ground floor is the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition. The building includes offices for David Miscavige, the President of the Church of Scientology (when Heber Jentzsch held that post), and the Office of Special Affairs among other departments. It houses most of the organization's upper and middle management offices. Within Scientology, the building is called the Hollywood Guaranty Building, or the HGB for short.[5][7]: 129,135,299 [8]: 355
Architecture and design
editThe Guaranty Building is 170 feet tall and contains twelve floors above ground and one floor below.[9] The building is rectangular in plan and made of reinforced concrete, and features a Beaux Arts design that includes Neo-Renaissance and Classical Revival characteristics, with the design divided into three horizontal sections, the top and bottom sections mirroring each other. These sections are sheathed in terra cotta and grey granite, while the middle section is faced with light colored brick. Brass and bronze metalwork also feature throughout the exterior of the building.[1]
The bottom section consists of the first three floors, the first and second tied together by two massive Corinthian engaged columns inside a recessed entrance bay that is flanked by rectangular piers on block bases topped with modified Corinthian capitals. An egg-and-dart design adds decoration around the doors and on the second story molding, while a classic cornice serves as a stringcourse at the top of the third story.[1]
The middle section consists of the fourth through tenth floors and features a central bay set against slightly recessed side bays. Single, double-hung sash windows break the wall surface of the side bays, while paired, double-hung sash windows articulate the central bay. The top section consists of the eleventh and twelfth floors, with stone columns topped with capital ornamentation connecting them. A heavy cornice finishes the design at the roofline. The building's side elevation is designed with the same divisions as the facade, but features engaged piers instead of columns.[1]
Inside, the lobby features marble floors and walls, and the elevator doors are brass with a textured quilted pattern.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form - Guaranty Building" (PDF). United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. September 4, 1979.
- ^ "Guaranty Building". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Guaranty Building and Loan Association, Office Building, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA". University of Washington Pacific Coast Architecture Database. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Angels Walk LA Self Guided Historic Trails - Hollywood" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c Miller, Daniel (July 20, 2011). "Scientology's Hollywood Real Estate Empire". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Rinder, Mike (2022). A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781982185763.
- ^ Headley, Marc (2009). Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology. BFG Books. ISBN 9780982502204.
- ^ "Hollywood Guaranty Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
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