Whitley Heights 101

1914-1928 N. Las Palmas Avenue

1914-1928 N. Las Palmas Avenue sits on the southeast corner of Las Palmas Avenue and Emmet Terrace which is entered off of Franklin Avenue. Originally, the property was built as a 10 room residence (2 bungalows) for two families in 1919 and listed the address as 6680-90 Emmet Terrace on the building permit and 6684 Emmet Terrace on voter registrations between 1920-21. Alice B. McCormick, a widow from Uniontown, Pennsylvania had the duplex built with the assistance of architect C.R. Spink and contractor Ramey Company. She relocated to Hollywood with her divorced daughter, Mabel McCormick Miller, age 36, and her grandson, 13 year old, George Miller. This apartment complex is part of the Whitley Heights Historic Overlay Zone and will never be torn down or altered so that it loses its original characteristics.

In 1922, the original building, which is the property to the right, was now listed as 1924 Las Palmas Avenue. The McCormick women were part of the social circle and Mable would often sing at parties and other events. They were well known in the Hollywood community in the 1920s. They rented out the the other unit of the duplex for added income and Mable was the “innkeeper”. In order to make more money, the McCormick’s decided to expand their property and in 1922 Alice added a private garage listed as 1910 Las Palmas Avenue and 1923 added a storage space under the building and more garage space. By 1925, Alice added two more rooms adding another rental unit. Today, the complex as a total of 10 unit rentals.

In 1923, Mable was engaged to and married Dr. William Barnhart, a well-known physician in the area. They married at the Ambassador Hotel in June of 1923 and at the same time, Mable was named the general curator of the Women’s Club of Hollywood. Alice died in 1925, but the Barnhart’s continued to live in the complex and grow the number of units, until the mid-1950s when William died. Below, the complex, now known as Las Palmas Gardens Apartments, consists of the two buildings on the lower right. 1914 N. Las Palmas is the original building that the McCormick’s built.

The entrance to the Las Palmas Gardens Apartments is located off the street of Las Palmas Avenue below the first building.

The complex, although built in different periods of time, has retained certain characteristics of Mission Revival Style architecture. One example, it the property contains various verandas, patios and a courtyard.

Inside the apartments, there are wooden beams that go across the white ceilings in the living rooms and bedrooms. The windows are enclosed with the same color wood used in the ceiling beams.

There are also built-in breakfast nooks that were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. This addition was cost effective for the tenant who did not have a lot of furniture.

Finally, the bedrooms had built-in armoires and shelving in the closets so a renter could get away with only needing a bed.

Since the apartment complex opened, there have been many tenants that came and went. There have even been long term tenants that have lived on the premises for decades. One notable family was that of Zina Bowman’s, who moved into 1922 N. Las Palmas Avenue as early as 1934. The 1,200 sq. ft. apartment have 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with hardwood floors and a fireplace in the living room. There was also a breakfast nook in the kitchen. Zina had two teenage boys named Hervey and Preston, who resided with her at this apartment even in their 20s. Hervey started in the theater business at an early age. Below is a World War 2 Draft card showing Hervey and his mother, Zina, residing at 1922 Las Palmas Avenue and him working at the former El Captain Theater located at 1739 Vine Street. Below, notice on the work address that Hervey first put was 6838 Hollywood Boulevard and then crossed the number out to 1739 Vine Street.

The El Captain Theater, at one time, had two different locations with two different types of venues. The El Captain Theater which opened in 1926, located at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard, opened as a legitimate theater. Since then the name at this address had changed several times. In 1991, this Hollywood Blvd. location re-opened as The El Captain as a movie theater. The “other” El Capitan Theater was known as The Hollywood Palace located on 1735 Vine Street when it was built in 1927. It then changed its name to the El Captain Theater in 1943. Hervey must have gotten confused too. Below is Hervey’s yearbook picture when he attended Hollywood High School.

Hervey worked at the later El Captain Theater on Vine Street. That theater was used for a long-running live burlesque variety show called Ken Murray’s Blackouts. CBS Radio also did shows from here including ‘My Favorite Husband’ starring Lucille Ball. Hervey must have made his way up to management because there was an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times in September of 1942 looking for an “usherette” and to see Hervey Bowman for the job. While Hervey was working at the El Captain in the 1940’s the first year of Ken Murray’s Blackouts starred Desi Arnaz. In a 1940 voter’s registration list, Hervey’s occupation was listed as “publicity man”.

While both Hervey and Preston married and moved out of the Las Palmas apartment, Zena stayed here until the late 1950s. She died in 1970; Hervey died in 1984. Below the area where the garage and storage is located on Las Palmas Avenue is shown.