Whitley Heights 101

2200 Fairfield Avenue

2200 Fairfield Avenue was built in 1923 by a retired widow named Peter Vandermeid who moved from San Francisco with his daughter, Frances to settle in Whitley Heights. He had the one story, six room bungalow built on the southeast corner of Fairfield Avenue (formerly Oakwood Avenue) and Odin Street on lot 23 of Lockland Tract just off of Highland Avenue and Cahuenga Boulevard.

Below is a view of Fairfield Avenue from Cahuenga Boulevard which would lead up to Whitley Heights. Houses on Fairfield Avenue, Wedgewood Place and Whitley Terrace could be seen from the distance. 2200 Fairfield Avenue was located on the left near the end of the row of palm trees.

In 1925, Vandermeid expanded the house and built four additional rooms including a pantry and additional bathroom. Now the house had a total of 1,711 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms which he was able to rent out in 1928. In June of 1929, the house was rented to 62 year old English organist and composer Edwin Lemare and his family. Lemare had married another organist (third marriage) named Charlotte Bauersmith who was 19 years younger than he. They had two children, Edwin Jr, 17, and Betty, 16. Lemare was one of the most highly regarded and highly paid organists of his generation, as well as the greatest performer and one of the most important composers of the late Romantic English-American Organists. He wrote many classical pieces including the Andantino in D-flat, known as Moonlight and Roses, Op. 83, No. 2 (1888), is one of Lemare’s few well-known original compositions. It became so popular that he was asked to play it in nearly all his concerts. He sold it for a small flat fee and it was later sung by many famed singers including Bing Crosby. Moonlight and Roses was used in many films throughout the years including; Nursery Scandal (1932), Tin Pan Alley (1940), Mister Big (1943), The Lawrence Welk Show (1971), and The Astronaut’s Wife (1999). His works can be hear on his website: www.edwinlemare.com.

Lemare put all of his money in the bank and focused on getting an organ installed at the Hollywood Bowl with the Moller Organ Company of Hagerstown, Maryland. The cost would be covered by concert proceeds and $10,000 cash. Due to the unstable economy, getting contributions was difficult and when the stock market crashed, Lemare was out of a job and could not find more work as an organist. Lemare kept busy writing music but the financial stress affected his health as he had suffered from several heart attacks and died on September 24, 1934 at the age. of 69. Edwin Jr. would become a cinematographer for several movie studios including; Hal Roach Studios.

2200 Fairfield Avenue was put up for sale and bought by businessman Earl D. Baker and his wife Edna who remained in the home until the area would be bulldozed to make way for the 101 Freeway. In 1945, Baker added a shower to one of the bathrooms. Baker ended up relocating to the other side of Whitley Heights on Holly Hill Terrace. Luckily the house had a buyer named William E. Reed to moved the bungalow on the other side of Cahuenga Boulevard to 2266 Holly Drive which is still standing today.

Since the relocation of the house and one car garage (which sits in the back of the property on Fink Street), other than required updates from the city, the only major construction done of the house, was adding a two car garage to the existing one car garage. Another Whitley Heights home saved!