Whitley Heights 101

1920-1922 Whitley Avenue

On Tuesday, April 29, 1919, a fire swept through a residence at 1920 Whitley Avenue, destroying the home, which was built prior to 1913, and all of its contents. The property sat vacant for several years before Lila Jenks purchased the lot and built a triplex in 1921. The building consisted of three units: 1920, 1920 1/2 and 1922 Whitley Avenue (one on each floor). This property sat on Whitley Avenue, near Franklin Avenue and Emmet Terrace in Whitley Heights.

Jenks was born as Leila Von Ache in 1884 and moved to Los Angeles from Pennsylvania. Her uncle, George Van Ache, was a hotel proprietor of the Occidental Hotel in Los Angeles. When he died in 1936, he left his estate to Leila and her daughter. In 1906, she married Edward Jenks who owned a wholesale confectioner company. They settled in Pasadena, where Leila spent her time acting on the stage and gave birth to Elizabeth in 1912. By the age of 6, Betty Jenks was also performing on the stage, dancing and singing. Edward died in 1914 and the mother and daughter continued their stage careers.

Betty began to gain notoriety in Los Angeles and in 1921, she was selected to appear in the production of “Penrod” at the Egan Theater in Los Angeles as the character of Marjorie Jones. A year later, film director Marshall Neilan produced “Penrod” for the screen which starred a young Wesley ‘Freckles’ Berry.

As Betty’s acting career grew on the stage, Leila turned her skills to real estate. By 1918, mother and daughter moved from Pasadena to Los Angeles. Leila began to build several apartment buildings in the area. She built 6400 Dix Street (near Franklin & Cahuenga) and 1901-1903 Franklin Circle (demolished) in 1919, both built by architect Charles Gault. In 1922, she hired architect Daniel C. Messinger to construct this triplex located on Whitley Avenue. Messinger also built 6881 Alta Loma Terrace, a residence that would later be rented by singer Kurt Cobain.

Leila, aka ‘Lila’ often lived in the apartments she built and lived in this triplex in 1922. In 1924, she resided in a bungalow at the famed Highland Camrose Bungalow Village off of Highland Blvd. near the Hollywood Bowl. In 1928, Lila married a former judge of Kansas, Benjamin Mason, and moved to 6646 Cahuenga Terrace during the 1930s, a house which she built in 1924. In 1924, Jenks also built a duplex behind this house, 2350 Cahuenga Blvd., which was later relocated twice, its final resting spot at 4616 Lomita Street. In 1939, the Masons moved to 515 Beverly Drive (actress Renee Adoree’s former home), where they both died in 1958; the former judge died in January and Lila died in July. When Lila married Benjamin, a young Betty took his surname and became actress Mary Mason (pictured below).

Mary Mason was credited for 8 films including; ‘The Extra Girl'(1923) starring Mabel Normand, ‘Penguin Pool Murder’ (1932) starring Edna May Oliver, ‘The Half Naked Truth’ (1932) starring Lupe Velez, ‘No Other Woman’ (1933) starring Irene Dunne, ‘Walls of Gold’ (1933) starring Sally Eilers, ‘The Mad Game’ (1933) starring Spencer Tracy, and ‘Melody Lane’ in 1941. In 1933, Mary Mason was cast opposite Tom Keene, in the western film ‘The Cheyenne Kid’ (see below). Her last credit was in one episode of tv’s ‘The Ford Theater Hour’ in 1950. During the 1940s, the actress gained recognition on the radio for her serial roles. Mary Mason was married twice; in 1936, she married theatrical manager, Carl Fisher and in 1949, she married lawyer John Wharton and stayed active in the theater as a librarian and researcher.

Lila Jenks sold this triplex by 1923. The property has had several owners through the years and rented out the three units. The property has been a 1920s fixture on Whitley Avenue for many years.

In 2022, a development company demolished the building despite a community effort to save the property as a historical monument. The complex next door, 1926 Whitley Avenue, sued the development company as the backhoe put a hole in one of their units which caused asbestos, making the apartment temporarily unlivable. Neighbors also complained of all the dust and debris the demolition caused.

Now, between an area of 1920s buildings, a contemporary apartment complex is being built. Just another reminder, how quickly developers can seize up older properties, tear them down, and replace them with sterile looking buildings. Luckily, three other residences that Lila Jenks built still remain: 6400 Dix Street, 6646 Cahuenga Terrace and 2350 Cahuenga Blvd (now 4616 Lomita Street). Thank you Lila for your building efforts in Los Angeles during the 1920s!