Whitley Heights 101

1920-1929 N. Highland Avenue

While the French Village used to be located on the northwest corner of North Highland and Cahuenga, on the perimeter of Whitley Heights. On the southwest corner of North Highland and Franklin, was the Highbourne Gardens & Cottages, located at 1920-1962 North Highland Avene.

In 1915, Egerton Shore built 22, one and two story bungalow cottages and duplexes and eight garages on only less than one and a half acres of land without crowding them, shutting them out of sunlight, or denying them of adequate landscape. When Shore purchased the land, there was already an existing one-story bungalow at the northern end which he remodeled to conform architecturally with the other buildings.

Several houses were grouped together to form its own courtyard surrounded by walls of shrubbery and pergola for privacy. There were five different courtyards, including one courtyard consisting of garages, developed inside of Highbourne Gardens.

The garage courtyard had a driveway which passed through an archway which climbed up a hill to the exit on Emmet Terrace on the southwest corner of the property, the future home of Whitley Heights. There was a pool in one of the courtyards and one of the units was called the “Honeymoon Cottage”.

The fifth courtyard, which was raised on higher ground, overlooked the other courtyards. below it and a view of the entire area.

Each house was painted in grey stucco with moss green roofs with 3 to 6 rooms inside, many with balconies and outdoor sleeping porches, hardwood floors, tiled bathrooms, tiled fireplaces, white enameled kitchens, and built-in features finished in mahogany and fumed oak.

The property was featured in the June 1917 edition of “The Architect and Engineer of California” entitled “Highbourne Gardens: A Southern California Bungalow Court”.

Beginning October 1915, advertisements appeared in local newspapers offering 22 furnished bungalows with garages, only two blocks from the Hollywood Hotel.

“Highbourne Gardens and Cottages” were listed in the city directory between 1915 and 1927. Several notables lived in the cottages during this time including actor Cyril Chadwick, writer Henry Wales, actor Lex Lindsay, actress Orina O’Neal, and screenwriter Arthur Zellner. Below, Whitley Heights is seen being built above Highbourne Gardens which sat close to Highland Avenue during the 1920s.

On April 1, 1927, it was announced that the property was being cleared for the erection of a class “A” apartment building with 6 stories and 133 units. Many of the cottages were moved to the rear of the property and renamed as property on Las Palmas Avenue. In 1954, all of the cottages were destroyed except four, which were relocated throughout Los Angeles. All 4 remain intact today, but lack any resemblance of the ‘cottage fairytale atmosphere’ they once provided.

Actress Mary Martin lived in one of the cottages, 1928 N. Highland Avenue from 1929 to 1938 after it was relocated to 1929 Las Palmas Avenue. (This cottage was later relocated to Lou Dillion Avenue-lower right in above photo). She would walk the 4 blocks to work as a singer at the “Cinegrill”, a nightclub in the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard and walk back home again in the evenings. In 1939, Martin married lawyer Ben Hagman and they had a son, Larry, while living here. Larry would later become an actor and was known for his role as J.R. Ewing in the television series, “Dallas” which aired from 1978 to 1991. Martin began appearing on the screen in 1939 and was cast in roles that included singing, but can be remembered for a role as “Peter Pan” in both 1955 and 1960.

The six story building was erected by Highbourne Holding Company Inc. who hired the architectural firm of Selkirk & Stonebury. Morgan, Walls & Clements were the actual architects who were responsible for the new building.

In 1928, Highbourne Garden Apartments offered furnished or unfurnished 4 room apartments and roof bungalows with a beautiful lobby, roof garden, card room, swimming pool, and daily maid service.

This building quickly became a must for many in the film industry who could rent on a short-term basis. A 1929 issue of Photoplay Magazine, indicated actress Ethel Clayton had moved into the building. The 1930 Federal Census indicated several notables were staying at the Highbourne Garden Apartments at the time. Actress Thelma Todd’s salary. had just increased to $300 a week, so she and her mother, Alice, moved into apartment #20. RKO Director Harry Delmar rented #31 with screenwriter Ted Willis. Western Producer Harry Webb rented #36, Producer Samuel Zoerler “Bye Bye Love” rented #38, actress Carol Miller rented #44, and actress May Robson “Dinner at Eight” rented #48. The LA Times indicated Francis X. Bushman rented #25 also in 1930.

By 1949, the apartment building changed its name to “Highland Towers” and the basement pool was eventually dried up.

Then things turned a little shady and the building and its tenants deteriorated; the owner often being cited by the Health Department. In 1990, the building was declared a historical monument and the units were restored; now a rental is difficult to find as they are almost always full to capacity.