Tuesday, July 10, 2007

No. 43 - California Club Building

California Club Building

California Club Building
1930 – Robert David Farquhar
538 South Flower Street – map
Declared: 11/2/66

The California Club moved into this building, its fourth home, in 1930.

California Club Building

Founded in 1887, the California Club is a private social club. The only way you can become a member is by invitation (I check my mailbox every day…. still waiting). Women were admitted only beginning in 1987, meaning for a full century the men didn’t have to worry about putting the seat down. But times change. Times change.

California Club Building

Robert D. Farquhar designed the Renaissance Revival/Beaux Arts building, and, according to David L. Clark’s A History of the California Club, 1887-1987, he (Farquhar, not Clark) won a Distinguished Honor Award from the AIA, the American Institute of Architects, for his design. Farquhar also designed Beverly Hills High and HCM No. 28, the Williams Andrew Clark Memorial Library.

California Club Building, Backside
The back - southeast - side of the California Club.

California Club Building

A brief Los Angeles Times article on August 26, 1930, reported there was no formal ceremony when the building was first occupied the day before ("in sharp contrast to the pretentious quarters'"). The same piece also states the structure cost $3,250,000 and that membership was limited to 1,000.


California Club Building
See if you can spot the yellow-green PED XING sign. It's kind of subtle.

California Club Building

Just a heads up – when you do become a member, make sure you’re acquainted with the dress code.

California Club Building

Up next: Hangar No. 1 Building

7 comments:

Puffy said...

Wow... that dress code must not have gone over very well in the '70s and early '80s. I see no mention of polyester, Velcro, or large animal prints...

gc said...

Is that what this building is! All these years and I've wondered as I've walked or driven by. Thank you, Floyd!

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Found you via lacitynerd, This is a very beautiful and large building sometimes underlooked due to being in the middle of the Standard and the LA Lib.

I knew it was some sort of member only club but that was abou it.

If your nosey like me during your 8pm breaks take a look into the foyer and side entrance, place looks really nice inside. Someday I'll sneek in to take a look :P

-V

Anonymous said...

My brother is the manager at this club. It's nice inside but it is very private.

Anonymous said...

How do I become a member?

Anonymous said...

Up to 1987 only whites were allowed.no blacks,Jews,any other race and women. (N.W.O)

Anonymous said...

Yes, but those walls have been torn down just like most of the other pointless rules. Now we can all join, white, black, hispanic, female, regardless of religion. I have been there as a guest many times in the 11 years that I have spent working DTLA.