Take the Echo Park Lake Walking Tour on Sept. 26

The EPHS will hold its Echo Park Lake Walking Tour on Saturday, Sept. 26. The tour starts at 10 am and will include some of the neighborhood’s most prominent landmarks, such as Jensen’s Recreation Center, Angelus Temple and, of course, the lake. The tour takes about two hours to complete and includes several stairways. Building interiors are not included. Reservations required. The tours are free for EPHS members; we ask a $5 donation of all others. Please see the Walking Tour section of HistoricEchoPark.org for details.

A Tribute to Edendale and the 100th anniversary of the first L.A. film studio

The Echo Park Historical Society and the Echo Park Film Center invite you to attend an outdoor presentation and silent film screening at Echo Park Lake to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Edendale film studio. The free event will be held on Saturday, July 25 at 7 PM on the north end of Echo Park Lake near the bridge. Bring snacks and a blanket to spread out on the grass and enjoy the evening show.

The presentation begins at 7 PM and will be followed at 8 PM with the screening of silent film shorts accompanied by live music. The Edendale tribute is the featured attraction of the EPHS quarterly meeting, which is free and open to the public. Here is the movie and music line up for Saturday night:

* Edendale Follies:The Bear Essentials (EPFC Youth Film Class homage to Sennett with a recorded soundtrack by the one and only Bob Mitchell from a live performance in 2007)

* Making A Living - Charlie Chaplin; music by Non Credo

* Mabel's Married Life - Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand; music by Marshweed

* Barney Oldfield's Race For A Life - Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand; music by Team Andrew

* A Muddy Romance - Mabel Normand, Keystone Kops; music by Professor Cantaloupe

* Lonesome Luke - Harold Lloyd; music by Magic Gas

* Law & The Outlaw - Tom Mix; music by The Grizzly Owls

Echo Park Lake Walking Tour - Sat., July 25

The EPHS will hold its Echo Park Lake Walking Tour on Saturday, July 25. The tour starts at 10 am and will include some of the neighborhood’s most prominent landmarks, such as Jensen’s Recreation Center, Angelus Temple and, of course, the lake. The tour takes about two hours to complete and includes several stairways. Building interiors are not included. Reservations required. The tours are free for EPHS members; we ask a $5 donation of all others. Please see the Walking Tour section of HistoricEchoPark.org for details.

Old images of Echo Park, Delta and Morton Avenues

The EPHS would like to thank Mike Balmer for sending photos of some of the businesses that used to be located at the crossroads where Echo Park, Delta and Morton Avenues meet. The top photo is of Jack's gas station, where Magic Gas is currently located. Les & Golda's bar and cafe (demolished) used to be located at the northwest corner of Echo Park and Delta avenues. The cafe site had been empty lot for several decades until work began on a condo project (since delayed). Here are some details that Mr. Balmer provided about the cafe and bar:

"Les and Golda Page had this bar for many years. Golda passed away and some years later Les sold his license to Jack Kent Cook. I don't remember Golda well, but Les was a real great guy. Les also had a training shoe from Citation hanging over his bar for luck. He dug it out of his garage and brought it to me when I bought my bar. I had it hanging there for many years as well."

EPHS seeking support for Echo Park design guidelines

The Echo Park Historical Society is urging its members and residents to voice their support for a proposed set of city guidelines to protect the small and historic scale of buildings west of Echo Park Lake.

The guidelines for what planners call a Community Design Overlay would make it much more difficult to demolish historic structures. It would also recommend that any new structures and renovations fit into the historic character and scale of the existing neighborhood. The guidelines would not prohibit new construction or prevent property owners from remodeling their homes. They would simply protect the historic features of the neighborhood and force developers of giant projects, such as a 200-foot-long housing development proposed by Angelus Temple, to come up with smaller alternatives.

If you would like to support our effort, please contact us at ephs@HistoricEchoPark.org

Two Echo Park buildings declared historic landmarks

The Los Angeles City Council voted last week in favor of declaring the Echo Park branch of the Bank of America and the former Echo Park Clubhouse as city historic-cultural landmarks. The two buildings were nominated by the Echo Park Historical Society, which hired Charlie Fisher to research the properties and file the application. Monument status not only recognizes the building's architectural and historic value but also provides additional protection against demolition or changes that would change the properties' historic features.

The Echo Park Clubhouse at 1004 Echo Park Avenue was built by the city in 1906 and was originally located on the current site of the Echo Park Recreation Center on Bellevue Avenue, south of Echo Park Lake. The Craftsman-style building was designed prominent Los Angeles architect Sumner P. Hunt as the city's second recreation center. Click here for more history and the landmark application.


The Bank of America building at the southeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and Echo Park retains much of its original character since being constructed in the late 1920s. A Bank of America office has operated from the same corner for about 80 years, making it one of the bank's oldest branches to operate from the same location. Click here for more history and the landmark application.

The two buildings join the growing list of city landmarks in the Echo Park area.

Pedal your way through Elysian Park history

The EPHS Elysian Park Bike Ride will be held on Saturday, April 25 at 10 am. Explore the historic highlights of the Elysian Park's western edge (the route is limited to paved roads) during this 90-minute, guided tour headed by Matthew Dubois. Stops include Barlow Hospital, the old Navy Armory and Police Academy. Space is extremely limited. The tour is free to EPHS members and $5 for all others. RSVP to ephs@HistoricEchoPark.org

The tour begins in the parking lot of the Grace Simons Lodge off Stadium Way. See map below.


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