[JeffDiego]

Originally Posted by mdiederi

There was an earlier "French Village" that got torn down, but it wasn't on sunset:

The Lost French Village of Hollywood

Complete story here:
http://paradiseleased.wordpress.com/...-of-hollywood/

The French Village, 1920, an enchanting little group of bungalows and artist’s studios, was designed by architects
Walter S. and F. Pierpont Davis (who also designed the Roman Gardens at 2000 North Highland Avenue 1926 and the
Court of the Fountains (today known as Villa D’Este) at 1355 North Laurel Avenue in West Hollywood 1928), and their
partner Henry F. Withey, on the corner of Cahuenga and Highland. Each of the cottages were completely unique in design
and personality. The French Village was intended for the transitory well-to-do and its construction led to ever more
elaborate apartment courts in Hollywood.

Original 1920 site plan for the French Village:


The Monkey House named for an elaborate and whimsical bas-relief carving of a group of monkeys cavorting over the home’s entrance.

Minnie Sweet Muchmore, a well-known artist and interior decorator, was the first occupant of the Monkey House.

Tower House:

Legendary designer Gilbert Adrian lived in the Tower House.

1925 modification for street widening.


House of Jonah & the Whale, House of the Virgin Mary and the House of Henry the Fourth studio:

Prominent landscape architect Stuart Chisholm lived in the House of Henry the Fourth


French Pavilion with its elaborate tapestry brickwork:

By 1930, the French Pavilion had been taken over by writer Cyril Hume and his wife, actress Helen Chandler.
Both were to achieve notable successes while living at the French Village, Hume as the screenwriter for
Tarzan of the Apes for MGM and Chandler as “Mina,” the object of Bela Lugosi’s unholy desires in Dracula (1931).

Throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s, the French Village continued to serve the artistic community
with a steady roster of actors, writers, costume designers, dance instructors and singing coaches
in residence. But that all came to an end with the construction of the Hollywood Freeway.

The site today.


Hollywood Freeway under construction 1952.

uscdl

Hi mdiederi:Replying late to your fascinating post with photos of the beautiful, charming French Village complex in Hollywood. I never heard of it, but what a treasure. The photo of the scraggly Palm Tree and freeway presently on the site is what? sad, heartbreaking, infuriating?
Interesting is that no one has come up with info or photos of Normandie Village on Sunset. At the time I asked about about it in a post, I wrote to LA Times blogger Larry Harnisch to see if he had anything on it. All he could come up with was an LA Times article from the early 60's about a proposed Senior high-rise residence on the Sunset Strip that was to be built "on the site of the old Normandie Village Apartments." The architect's drawing of the Senior Complex showed a typically boring 60's box.
I wish I had saved the photo I came across a few years ago of the huge Normandie Village (long before I knew of this Noirish Los Angeles site)...it was taken shortly before the complex was razed. Have no idea where I saw the photo and an internet search has yielded nothing.