LAPL
The J. D. Hooker house, 325 West Adams Street, a one-time jewel of "east West Adams"
The Beckett house, seemingly on its way to extinction, barring a miracle, puts me in mind of two other becolumned Los Angeles houses, one definitely extinct and one very much alive. First, the John Daggett Hooker house, which stood at 325 West Adams (on the grounds of what is now Orthopaedic Medical Center). It has an interesting history--J. D. Hooker was a big if apparently cranky and spiteful L.A. muckety-muck, a benefactor of Mt. Wilson Observatory founded by George Ellery Hale. Well, it seems that Hale managed to worm his way not only into Hooker's pocketbook but also into the heart of
Mrs. Hooker. Less cynical and more knowledgeable folk than myself maintain that it was strictly platonic, this relationship, but whatever the friendship was between Hale and Mrs. H, J. D. stood it as long as he could before blowing a gasket and banning not only Hale but all people of the male persuasion from 325 West Adams unless he was present himself. John Muir also figures into the illustrious history of 325--but rather than go on here about the Hookers, I'll direct you to this link with the fuller story and good descriptions of the grandeur of 325 West Adams:
http://www.westadamsheritage.org/ind...do_pdf=1&id=87
One reason this house is significant, I think, is because it illustrates that West Adams, the district, once included more than just the area west of Figueroa. There were quite a few major estates east of Figueroa--not least, of course, the Singleton/Longstreet spread and its famous Palm Drive adjacent to the Hooker house, which has been written about previously on this forum.
Big Orange Landmarks
And then there is the often-photographed Sunshine Hall, a little bit of the Old South at 419 S. Lorraine Boulevard in Windsor Square. I'll let Floyd B. Bariscale tell the story:
http://bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.c...residence.html
Sunshine Hall now--in the sunshine:
Google Street View