[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

216 Alameda, now the very trendy Angel City Brewery, was built in 1924 as the John A. Roebling's Sons Company of California wireworks warehouse. (However, Esotouric gives 1913 as the build date. I haven't sorted that out yet.)


Hudson and Munsell were the architects.

The company (famous bridge builders) name is on the beer garden side (back) of the building, facing Traction Ave:

la weekly <--- info about the mural at the link.

I cannot make out what it says over the front door:

google maps photos

GW took us here before as did Horthos

There are masses of pix and articles re the Angel City Brewery building online. It's one of the stalwarts of the Arts District.

Esotouric has a good article on the custom Batchelder tile inside the building. Don't miss it
(Much as I love the tile, it's the spun-wire, bridge-cable stair railing that knocked me out. Many more photos at Esotouric's flickr page)

A distinction with a difference? The name seems to vascillate between JAR's Sons to JAR and Sons. I guess it is a common mistake.

The 1906 CD lists the business at 326 East Market Street, which would have been somewhere between Spring and Temple. It is unclear from cursory research when JAR's Sons moved to the 216 S Alameda location. The 1914 CD advertises JAR's Sons at the southeast corner of Alameda Street and Stephenson Avenue and 216 S. Alameda. Permits for alterations/repairs/additions were obtained in '22. But there are also new construction permits for a warehouse at the same location in 1924. Whether there are any remnants from the first structure incorporated withing the new '24 structure is unknown.

One wonders whether the "Roebling" Avenue name in Westwood has any direct connection with either the business or JAR?

In 1906, some of the "wire rope" competition included: RH Herron & Co 212 N Los Angeles St., Pacific Steel and Wire, (210 S Los Angeles St.) 22 Laughlin Bldg., and American; American Steel and Wire, 160 Central Ave. It is unclear how much, if any, iron and steel product originated in or around LA at that time. The 1875 CD lists but one "Los Angeles Foundry" at the corner of Aliso and Garcia. Some of its advertising depicts engines and boilers suggesting it was a bigger operation than mere blacksmithing. Equally unclear whether there were similar businesses that escaped listing or were listed as Blacksmiths or some other name associated with metal working. By 1883, there were three iron foundries listed. The Los Angeles Foundry seems to have been renamed the Los Angeles Pioneer Iron Foundry. Same Aliso and Garcia address - i.e., 368/370/372 Aliso Street. There is also a Baker Foundry at the corner of Main and Second Street and Bath and Fosmir on Main near Second Street.


This begets the question of who or what business can claim the honor of first commercial mass steel production in LA or the LA viscinity? Well before the introduction of automobiles, railroads, shipbuilders, commercial construction and assorted manufacturing plants all used iron and later steel. FWIW, the Bradbury building's iron and steel were reportedly imported from France and/or other parts of Europe.http://www.publicartinla.com/Downtow...brad_hist.html


Source dates this DTLA image as pre-1900. Note toward the center-left is a roof marked "Brass Foundry."
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics23/00031430.jpg




The former Mann & Johnson Brass Foundry, 1009-13 South Main Street?)

Originally Posted by HossC

Here's the picture mentioned by Chuckaluck:



While reading through the PDF file about the VMRR, I noticed that "Three locomotives were ordered from the Johnson Foundry & Machine Works at 1119 North Main."

Johnson Foundry and Machine Works at 1009 South Main. Circa '24
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjgwWDEwMj...jD!~~60_57.JPG