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Old Posted Nov 30, 2010, 5:22 PM
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gsjansen gsjansen is offline
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as LAPL and USC Digital Archives have been recently updated, i was kind of hoping that some new photos of Berkeley Square would have come to light.......alas GW, no such luck . however, my attention has been drawn to another west adams gated private enclave which still exists, (well kinda sorta).

Chester Place - a street running north south between west adams boulevard and west 23rd street between figueroa on the east and scarff street on the west


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics14/00026849.jpg

The foundation for the creation of Chester Place started with a Los Angeles land survey conducted in 1853 by New Hampshire lawyer Henry Hancock. Hancock surveyed the lots near present day Downtown Los Angeles based on the dirt road boulevards that ran east to west across the city. Between each of these boulevards land was separated into large 35-acre lots to be sold. In 1855 Hancock eventually bought one of the best lots, which was to later become Chester Place.

Hancock sold this lot that would become Chester place on July 26, 1867 to a group of buyers, one of whom was the New England sea captain Nathan Vail, who purchased 17 acres right north of Adams Boulevard. Around this same time, the city brought irrigation canals to the area. This irrigation canal, or a zanja as the Mexican settlers called it, increased the land value of the area, which was directly related to the availability of water. South of Adams and Chester Place a new Agricultural park was also growing, which became known for horse racing, gambling, and entertainment. With a new streetcar line extended from historic Downtown in 1874 along Washington and Figueroa, this meant that the Agricultural Park area had easy transportation to the hub of the city. Agricultural Park would later be renamed Exposition Park when it was incorporated into city limits and was the site of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics.

Nathan Vail had become involved in a number of real estate speculations during the early 1880s, and eventually sold his personal lot north of Adams to Arizona Federal Judge Charles Silent. In 1899 Silent moved his family to Vail’s old home north of Adams, and extended a private street south to twenty third street, and subdivided the land into 23 lots on either side of the road. This subdivision represents the official founding of Chester Place, which could be seen behind the massive stone and steel gates that Vail had built to surround his home. The official subdivision went through on January 21, 1899 and he named the street after his son Chester, who graduated from Stanford University in 1907. The property was originally called Los Pimentos named after the pepper trees that lined the driveway.

Here is a then (1888), and now (googlemaps) view looking north on Chester place from west adams. The hose in the 1888 photo is the Judge Silent residence.



here's a 1892 image of a outdoor luncheon being held at the Silent Home


Source: LAPL http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics29/00049147.jpg

A close-up view of the Silent Home


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics24/00061745.jpg

a circa 1900 view of the gated entrance on west adams after the Silent residence had been demolished, and Chester Place was extended through to west 23rd street


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics35/00067264.jpg


the next image is a then, (1900), and now, (googlemaps) looking sw at the gate to chester place from west 23rd street



Chester Place quickly became one of the most desirable Residential neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Wealthy Socialite Mrs. S.E. Posey purchased the first lot in Chester place and hired some of the best architects of the day to erect an opulent twenty two-room mansion. With this move the neighborhood soon began to fill with the rich and influential citizens of Los Angeles, and then on October 24, 1901 Edward and Estelle Doheny purchased number 8 Chester Place, (the Posey mansion) for $120,000 cash.

Image of the Posey mansion


Source: USC Digital Archive http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...2/CHS-252?v=hr

The Doheny’s immediately began renovations on their new home, soon making it one of the most extravagant homes in the city. The house encompassed 24,000 square feet and was constantly worked on for the fifty-eight years the family lived there.

The Doheny Mansion, (after purchasing from Posey and renovating it)


Source: USC Digital Archive http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...CHS-31336?v=hr

Almost immediately after moving in, Estelle was left on her own as Edward Doheny was in Mexico for much of the time working on developing his oil holdings in Mexico. Edward in turn left the renovations up to her which included hiring of staff, construction workers, and day-to-day maintenance. Edward relayed instructions via telegram about what he wanted done with the home. At the finish of the first stage of remodeling in 1902, it was featured in House Beautiful, which caused a great number of tourists and visitors to show up on the lawn and even knock on the door requesting photographs. This lack of privacy prompted Edward to quietly buy up the remaining thirteen lots at Chester Place to ensure their privacy. Much of the renovations at Chester Place were important to Doheny since the home represented his financial wealth and stability, and as his increasingly unsure investments in Mexico were not yielding returns, it was important for investors that he keep up appearances at home.

Edward and Estelle had their son Edward Jr., or Ned as he was commonly referred to in August 1900. Ned was born, raised, married, and reared five children living in Chester Place until he moved in 1928 to Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Five months after leaving Chester Place though his secretary murdered him, which left Edward a broken man who later died in 1935 at the age of 79. (that's the noirish part of the story that keeps this post on topic ), Estelle continued to live at Chester Place even after Ned’s death, although they also constructed a Ranch Style home at Ferndale Ranch near Santa Paula, California. The death of his son also prompted Edward to donate $2 million for the construction of the Doheny Library at the University of Southern California that was dedicated to Ned.

Some views of homes and residences on Chester Place

The home of Erasmus Wilson


Source: USC Digital Archive http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets.../CHS-2394?v=hr

Stimson Mansion - who's front entrance was actually on figueroa, but backed up to chester place


Source: USC Digital Archive http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...14/CHS-87?v=hr

view looking down Chester Place


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics14/00026863.jpg

Residence of P. Max Keurich, a Colonial Revival mansion


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics35/00067263.jpg

2 postcard views


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics14/00026848.jpg


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics14/00026853.jpg

another view of homes on Chester Place


Source: LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics14/00026860.jpg

The Chester Place of today retains much of the charm of the old neighborhood with many of the mansions still intact. The neighborhood now is part of Mount St. Mary’s college satellite campus. The school was first given rights to operate out of number 2 Chester Place in 1957. After her death in 1958, Estelle left Chester Place to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which transferred the land to Mount St. Mary’s College, which officially opened their second campus in 1962. The administration and teaching at the campus takes place in many of the historic mansions, although a new library has been added to the campus. Estelle also left the easternmost portion of Chester place bordering Figueroa Street to St. Vincent’s school.

here is a bingmaps birdseye view of chester place today centered on the Doheny Mansion


Last edited by gsjansen; Nov 30, 2010 at 6:16 PM.
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