A former Wilshire Blvd. mansion, a historic hotel in Koreatown and a Hollywood bungalow were all named local Landmarks by the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society at its annual meeting last Sunday. The Landmark awards were established to recognize important buildings in the neighborhood that characterize the local history.
The 2016 Landmark Award #111 goes to Hotel Normandie, Walker & Eisen Architects. Hotel Normandie at 605 S. Normandie Avenue was built in in 1926 and was recently awarded the 2016 Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award. The hotel features 103 guest rooms and is also a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Landmark. Architects Walker & Eisen also designed the Farmers Insurance Tower, the Oviatt Building and downtown’s United Artists Theatre, now the Ace Hotel. The Beverly Wilshire Hotel was also designed by Walker & Eisen.
“At age 90, she’s [The Hotel Normandie] is ready for her close-up, thanks to a lengthy and sensitive restoration by current owner  architect Jingbo Lou,” wrote Laura Foti Cohen in the Historical Society awards booklet.
A craftsman-style bungalow, built in 1908 and home of the restaurant Off Vine, was awarded 2016 Landmark Award #112. The bungalow at 6263 Leland Way used to be surrounded by fruit trees and was located near the newly created road, Vine Street, named after Senator Cornelius Cole’s vineyard, wrote Carol Henning for the Historical Society awards booklet.
The bungalow was the home of actress Beryl Wallace, her mother and her siblings who lived there until the mid-1950s. Eventually the bungalow became “Off Vine” in 1989. There are photos of Beryl Wallace and her family decorating the restaurant.
The Mediterranean Revival mansion at 4526 Wilshire Blvd., built in 1923 by H.H. Whiteley Architect, is 2016 Landmark Award #113. The home was built for W.I. Gilbert during the 1920s post-war population and real estate boom in Los Angeles. The mansion remained a private home until the 1970s, during the rezoning and commercialization of Wilshire Blvd. In 1978, the owners BDC Properties converted the dwelling into an office. They added parking in the front and made the building accessible for the disabled. Architect Scott MacGillivray also added new partitions on the first and second floors, and a raised patio and balustrades in the Italian revival style of the 1920s, wrote Carol Wertheim in the Historical Society awards booklet.
Judy Zeller took the helm as President of the Historical Society from Patricia Rye at the meeting on Sunday. Zeller invites anyone interested in local history to join the historical society.
“Our mission is to learn and help preserve the rich history of our area through lectures, field trips, and special events…and also to give back to local schools, fire stations and public spaces in our area through our fundraising Garden Tour,” Zeller told the Buzz.  “Another reason to join the Historical Society is to meet interesting people and have fun,” she added. You can contact her at [email protected] for more information.Â
Joining Zeller on the board is Juanita Kempe, First Vice President Programs; Myrna Gintel, Second Vice President Membership; Carol Henning, Third Vice President Historic Research; Carol Wertheim, Secretary; and Chris Blakely, Chief Financial Officer.
Beth Werling, Collections Manager in the History Department of the Natural History Museum of LA County, spoke to the group about the museum’s vast collection of historical artifacts on Southern California history, including the museum’s extensive movie costume collection.