The Story of Griffith Hall

Griffith Hall was built in 1906 as the showplace home of John Tomlinson Griffith, who was born in Los Angeles in 1868. Active in real estate and insurance, Griffith headed floral arrangements for the 1895 version of Los Angeles’ famed Fiesta parade, a precursor of today’s Tournament of Roses event.

He and his wife, Adele, raised two sons, William and Jack, in their grand, new home, built in a Craftman-influenced style. It boasted 8-foot-wide hallways, 11-foot ceilings, a handsome oak staircase, and brick fireplaces in five rooms. Today it’s one of the largest contributing structures to the city’s University Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.

The architect, John Paul Krempel, came to Los Angeles from his native Germany in 1887 and rose to be president of the southern district of the state board of architecture, appointed by four successive California governors.

Because Krempel worked so early in the city’s history, most of his buildings are now gone. Perhaps the best-known survivor is Engine Co. No. 28, at 644 S. Figueroa St. Built in 1912 as a firehouse, it has been beautifully restored and is now a popular downtown restaurant. www.engineco.com

Among Krempel’s lost landmarks are the former Los Angeles Times building, which stood on the northeast corner of Broadway and First Street, and “the Bivouac,” home of famed Times owner Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, on Wilshire Boulevard west of McArthur Park. Otis’ statue still stands across the street, pointing to where his house was.

Krempel is credited with virtually building the city of Oxnard, in Ventura County, for which he designed the great sugar beet factory, the hotel, grammar school, Masonic Temple, Oxnard department store, two bank buildings and two business blocks.

In 2002, work began on a three-year renovation of Griffith Hall, designed by restoration architect Michele McDonough. Today, its spacious rooms offer a comfortable home to a whole new generation of University Park residents.    

Copyright 2005 Robinson Residences
All rights reserved

Please report any website problems to
webmaster

Admin

This site contains information about rooming houses near University of Southern California (USC.) Apartments for rent, rooms for rent, student housing, historic rental, restored homes rooms to let, apartments for rent, singles, USC student housing, rental units for rent.