It’s not every day that we are treated to a crisp color photo of a pre-turn-of-the-century building, at least not in LA. This is the Stimson Block building, which went up on the northeast corner of Spring and Third Streets in downtown Los Angeles in 1893. It was LA’s first six-story building. Look at all that glorious detailing between each floor and especially below that corner turret. Amazing considering pedestrians would never see it—which makes it all the more amazing, if you ask me. The building was demolished in July of 1963 for—of course—a parking lot.
The same corner in June 2017. (Oh yes, that looks SOOOO much better, doesn’t it? #sarcasm)
5 responses to “Color photo of the Stimson Block building (1893 to 1963), northeast corner of Spring and Third Streets, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1952”
Hi Martin,
I’ve been trying to capture the orientation of this building. I’ve concluded that the photographer is standing on 3rd, so that’s Spring going off to the left in the picture. I’ve also concluded that the rounded corner of the building to the left is the Douglas Building, which is still there, more or less. At least, the rounded section on the corner is.
The ‘new’ Paraiso is still there, next to the lot going east on Third. There are pix of the Stimson, I don’t recall the date, that have the Paraiso sign on the corner of the Stimson.
I walked past that parking lot scores of times when I was posted to the Criminal Courts Bldg for 18 years. Never had the slightest idea of had been there or its history.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers.
Architectural ‘homicide’.
That’s a great way to put it, Alistair.
It’s a little surprising just how much surface parking there still is around that area, given how valuable land in LA is.
Hi Martin,
I’ve been trying to capture the orientation of this building. I’ve concluded that the photographer is standing on 3rd, so that’s Spring going off to the left in the picture. I’ve also concluded that the rounded corner of the building to the left is the Douglas Building, which is still there, more or less. At least, the rounded section on the corner is.
The ‘new’ Paraiso is still there, next to the lot going east on Third. There are pix of the Stimson, I don’t recall the date, that have the Paraiso sign on the corner of the Stimson.
I walked past that parking lot scores of times when I was posted to the Criminal Courts Bldg for 18 years. Never had the slightest idea of had been there or its history.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers.
Hey John, I think you’re right. I’m glad the building still there, albeit in a streamlined version of its former glorious self.