Surviving scandals, arson and even murder, the future looks bright for the Piazza del Sol
Revisit the history of the Hacienda Park Apartments, its decline and destruction by fire and subsequent Phoenix-like rise from the ashes as today’s Piazza del Sol at the West Hollywood History Center.
Sunset Boulevard before it was the Strip, circa 1924: A. Future Wallace Reid Home Site; B. William S. Hart Home; C. Future Site of Sunset Tower; D. N. Kings Road; E. Future Site of Andaz Hotel; F. Sunset Boulevard; G. Future Site of Piazza del Sol; H. De Longpre Avenue; I. John Barrymore Estate (Unconfirmed); J. Olive Drive
West Hollywood History Center: In 1935 the Los Angeles Times called Hacienda Park “Hollywood’s most exclusive residential section.” But even then its fame was starting to wane – and today the old neighborhood at the eastern end of the Sunset Strip has been totally forgotten.
Check out the “then and now” gif below that Twitter follower Nic Musolino created by matching the 1920 aerial shot of Hacienda Park above with the same area today via Google Earth.
And read the entire article at WEHOville.com.
Via @WEHOville and @Jon_Ponder, I made a now (Google Earth) and then gif of the Hacienda Park area (full story here: https://t.co/pdsuSFN28R) pic.twitter.com/TftFqeiZx9
— Nic Musolino (@nicmusolino) March 12, 2019
View from Sunset Blvd. at Sweetzer, looking southwest (toward the ocean) at the back of the Reids’ home, which faced DeLongpre Ave. A small section of the W.S. Hart home can be seen at far right. The Hart house is still standing. The Standard Hotel, which fronts Sunset, occupies the Reids’ lot today.
The view of the back of Wallace Reid’s home in the postcard above is how it would appear to passengers on tour buses passing along Sunset toward Beverly Hills. The house, which faced De Longpre Ave., was replaced 60 years ago by the Thunderbird Motel, better known today as the Standard Hotel, which fronts Sunset.
Wallace Reid and Dorothy Davenport were a power couple in the Silent era. Wally was a bona fide all-American who could play action heroes and romantic leads. His box office drawsl earned him the title, “King of Paramount.” Dorothy got her start acting for D.W. Griffith and was a popular Universal player by age 17. They were both multi-talented — proficient as writers, directors and producers — and both came from multi-generational theatrical families. They met on the set of “His Only Son,” in 1912, and were married October 13, 1913.
Front view of Reids’ home, from DeLongpre at Sweetzer looking northwest
In 1920, The Reids purchased two lots at 8327 DeLongpre Ave.[map], in Hacienda Park, as the neighborhood around this section of the Strip was known originally, and built this exotic Italianate mansion with a red tile roof, stunning views toward the ocean and a swimming pool.
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