| Garden Court Apartments | |
|---|---|
 The building in the 1920s | |
 Interactive map of Garden Court Apartments | |
| General information | |
| Type | Apartment |
| Location | 7021 Hollywood Blvd.,Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°06′06″N118°20′35″W / 34.1018°N 118.3430°W /34.1018; -118.3430 |
| Construction started | 1916 or 1917 |
| Demolished | 1984 |
| Governing body | Private |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Frank Meline |
| Designated | April 28, 1981 |
| Reference no. | 243 |
TheGarden Court Apartments was a four-story, 190-room luxury apartment complex onHollywood Boulevard in theHollywood neighborhood ofLos Angeles, California. The complex was notable for its history, tenants, and luxurious nature.
Garden Court Apartments was designed byFrank Meline and built in 1916[1] or 1917,[2] at the behest of J.E. Ransford. The complex, which contained 190 rooms,[3] was considered high luxury for its time, and featuredtennis courts,ballrooms, abilliard room, and suites furnished withoriental carpets,oil paintings, andgrand pianos. Some of the Garden Court's most notable residents includeClara Bow,Louis B. Mayer,Carl Laemmle,Mack Sennett,Stan Laurel,John Gilbert, andMae Murray.[3][4]
The building's fortunes declined in the 1960s, but by the late 1970s, it became the rallying point for Hollywood preservation. Numerous plans were announced and fundraisers held to transform the building into a film museum, but to no avail, the site was purchased with plans to build a new 13-story building on the property.[citation needed]
Although Garden Court Apartments was designated aLos Angeles Cultural-Historic Monument, one that emphasized the rarity of its architectural style, it succumbed to residency and fire damage. By 1980, the building was inhabited bysquatters and nicknamed "Hotel Hell".[2] It was noted in theNational Register of Historic Places on October 21, 1982,[5] but in 1984, it was removed as acontributing property in theHollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District due to its damage and partial demolition. It was demolished completely later that year.[1][6]
The 13-story building planned for the property was never built. Instead, the Hollywood Galaxy was built and served as home of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum until it closed in 2007.[citation needed]
The building was made ofbrick andconcrete and designed in theBeaux Arts/Italian Renaissance style. It had an H-shaped layout with symmetricalmassing, a whitefacade, aportico entrance guarded bycaryatids holding uppilasters above the first story, and figuralcorbels that supported second-storymolding.[1][3]
Each apartment was decorated with richmahogany andivorytrim, and includedhard wood floors andplate glass windows.[2] The building also contained an ornately carved mahogany staircase.[3]
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