| Los Angeles County Hall of Records | |
|---|---|
 1910 sketch of the building | |
 Interactive map of Los Angeles County Hall of Records | |
| General information | |
| Location | 220 N.Broadway,Los Angeles |
| Coordinates | 34°03′18″N118°14′38″W / 34.0551°N 118.2440°W /34.0551; -118.2440 |
| Year built | 1908-1911 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Closed | 1973 |
| Demolished | March to September 1973 |
| Cost | $1.5 million ($52.5 million in2024) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Hudson and Munsell |
Los Angeles County Hall of Records (1911) wasLos Angeles County government building originally located on New High Street, then at 220 N.Broadway after a street realignment, indowntown Los Angeles.
The 1911 Los Angeles County Hall of Records building was built to alleviate overcrowding at the county courthouse it neighbored.Hudson and Munsell designed the building andCarl Heinrich Leonardt was thebuilding contractor. Construction began in 1908 and finished in 1911. The building cost $1.5 million ($52.5 million in2024) to construct and almost allLos Angeles County offices were moved into this building upon its completion.[1][2]
The building was one of several used as a courthouse from 1934 to 1959.[3]
By the 1960s, Los Angeles had built a newCivic Center (including theLos Angeles County Hall of Records built in 1962) that consisted of modern, monumental buildings arranged around a long and landscaped mall. This building, which clashed with the new constructions, was demolished between March to September 1973.[1][4]
After demolition, the building was replaced by a parking lot, which itself was replaced by the eastern end ofGrand Park.[1]
The 1911 Los Angeles County Hall of Records building featured aGothic design and was made withgranite withbrick andterra cottacladding. The building, which has been described as "a showy headpiece," featuredfinials, pyramidalgables, copperribbing,decorative molding, large and narrow rectangular windows around the entire perimeter, a pointed and lavishlyornamented roof, and the upper floors were divided into two pairs ofwings that joined at a centralelevator shaft.[1]
The building's most distinctive feature was its askew placement, which occurred due to a 1920s realignment ofSpring Street during the construction ofLos Angeles City Hall. The building was originally built flush against New High Street, of which the entire street was removed during the realignment. In the 1960s, the cost of rotating the building to align with its new neighbors was estimated to be $5 million ($49.9 million in2024), an amount the city deemed "excessive." The rotation was not done.[1]