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The Central Tower Building
1424 4th Street
Santa Monica, California
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
Evaluation Report
Photographs
Parcel Map
Sanborn Maps
Prepared for:
City of Santa Monica
Planning Division
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Santa Monica, California
February 2010
The Central Tower Building
1424 4th Street
City of Santa Monica
APN: 4291-017-003
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
The subject property, the Central Tower Building, is situated on the west side of 4th Street
between 4th Street to the east, 3rd Street to the west, Santa Monica Boulevard to the north,
and Broadway to the south. The eight-story concrete frame commercial building is located in
the Central Business District. The property encompasses Santa Monica Lots C, D, E, F, and
G, Block 171, which is approximately 110 feet by 150 feet.
REGULATORY SETTING
The subject property has been identified and assessed under the City’s ongoing survey
process on three previous occasions. The commercial building was first identified and
recorded as part of the 1985-1986 Phase I survey process.1 The subject property was
recommended eligible for the National Register as a contributor to the “Third Street District”
and given a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) status code of 5*/5D. The subject
property was assessed again as part of the Historic Resources Inventory Update for the City
of Santa Monica, Central Business District and Third Street Promenade in 1996.2 The
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) status code changed from 5*/5D to 5B1. The
building remained an eligible local landmark and a contributor to the Central Business
District.
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Constructed in 1929, the symmetrical Central Tower Building is designed in the Art Deco
style. The irregular-shaped building is comprised of two-story store fronts along the west
side of 4th Street with an eight-story central tower rising from the middle of the 4th Street
facing volume. The Central Tower Building was constructed with a reinforced concrete
frame with brick infill and finished with stucco. The building has a flat roof with a stylized
Art Deco parapet on the two story sections, while the tower is stacked like a wedding cake
for the top three floors. The eighth floor has a pyramidal stepped parapet while the sixth and
seventh floor parapets include the termination of the decorative Art Deco style pilasters that
rise vertically on all four elevations divided by smooth spandrels. The second floor parapets
are topped with a narrow decorative coping above rows of vertically aligned Art Deco style
raised decorative pilasters. Above the store fronts, the upper floors retain their original threepane windows and metal frames. However, the original metal screening on the exterior of
the storefront transom windows has been removed.
1
2
Phase I: Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory, 1983.
Historic Resources Inventory Update for the City of Santa Monica, Central Business District and Third
Street Promenade, April 12, 1998.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 1
The symmetrical east elevation is divided into three parts: an eight story central tower
flanked by two store front wings. The 6 storefronts on the first floor have largely been
remodeled, although there appears to be two original store fronts at 1428 4th Street that retain
the black-tiled store front base, black and white checkered flooring, windows, and recessed
entrance. Above the store fronts a cast zig-zag motif divides the store fronts from the upper
floors. The upper floor of the store front section has pairs of windows separated by
decorative cast stucco.
The main entrance to the Central Tower Building is located within the recessed central bay
beneath a stylized Art Deco pediment with “Central Tower 1424” Moderne signage which
appears to have been added after the building was constructed. The recessed entrance has a
travertine and marble floor, coffered ceiling, two Art Deco reliefs in the frieze, black tile
knee walls, and a double wood door with side lights and transom window. Two store fronts
flank the recessed entrance. Above the first floor are three pairs of windows. The third to
fourth floors are divided into three bays on each elevation. The central bay is four windows
wide, while the two side bays are each one window wide. There are cast stucco panel
spandrels between the rows of four windows in the middle bay. The seventh and eighth floors
are set back and stacked in a wedding cake design. The seventh floor has four windows and
the eighth floor has three windows divided by cast stucco pilasters.
The rear (west) elevation has is comprised of the eight story tower, and a two and three story
brick wall. The tower surface ornamentation on the rear is identical to the other elevations
except for a metal fire stair attached to the exterior. The two-story brick wall section has
several doors leading into the rear of the ground floor commercial spaces. Twelve–light
industrial windows provide natural lighting to the ground and second floor spaces. It appears
that one-story storage additions were added to the subject property during the 1930s.
CONSTRUCTION HISTORY AND ALTERATIONS
There are several building permits on record with the City of Santa Monica for the Central
Tower building. On April 1, 1929, the contractor, J. Westley Forderer, filed for a building
permit (Building Permit No. 2499) to construct an eight-story building for the addresses of
1422-1434 4th Street for 6 stores and 66 offices. Originally, the 150 foot by 80 foot and 102
foot high building was planned to cost $160,000 to erect. The building permit indicated the
first floors were concrete, and the upper floors were steel and concrete; the two-story store
front partitions were constructed with wood studs, and the tower partitions were gypsum
board attached to wood framing. A fire escape located at the tower rear.
After the building was constructed, the building permits on file involved interior
modifications, storefront alterations, and storefront signs. The majority of the first floor store
fronts have been altered and contain little original fabric except for the store front at 1428 4th
Street. The following table lists the completed building permits filed for the property from
1929 to 2006.3
3
City of Santa Monica, Department of Building and Safety.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 2
No.
2499
Date
4/1/1929
Address
1422-1434 4th St.
Owner
Central Tower
Investment Corp Ltd
Leo Smith
Architect
Eugene
Durfee
M. Eugene
Durfee
1434 4th St.
Tower Investment
Company
Central Tower Invest Co
1434 4th St.
Contractor
J Westley
Forderer
F.E. Bowser
C.L. Freeman
Description
Construct 8-story
building
Balcony and 4
Dressing
Alterations for Dentist
3126
9/16/1929
1428 4th St.
3279
11/1/1929
1422-36 4th St.
3947
3/17/1931
4004
1/2/1932
4936
2/7/1933
B693
3/2/1934
1422 4th St.
286
4/13/1935
1422 4th St.
3334
3/5/1936
1432-34 4th St.
Tower Company
Fred Bobb
6517
7/20/1960
1422 4th St.
B-468
4/3/1961
1434 4th St.
Tower Investment
Company
Western Union
Schimmer and
Wilberg
C.W. Driver
605
3/21/1951
1426 4th St.
Central Tower Corp
Day Labor
B15749
6/1/1954
1430 4th St.
Leon Danon
B16059
7/21/1954
1432 4th St.
Verlaine Inc.
Joseph Backle
B24674
9/22/1958
1424 4th St.
Milton H. Balch
W.F. Wyatt
B25454
2/18/1959
1432 4th St.
Molly Epstein
Owner
Valuation
160,000
400
Hart and Petlry
1-rm Storeroom
200
Central Tower Invest Co
Hart and Petlry
1-rm Storeroom
200
Central Tower Invest Co
Hart and Petlry
Interior Alterations
700
Tower Investment
Company
Schimmer and
Wilberg
450
850
Interior Alterations
300
Alteration for Fred A.
Bobb Tower Café
New storefront
1,000
New Front 6 Portions
1,580
Store Front
800
Installation of 18ft
Sign "Danon's Fine
Shoes"
Restaurant and
Cocktail Lounge,
Install lunch counter in
dining room
Remove nonbearing
partitions in offices
400 and 405
Cocktail Bar Construct stairway and
partitions
20
1,500
1,200
2,000
600
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 3
No.
B26938
Date
10/22/1959
Address
1432 4th St.
Owner
Milton H. Balch
B28392
7/20/1960
1432 4th St.
Central Tower Building
B29531
4/3/1961
1430 4th St.
Mandarian Inn
B30207
8/9/1961
1432 4th St.
Mandarian Inn
B31062
2/7/1962
1434 4th St.
Western Union
B31636
5/18/1962
1426 4th St.
B31635
5/18/1962
B31631
Description
Install aluminum
awning
Valuation
450
4,000
Seldens Lamps
Santa Monica
Neon
Floodlite
Services Inc.
QRS Neon
Group
Local Neon Co
New Equipment countertops, booths,
etc.
Neon Sign
"Chopsuey"
Neon Sign "Mandarian
Inn"
Neon Sign "Western
Union"
Neon Sign
1432 4th St.
Madarian Inn Food
Local Neon Co
Neon Sign
5/18/1962
1432 4th St.
Harvells Cocktails
Local Neon Co
Neon Sign
9668
2/11/1966
R Steingal
B19155
2/16/2006
1424 4th St., Rm
302
1422 4th St.
Frank E.
Buino
Santa Monica
Neon
Interior Alteration 3
Rooms
Neon Signs
First Western Thrift and
Loan
Architect
Dohrmann
Hotel
Supply
Contractor
Kool Vent
Awning of LA
Inc
W F Wyatt
100
150
450
1,000
450
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 4
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Santa Monica
In 1875, the original townsite of Santa Monica was surveyed, including all the land extending
from Colorado Street on the south to Montana on the north, and from 26th Street on the east
to the Pacific Ocean on the west. Between 1893 and the 1920s, the community operated as a
tourist attraction, visited mostly by wealthy patrons. Those areas located just outside of the
incorporated city limits were semi-rural in setting and populated with scattered residences.
Following the widespread acceptance of the automobile in the 1920s, Santa Monica
experienced a significant building boom, with homes being constructed in the tracts north of
Montana and east of Seventh Street for year-round residents.
The City’s commercial district was established between Wilshire and Colorado, at Second,
Third, and Fourth Streets. Also in the 1920s, Santa Monica saw the arrival of large
companies, such as Merle Norman Cosmetics and Douglas Aircraft. In the years
immediately prior to America’s entry into World War II, Santa Monica’s development
escalated as Douglas Aircraft received increasing numbers of government contracts. After
the war, when Southern California was flooded with returning veterans and their families
seeking homes, the demand for housing continued to be high in Santa Monica, and apartment
construction in particular escalated.
The Central Tower Building and Vicinity
Beginning in the 1880s, the City’s commercial district included 2nd Street from Utah
(Broadway) to about a half block north. During the following decade, 3rd Street became the
city’s principal commercial street. The architecture of 3rd Street was primarily small-scale
(one-story) brick vernacular commercial buildings. By 1888, a hotel and theater were built at
the northeast corner of 3rd Street and Broadway. Within the next five years, two of the City’s
three most architecturally distinctive commercial buildings of the period were built on 3rd
Street: the Keller Block (Carroll H. Brown, architect) which is still extant at the southwest
corner of Broadway; the Bank of Santa Monica Building (demolished) at the southeast corner
of Santa Monica Boulevard; and the Whitworth Block (altered) at 1460 2nd Street.4
While 2nd and 3rd Street were the center of business in the early of the twentieth century,
4th Street was predominately residential. Between 1887 and 1918, Sanborn maps show the
lots were occupied by two residential dwellings. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the 4th Street
commercial district developed. Styles of the large-scale buildings constructed during the late
1920s were an expression of the popular architecture styles of the era, such as Art Deco and
Churrigueresque. The notable Churrigueresque buildings constructed on 4th Street are 143337 4th Street (1927, Henry Hollwedel) and 1503-9 4th Street (1927, Eugene Durfee).5 The
noteworthy Art Deco buildings constructed are 1330 4th Street (1929), The Central Tower
Building, 1424 4th Street (1929, Eugene Durfee), and the Lido Hotel, 1447-57 4th Street
4
5
Santa Monica Historical Resources Inventory 1985-1986, Final Report, pp. 28-29.
City of Santa Monica. Historic Resources Inventory. Central Business District: Downtown. 1983, p. 1.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 5
(1931, Harbin F. Hunter).6 These extant commercial buildings represent the eclectic mix of
commercial architecture popular in the 1920’s and associated with the commercial
development patterns of Santa Monica.
The subject property was one of the grand buildings constructed during this decade. An
article in The Santa Monica Evening Outlook, indicates that the formal dedication for the
Central Tower Building, “the first skyscraper in Santa Monica,” was held on September 26,
1929 with a performance by the Santa Monica municipal band and floodlights positioned on
the building.7 It was estimated that five to ten thousand people would view and participate in
the open house. The Santa Monica Evening Outlook reported the Central Tower Building
“has already done much to bring about the phenomenal rise on 4th Street, as one of Santa
Monica’s greatest business thoroughfares, will be the center attraction.”8
Designed by M. Eugene Durfee, constructed by C.L. Freeman and J. Wesley Forder, and
developed by the Central Tower Investment Company and A.P. Creel, the eight-story Central
Tower Building with eleven stores on the ground floor and more than 70 offices within the
tower was described as:
It is a thoroughly modern store and office building; the center portion being fifty feet
wide and eight storied in height of steel frame, class A construction. Every modern
office convenience is embodied in the new structure, including a high-speed electric
elevator, water softener, mail chute, compressed air and shower bath.”9
The modern and technologically advanced Central Tower Building cost an estimated
$500,000 to build.
Original occupants of the ground floor shops included Clarence Saunders, grocery; Tower
Cafe; Grant Whale, linoleums, and William Schrodt, painting and decorating; Lee Smith
Gown Shop; Brooks Suits and Overcoats; Clark Furniture Company; Russell Drapery Shop;
Jadic’s Men Furnishings; Hines’ Flower Shop; Elite Shoe Rebuildings; and Tower Barber
Shop. The offices were occupied by professionals including doctors, dentists, surgeons,
specialty doctors, attorneys, jewelers, notaries, stenographers, and architects. There was a
courtroom on the 2nd floor of the south wing that included seating for seventy-five, a judge’s
chamber, jury room, clerk’s and secretary’s offices, and a constable’s room. Judge William
R. Garrett presided over the court. During the 1940’s the building’s occupants remained
predominantly professional.
Architect Morien Eugene Durfee
The architect of the Central Tower Building, Morien Eugene Durfee, was a significant
Southern California architect in Santa Monica and Orange County during the 1920s and early
twentieth century. He was born in 1885 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and moved to the
6
7
8
9
City of Santa Monica. Historic Resources Inventory. Central Business District: Downtown. 1983, p. 2.
Outlook, “Great Business Block on Fourth Street Completed,” September 25, 1929, pps. 1, 14.
Ibid.
Ibid.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 6
state of Washington in 1897 where he studied at the Y.M.C.A. night schools and the
Scranton International School of Correspondence.10 At the age of eighteen he moved to San
Francisco where worked at the architectural firm Shea & Shea while continuing his studies at
the Humboldt Evening Technical School.11 Three years later he moved back to Seattle,
Washington where he was employed at an unknown architectural firm and also lived in
Victoria, B.C., for a brief period of time.12 After visiting his wife’s family in Southern
California, Durfee was drawn to the California lifestyle and climate and relocated his family
to Southern California in 1914. After living in Anaheim for five years, M. Eugene Durfee
moved to Tucson, Arizona where he constructed many buildings, but shortly returned to
California again in 1921.13 After the Central Tower Building opened in 1929 Eugene
Durfee’s architecture practice was located in the building. M. Eugene Durfee practiced
architecture in Los Angeles until his death in 1941.14
Eugene Durfee designed many commercial buildings around Southern California for
prominent clients. Some of his notable buildings he designed in Santa Monica include the
Georgian Hotel (Windemere Hotel), 1415 Ocean Avenue, and the Bay Builders Exchange
Building, 1501-1509 4th Street. His other projects in Los Angeles included: the 925 Gayley
Avenue Apartments, Westwood; Alician Court Theatre, Fullerton; Commercial and Savings
Bank Building, Anaheim; First National Bank Building, Anaheim; Hotel Angelina, Anaheim;
202 Samuel Kreamer Building, Anaheim; and the First National Bank Building, Santa Ana.15
The Chapman Building, located at 110 Wilshire Avenue, Fullerton, was the largest building
in Orange County at the time of its construction in 1923.16 Based upon research of existing
buildings attributed to M. Eugene Durfee, it appears that he was a highly skilled regionally
significant architect who practiced in the Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco styles. He
adapted his architectural designs to the changing needs of his clients, local culture, and
prevailing styles.
Contractor J. Westley Forderer
J. Westley Forderer was the contractor for the south wing and tower section of the Central
Tower building. At the time the Central Tower building was constructed, J. Westley
Forderer held an office in the Lincoln building in Los Angeles. Additional research in the
Los Angeles Times did not yield any additional biographical information about the contractor.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
“Builder of New Grand Theater and His Happy Family,” Douglas Daily Dispatch, January 22, 1919.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Nelson, Dan, letter to Jane K. Newell, City of Anaheim, June 17, 2002.
College of Architecture and Planning, University of Washington, Architect Database,
https://digital.lib.washington.edu/php/architect/record.phtml?type=architect&architectid=310.
“Financing for Hotel Complete,” Los Angeles Times, November 9, 1930, p. D5.; “Bay District Improvement
Pictured,” Los Angeles Times, November 9, 1930, p. D5.; “Lease Said to Presage New Unit,” Los Angeles
Times, November 11, 1928, p. E1.; “Modern Hotel to Open Soon,” Los Angeles Times, March 2, 1924, p.
D9.
“Retrospect LA,” Los Angeles Times, January 27 1985, p. K24.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 7
Contractor C.L. Freeman
Claude L. Freeman was the contractor of the north wing of the Central Tower Building. At
the time Central Tower building construction, Claude L. Freeman held an office in the Santa
Monica Arcade building.17 He worked with his father, William S. Freeman, who owned a
construction company named W. S. Freeman and Sons. The Freemans were responsible for
the construction of many notable residential and commercial properties in Santa Monica from
1910 to 1930. C.L. Freemans other notable commercial building included the Outlook
Building.
During the 1920s, the Freemans participated in the design and/or construction of the
following properties, among others, in Santa Monica:18
Number
339
528
201
315
478
310
625
526
305
424
537
603
533
435
445
608
713
1837
1936
2108
2153
2222
2803
725
1810
539
409
506
631
555
1343
530-34
17
18
Street
10th Street
11th Street
17th Street
21st Street
24th Street
25th Street
25th Street
Adelaide Drive
Alta Avenue
Alta Avenue
Alta Avenue
Alta Avenue
Fourth Street
Georgina Avenue
Georgina Avenue
Georgina Avenue
Georgina Avenue
La Mesa Drive
La Mesa Drive
La Mesa Drive
La Mesa Drive
La Mesa Drive
Main Street
Marguerita Avenue
Ocean Avenue
Palisades Avenue
Santa Monica
Boulevard
Santa Monica
Boulevard
Santa Monica
Boulevard
Seventh Street
Third Street
Wilshire Boulevard
Original Owner
G.S. Storrs
G.S. Storrs
Orelia S. Bartley
Louis Kreisl
Alfred W. Morgan
Mrs. M.E. Flowers
C.L. Freeman
Williard & Anna Morse
Mel Ule
Mrs. A.E. Jackson
M.E. Sayre
C.L. Freeman
Louis Stark
A.W. Morgan
George Franklin
Frank J. Wagner
F.L. Randolph
Percy W. Rairden
O.J. Fehling
Gladys Silberman
C.L. Bundy
Mrs. Dorothy Rairden
C.L. Freeman
Auto Club
Alice A. Noel
J.R. Jones
E.H. Seaver
Builder
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
Louis Kreisl
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C. L. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
Architect
C.L. Freeman
William Ache
C.L. Freeman
John Byers
William Ache
Carleton Winslow
Date
1923
1924
1926
1925
1924
1924
1925
1926
1913
1912
1923
1925
1921
1913
1919
1924
1912
1924
1926
1926
1925
1925
1931
1924
1928
1921
W.R. Freeman
1922
C.L. Freeman
1924
C.L. Freeman
W.S. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
C.L. Freeman
Walter Moody
Henry F. Withey
1924
1914
1926
1928
Outlook, “Great Business Block on Fourth Street Completed,” September 25, 1929, pgs. 1, 14.
The information in the table was taken from the Phase II Survey. Santa Monica Historical Resources
Inventory: 1985-1986.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 8
ART DECO STYLE
The Central Tower Building is an excellent example of the Art Deco style. This style was
introduced at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. Although the United States
did not participate, the Exposition’s influence impacted building designs across the country
through the end of World War II. The Art Deco style advocated the extensive use of applied
decoration, in contrast to the Modernist Movement, which used abstraction instead of
decoration. Art Deco designers believed that the applied decoration should be new in form,
reflecting the character of the 20th century, rather than be based on classical precedent. The
style was a "modernization" of many artistic styles and themes from the past. Stylized
elements Eastern, Egyptian and Mayan influence were common. Also commonplace was
ornamentation mirroring machine and automobile patterns and shapes, such as stylized gears
and wheels, as well as stylized natural elements such as sunbursts and flowers. Art Deco
buildings are characterized as simple geometric forms, with strong vertical emphases. This
verticality is accomplished through the use of pyramidal or stepped roofs, towers, or by
employing tall pylons. Art Deco buildings tended to incorporate the use of new materials,
including steel, aluminum, terracotta and glass. Art Deco was the preferred style for the
design of governmental buildings during the Depression.
The exterior of the Central Tower Building has many of the character-defining features of
Art Deco architecture. The verticality of the pilasters, recessed spandrels, and the stylized
parapets on the second, sixth, seventh, and eighth floors. The decorative patterns including
the zig-zag styled ornamentation above the commercial storefronts and vertically aligned
decorative pilasters are common details of the Art Deco style. Furthermore, the Central
Tower Building’s façade is both balanced and hierarchical.
Art Deco Style Commercial Architecture
Art Deco style commercial architecture was relatively common in Santa Monica during its
period of significance, dating from the late 1920s through the 1930s. There are two Art Deco
style commercial buildings located on 4th Street in Santa Monica: 1330 4th Street (circa 1929,
architect unknown), and the Lido Hotel, 1447-57 4th Street (1931, Harbin F. Hunter,
architect). Additionally, 309 Wilshire Boulevard (1931, Irving Goodfellow, architect); Bay
Cities Guaranty Building, 221-225 Santa Monica (1929, Walker and Eisen, architect); and
1441 3rd Street (1933, Norman Alpaugh, architect). The Central Tower Building, constructed
in 1929, falls within the period of significance of Art Deco style architecture in Santa
Monica.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 9
EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCE
Person(s) of Historical Importance
Investor Arthur P. Creel
Arthur P. Creel, the developer of the Central Tower Building, moved from Oklahoma to Santa
Monica in 1920, where he worked as a real estate developer and businessman. His financial
investments in Santa Monica contributed to the development of the 3rd Street Commercial
District, and he was responsible for helping fund the construction of important Santa Monica
buildings, including the Central Tower Building located at 1424 4th Street, the Bay Builders
Exchange Building located at 1503-1509 4th Street, and the Georgian Hotel (Windemere
Hotel) located at 1415 Ocean Avenue.19 He was an active member in the Santa Monica
community serving as Santa Monica’s representative on the board of director’s of the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the president of Santa Monica Bay Realty,
and director of the Santa Monica-Ocean Park Chamber of Commerce.20 No further information
was found in regard to Arthur P. Creel that supports a level of significance sufficient to meet
City Landmark criterion 9.36.100(a) (3).
In addition, review of city directories to identify the occupants of the Central Tower Building
did not identify any persons of significant historical importance (see Appendix).
Statement of Other Significance
No other evidence was discovered in current research of the property to indicate other
significance.
Is the structure representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent?
The subject property, located at 1503-1509 4th Street, is a distinctive local example of the Art
Deco architectural style as applied to a commercial building by a notable regional architect,
M. Eugene Durfee. The Central Tower Building is one of a few extant Art Deco buildings in
Santa Monica’s Central Business District and is representative of a style in the city that is no
longer prevalent. After reviewing the City’s Historic Resources Inventory and having
conducted a windshield survey of the area, it appears that the Central Tower Building is an
excellent example of an Art Deco style commercial building in the Central Business District.
The Central Tower Building retains high integrity for a late 1920’s masonry commercial
building in Santa Monica and exhibits high-quality Art Deco ornamentation including the
vertically aligned pilasters, spandrels, and the stylized parapet, as well as the balanced
symmetrical facades.
19
20
“Arthur P. Creel Dies of Stroke: Santa Monican, 54, was Water District Director and Leader in Business,”
Los Angeles Times, March 4, 1941, p. 13.
Ibid.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 10
Does the structure contribute to a potential historic district?
The subject property has been previously identified in the City’s Historic Resources
Inventory (1985-1986 Phase I, 1994 Update, and the 1998 Update) as being a contributor to
the Central Business District and still remains a district contributor.
CONCLUSION
In summary, based on current research and the above assessment, the property located at
1424 4th Street appears to meet several City of Santa Monica Landmark criteria. The
property was evaluated according to statutory criteria as follows:
LANDMARK CRITERIA
9.36.100(a)(1) It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social,
economic, political or architectural history of the City.
The property appears to satisfy this criterion. In applying the City’s significance
criteria for individual recognition as a potential City of Santa Monica Landmark the
subject property appears to possess sufficient historical importance and architectural
merit to warrant such designation. The Central Tower Building is a significant
example of an architecturally distinctive, Art Deco style commercial building in Santa
Monica. The subject property retains the majority of its primary character defining
features on the exterior including its commercial use and layout; stacked tower;
smooth stucco finish; original awning windows; and Art Deco ornamentation. Art
Deco ornamentation includes the stylized parapets, zig-zag motifs, spandrels; and
recessed entryway with a coffered ceiling and Art Deco reliefs. Furthermore, the
subject property is significant for being an excellent example of an Art Deco mid-rise
commercial building and it is one of the taller commercial buildings in the Central
Business District.
In addition, the multi-use property significantly manifests the City’s early commercial
developmental history. Constructed in 1929 at the end of Santa Monica’s building
boom, the subject property was located on a prominent street in the City’s
commercial core. The subject property was symbolic of Santa Monica’s economic
stability and growth. The multi-use commercial building was occupied during the
1920s and 1930s by a variety of prominent professionals including physicans,
architects, lawyers, judges, and city officials. The subject property meets this
criterion.
9.36.100(a)(2) It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or
value.
The resource does not appear to meet this criterion. This Central Tower Building is
an excellent example of the Art Deco style, but the sum of the Art Deco style features
do not possess artistic or aesthetic value to be eligible under criterion 2.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 11
9.36.100(a)(3) It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state
or national history.
The subject property does not appear to meet this criterion. Current research does not
indicate that the building is identified with historic personages or with important
events in local, state, or national history.
9.36.100(a)(4) It embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable to a study of
a period, style, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship,
or is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type valuable to
such a study.
The property appears to satisfy this criterion. The subject property is an excellent
local example of the Art Deco style. The Central Tower Building incorporates the
massing, roof form, verticality, organizational hierarchy, decorative details, and other
signature trademarks associated with the Art Deco style. Additionally, because of its
location, date of construction, historical use, and style the property is considered an
uncommon example of its type. Further, the individual property and its surrounding
setting retain a high level of integrity. Because it is a local and distinguished example
of the style as applied to commercial buildings within the general area of the Central
Business District in the original Santa Monica townsite, the subject property meets
criterion 4.
9.36.100(a)(5) It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a
notable builder, designer or architect.
The subject property appears eligible for local landmark designation under this
criterion. M. Eugene Durfee was a notable local architect, who designed several
important buildings in Santa Monica, including the subject property, Georgian Hotel
(Windemere Hotel), 1415 Ocean Avenue, and the Bay Builder’s Exchange, 15031509 4th Street. The architect also designed buildings in Los Angeles and Orange
County, including the 925 Gayley Avenue Apartments, Westwood; Alician Court
Theatre, Fullerton; Commercial and Savings Bank Building, Anaheim; First National
Bank Building, Anaheim; Hotel Angelina, Anaheim; 202 Samuel Kreamer Building,
Anaheim; and the First National Bank Building, Santa Ana. Based on existing
documentation and extant buildings designed by Eugene Durfee, the Central Tower
Building is an excellent example of the relatively large scale, highly stylized
buildings Durfee designed. Therefore, the Central Tower Building is eligible under
this criterion as a rare and outstanding example of a notable architect’s work.
9.36.100(a)(6) It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an
established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community or the City.
The subject property does not appear to satisfy this criterion. Although the Central
Tower Building’s eight-story tower is a readily identifiable, prominent visual
landmark in the heart of the Central Business District, the tower is not in a unique
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 12
location and does not have singular physical characteristics worthy of designation
under this criterion. Furthermore, the subject property’s tower is not easily visible
from the pedestrian level along 4th Street because of the height of the trees, the
narrowness of the street, and because the tower rises from the middle of the block, not
the corner.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 13
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anaheim Bulletin. “Death Claims ‘Gene’ Durfee: Former Prominent Anaheim Architect Is
Summoned in Long Beach.” December 27, 1941.
California Historical Resource Status Codes.
College of Architecture and Planning, University of Washington, Architect
Database,https://digital.lib.washington.edu/php/architect/record.phtml?type=architect
&architcid=310
Douglas Daily Dispatch. “Builder of New Grand Theater and His Happy Family.” January
22, 1919.
Ellison, Betty, letter to Elizabeth Schultz, Trustee, Anaheim Public Library, August 17, 1977.
Gabriel, Louise B. Images of America: Early Santa Monica. Charleston, SC: Arcadia
Publishing, 2006.
Gebhard, Davis and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guide to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City:
Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2003, p. 60.
Los Angeles Times. “Work on Eight-Story Central Tower Building Begins.” April 14, 1929,
p. E2.
Los Angeles Times. “Santa Monica’s Tower Building Will Open Soon.” September 22,
1929, p. D2.
Nelson, Dan, letter to Jane K. Newell, City of Anaheim, June 17, 2002.
“Obituary 1 -- No Title.” Los Angeles Times. October 14, 1938, pg. 13.
Santa Monica Historical Resources Inventory 1985-86 Final Report.
Santa Monica Historical Resources Inventory Phase 3 Final Report.
Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory Update, September 1995.
Online Property Information System-City of Santa Monica GIS.
The Santa Monica Community Books. (all editions).
Santa Monica Building and Safety Department. Building Permits.
The Santa Monica Blue Book. (all editions).
The City of Santa Monica Cross Reference Directory.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 14
The Santa Monica City Directory.
Santa Monica Evening Outlook.
September 25, 1929.
“Great Business Block on Fourth Street Completed.”
Santa Monica Evening Outlook. “Santa Monica’s Newest and Finest Café Welcomes You.”
September 22, 1929.
Santa Monica Mirror. “Landmarks and Treasures XXXI: Central Tower Building: Moderne
Exemplified.” August 21 – 27, 2005, p. 13.
National Park Service. National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register
Criteria for Evaluation. Washington DC: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park
Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1990.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, City of Santa Monica.
“Who’s Who in Los Angeles: 1925-1926,” p. 209.
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 15
SANTA MONICA DIRECTORY RESEARCH
THE CENTRAL TOWER BUILDING, 1424 4TH STREET
Year
1930-31
Address
Suite
1410
1412
1414
1416
1418-1420
1422
1426
1428
1430
1432
1434
200
208
210
214
215
222
222-23
225
226
227
234
300
302-304
303
305
400
402
405
407
500
503
504
600
601
605
701
704
800
Occupant
Cheek Alex barber
Rucker J W shoe shiner
Ragsdale J K beauty
Donahue G E cigars
Hiddes M F shoe
Hines G E Florist
Russell T F Draperies
Clarke Furn Co
Brooks Clothing Co
Jadic’s Men’s Shop men’s furn
Lee-Smith Shop the ladies’ clo
Whale G O linoleum
Bobb F A restr
Saunders Clarence gro
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co
Woods E J Physiotherapy
Weaver A C phys
Mayhew A B Dentist
Moore G E pub acct
Bay Building Maintenance Co
Glenn J O phys
Armitage F W real est
Pattison M M ins
Kneen and Austin Paving Contrs
Ruffing Aria B beauty shop
Garrett W R Justice of the Peace
Sturdevant H F orthodontist
Tucker Hunter Dulin & Co bonds
Jamison W F dentist
Kalichman Geo phys
Conover G D phys
Bernard Curtis phys
Turnball J W phys
McFadden C A dentist
Bounetheau H C Mrs Clinical Labty
Ballad C H phys
Dickinson C S dentist
Steffy J L L phys
Gail C J dentist
Cook Neil & Co ins
Clancy L M real est
Roth H M Construction Co
Kinney Betty pub sten
Santa Monica City Planning Commission
Southwest Oil and Development Co
Crawford S J lawyer
Donovan R J lawyer
Central Tower Investment Corp
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 16
SANTA MONICA DIRECTORY RESEARCH (Continued)
THE CENTRAL TOWER BUILDING, 1424 4TH STREET
Year
1933
Address
Suite
1410
1412
1414
1416
1418-1420
1422
1426
1428
1430
1432
1434
Ground Floor
200
209
210
212
214
217
218
220
222
223
225
226
227
228
234
235
300
303
305
306
402
405
407
500
503
504
600
601
Occupant
Davie R P ins
McIntyre EE inv
Vallat B W inv
Cheek Alex barber
Rucker J W shoe shiner
Murphy H D cigars
Porter Florence barber shop
Hiddes M F shoe
Kaufman Morris tailor
Schleppy W G draperies
Clark Furn Co
Brooks Clothing Co
Jadick’s Men’s Shop men’s furn
Tullis O G jewlr
Whale G O linoleum
Bobb F A restr
Baida Z N oriental art gds
Crawford S & J Lawyer
McMillian & Strange beauty shop
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co
Charles of Santa Monica corsetiere
Weaver A C phys
Daly J T loans
Fugle J B dentist
Davie R P Office, Smith L S Office
Neilson G A genl ins
Rhodes Lane dental labty
Petley W W genl contr
Donovan R J lawyer
Armitage F W real est
Pattison M M ins
Kneen and Austin Paving Contrs
Jurich A J lawyer, Seaman A N acct
Walsh Mary Mrs dep assessor
Garrett W R Justice of the Peace
Jackson S H constable
Habegger L E dentist
Jamison W F dentist
Kalichman Geo phys
Rice G F dentist
Brown E A dentist
Turnball J W phys
Hanks E D chiropodist
McPherson J L dentist
Steingert Gilbert dentist
Dickinson C S dentist
Gail C J dentist
Badia H P lawyer
Merchants Credit Assn of Santa Monica
Santa Monica Board of Trade
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 17
SANTA MONICA DIRECTORY RESEARCH (Continued)
THE CENTRAL TOWER BUILDING, 1424 4TH STREET
Year
Address
Suite
605
701
800
803
1936
1410
1412
1414
1416
1418-1420
1422
1424
Mez
200
214
215
217
218
220
223
225
228
234
235
300
303
304
305
306
402
405
500
503
504
510
601
605
Occupant
Kinney Betty pub sten
Allen M C lawyer
Central Tower Investment Corp
Strangman H W acct
Clancy L M ins
Santa Monica Bay Realty Board
Halstead Muriel E coml. Artist
Cheek Alex barber
Rucker J W shoe shiner
Wise C A Cigars
Hiddes M F shoe
Mosk S J Tailor
Schleppy W G draperies
Clark Furn Co
Mustain D’Iona women’s clo
Acme Finance Service of Santa Monica
Tunbull J W phys
McDonald Gene beauty shop
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co
Fugle J B dentist
Charis of Santa Monica
Central Tower Investment Corp
Clancy L M real est
Maskey R P real est
Santa Monica Bay Realty Board
Neilson G A genl ins
Rhodes Lane dental labty
Donovan R J lawyer
Jones C L pub acct
Pattison M M genl ins
County Assessor
Rhodes O H justice of peace
Osterholt A H constable
McCarthy J J Lawyer
Jamison W F dentist
Kneen Paving Co
Kalichman Geo phys
Rice G F dentist
Brown E A dentist
Hanks E D chiropodist
Steingert Gilbert dentist
Dickinson C S dentist
Steffy J L phys
Gail C J dentist
Bordman Anne C chiropodist
Scott Jas office
Horn J LOffice
Santa Monica Board of Trade
Weinstein B T lawyer
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 18
SANTA MONICA DIRECTORY RESEARCH (Continued)
THE CENTRAL TOWER BUILDING, 1424 4TH STREET
Year
Address
Suite
608
701
704
800
1938
1426
1428
1430
1432
1434
1410
1412
1414
1416
1418
1422
Mez
200
210
212
213
214
215
217
218
220
222
223
228
234
235
300
303
304
305
400
402
405
Occupant
Baida H P lawyer
Macomber F D lawyer
Somers R O pub acct
Southwest Oil & Development Co
Strangman H W pub acct
Crawford S J lawyer
Hickson M D lawyer
Fl Wheelcock Agency real est
Jadie’s Men’s Shop men’s furngs
Tullis O G jwlr & optician
Whale Grant linoleum
Bobb F A restr
Balds Z N art gds
Cheek Alex barber
Rucker J W shoe shiner
White F R Cigars
Hiddes M F shoe
Mosk S J Tailor
Schleppy W G draperies
Clark Furn Co
Fink Saml Furs
McDonald Gene beauty shop
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co
Allen M C lawyer
Newcomb W D jr inv
Pattison M M ins
Van Patten Betty emp agcy
Horn J L office
Santa Monica Board of Trade
Shapiro Barnett lawyer
Fugle J B dentist
Charis of Santa Monica corsets
Central Tower Investment Corp
Creel AP real est
Neilson G A genl ins
Roessler Bay dental laboratory
Freeman Arth ins
Donovan R J lawyer
Jones C L pub acct
County Assessor
justice of peace
County constable
McCarthy J J Lawyer
Jamison W F dentist
Kneen Paving Co
Kalichman Geo phys
Steingart Gilbert dentist
Brown E A dentist
Turnball J W phys
Hanks E D chiropodist
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 19
SANTA MONICA DIRECTORY RESEARCH (Continued)
THE CENTRAL TOWER BUILDING, 1424 4TH STREET
Year
Address
Suite
503
504
510
6th flr
600
608
Occupant
Steffy J L phys
Massle Harry dentist
Bordman Anna C chiropodist
Thursby H G archt
Personal finance of santa monica
Baida H P lawyer
Macomber F D lawyer
702
704
Southwest Oil & Development Co
Crawford S J lawyer
Hickson M D lawyer
Fl Wheelcock Agency real est
Jadic’s Men’s Shop men’s furngs
Tullis O G jwlr & optician
Whale Grant linoleum
Bobb F A restr
Balds Z N art gds
Cheek Alex barber
Rucker J W shoe shiner
Kemper Clarence cigars
Sweitzer EC linens
Mosk S J Tailor
Harmon A H staty
Clark Furn Co
Fink Furs
Dexter Gene Beauty Shop
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co
Pattison M M ins
Curtis Pub Co
Horwitz Robt Lawyer
Shapiro Barnett lawyer
Fugle J B dentist
Telfair J J phys
Marks J M ins
Wood A B Mre emp agncy
Central Tower Investment Corp
Creel AP real est
Covert H E real est
Neilson G A genl ins
Roessler Ray dental laboratory
Tollefson-Stirdivant Agcy ins
Donovan R J lawyer
Jone C L acct
County Assessor
justice court
County constable
Jamison W F dentist
Kneen Paving Co
Kalichman Geo phys
Steingart Gilbert dentist
8th flr
1940
1426
1428
1430
1432
1434
1410
1412
1414
1416
1418
1422
Mez
200
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
220
221
227
228
234
235
303
304
305
400
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 20
SANTA MONICA DIRECTORY RESEARCH (Continued)
THE CENTRAL TOWER BUILDING, 1424 4TH STREET
Year
Address
Suite
402
405
500
501
503
504
508
510
600
608
703
704
8th flr
1947-48
1426
1428
1430
1432
1434
1410
1412
1414
1416
1418
1422
Mez
200
210
212
213
214
215
216
217
220
221
222
223
228
300
302
303
304
305
306
Occupant
Brown E A dentist
Turnball J W phys
Hanks E D chiropodist
Allen M C lawyer
Savage A E optom
Steffy J L phys
Massle Harry dentist
Reid Wm dental labty
Bordman Anna C chiropodist
Personal finance co
Baida H P lawyer
Macomber F D lawyer
McCarthy J J Lawyer
Molloy P J Lawyer
Southwest Oil & Development Co
Crawford S J lawyer
Hickson M D lawyer
Fl Wheelcock Agency real est
Vacant
Winters H L jwlr
Whale Grant linoleum
Bobb F A restr
Balds Z N art gds
Vacant
Sweitzer EC linens
Mosk S J Tailor
Harmon A H staty
Clark Furn Co
Century Fed Savings & Loan Assn
Steeves E C acct
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co
Lynch J H ofc
Diamond C M Mrs CS prat
Metzger M E Mrs CS pract
Horwitz Robt Lawyer
Fugle J B dentist
Leff M I phys
Sonotone Hearing Serv
Prosterman Frances phys
Pleet Sidney engvr
Markey S J ofc
First Thrift of Los Angeles personal loans
Vacant
County Assessor
Schreiber Henrietta pub sten
Chernus H H genl contr
Jamison W F dentist
Vacant
Steingart Gilbert dentist
Harper Inc adv
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 21
SANTA MONICA DIRECTORY RESEARCH (Continued)
THE CENTRAL TOWER BUILDING, 1424 4TH STREET
Year
Address
Suite
400
401
402
405
407
500
501
503
504
505
508
510
600
603
608
701
704
8th flr
803
1426
1428
1430
Occupant
Curry P J dentist
Vacant
Elder A C lawyer
Neilson G A ins
Hanks E D chiropodist
Mills E M dental labty
Allen M C lawyer
Savage A E optom
Litecrete Constr Co
Brown E A dentist
Maule S M patent lawyer
Kneeland C A ins
Bordman Anna C chiropodist
Avon Products inc cosmetics
McCarthy J J lawyer
Baida H P lawyer
Macomber F D lawyer
Irwin J L lawyer
DeCamp O B lawyer
Crawford S J lawyer
Enright J T lawyer
Nettleship Co Inc
Westwood Co adv
Howard Lionel lamps
Frederic Marc Jwlrs
Benedict A R clo clnr
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report
page 22
MISCELLENOUS ATTACHMENTS
Tax Assessor’s Map
Tax Assessor’s Index Map
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1895)
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1902)
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1909)
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1918)
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (1950)
Historic Photographs
Current Photographs
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 1
HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS
Rendering of the Central Tower Building, 1929 (Los Angeles Times. “Work on EightStory Central Tower Building Begins.” April 14, 1929, p. E2.)
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 2
The Central Tower Building, 1929 (Santa Monica Evening Outlook. “Great Business
Block on Fourth Street Completed.” September 25, 1929, pps. 1, 14.)
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 3
Looking North on 4th Street (SMPL Imagine archive)
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 4
The Central Tower Building, circa 1929 (Gabriel, Louise B. Images of America: Early
Santa Monica. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 96.)
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 5
The Central Tower Building, 1983 (SMPL Imagine archive)
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 6
CURRENT PHOTOGRAPHS
East elevation, view northwest
East elevation and north elevation, view southwest
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 7
East elevation, view west
East elevation, view west
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 8
East elevation, view west
East elevation, view west
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 9
Primary entrance, east elevation, view west
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 10
East elevation, view west
East elevation, view west
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 11
West elevation and south elevation, view northeast
West elevation and south elevation, view northeast
The Central Tower Building
City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report-Attachments
page 12