Lafayette Square, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Lafayette Square is a small, semi-gated neighborhood in Los Angeles, California
named after General Lafayette. It sits just off of Crenshaw Boulevard in the Mid-City area. It was designated by the city as a Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zone in 2000 for its significant residential architecture and history.
Lafayette Square consists of eight blocks, centered around St. Charles Place, and situated between Venice Boulevard and Washington Boulevard. There are 236 homes in the neighborhood. It is immediately south of Victoria Park
and immediately north of Wellington Square.
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy
, "Lafayette Square was the last and greatest of banker George L. Crenshaw
's ten residential developments in the City of Los Angeles." The neighborhood was founded in 1913; the gates surrounding the district are a relatively recent addition, coming only in 1989.
The neighborhood was always meant to be for higher-income families and now-historic houses regularly have 5,000 to 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) floor plans, although the average home size is 3600 square feet (334.5 m²). Architectural styles include Neo-Federalist, Craftsman, Italianate and Spanish Revival, as well as several notable examples of early Modern. According to a Los Angeles Times real-estate section article on the district, "Most of the properties have period details: Juliet balconies, mahogany staircases and libraries, sitting rooms, stained glass windows, triple crown molding, soaring ceilings—even four-car garages."
Famous residents of Lafayette Square have included George Pepperdine (founder of Pepperdine University
), actors W.C. Fields and Fatty Arbuckle
, industrialist and art collector Norton Simon
, boxer Joe Louis
, architect Paul R. Williams
(who designed his own home
in the neighborhood), and members of the Crenshaw family.
.
The neighborhood is zoned to the following schools:
Most of the new families in the neighborhood do not send their children to public school. And those that do use public schools tend to use Magnet and Charter schools outside the neighborhood.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
named after General Lafayette. It sits just off of Crenshaw Boulevard in the Mid-City area. It was designated by the city as a Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zone in 2000 for its significant residential architecture and history.
Lafayette Square consists of eight blocks, centered around St. Charles Place, and situated between Venice Boulevard and Washington Boulevard. There are 236 homes in the neighborhood. It is immediately south of Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Los Angeles, California
Victoria Park is a small, semi-gated neighborhood that is centrally located in Los Angeles, California. It is 2.5 miles south of Hollywood and 3.5 miles west of downtown Los Angeles...
and immediately north of Wellington Square.
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy
Los Angeles Conservancy
The Los Angeles Conservancy is an historic preservation organization in Los Angeles, California. It works to document, rescue and revitalize historic buildings, places and neighborhoods in the city. The Conservancy is the largest membership based historic preservation organization in the country...
, "Lafayette Square was the last and greatest of banker George L. Crenshaw
George L. Crenshaw
George L. Crenshaw was a banker and real estate developer who built several upscale residential developments in mid-city Los Angeles in the early 1900s. Among these was Lafayette Square and Wellington Square . The Crenshaw district of Los Angeles and its principal thoroughfare, Crenshaw...
's ten residential developments in the City of Los Angeles." The neighborhood was founded in 1913; the gates surrounding the district are a relatively recent addition, coming only in 1989.
The neighborhood was always meant to be for higher-income families and now-historic houses regularly have 5,000 to 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) floor plans, although the average home size is 3600 square feet (334.5 m²). Architectural styles include Neo-Federalist, Craftsman, Italianate and Spanish Revival, as well as several notable examples of early Modern. According to a Los Angeles Times real-estate section article on the district, "Most of the properties have period details: Juliet balconies, mahogany staircases and libraries, sitting rooms, stained glass windows, triple crown molding, soaring ceilings—even four-car garages."
Famous residents of Lafayette Square have included George Pepperdine (founder of Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
), actors W.C. Fields and Fatty Arbuckle
Fatty Arbuckle
Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Starting at the Selig Polyscope Company he eventually moved to Keystone Studios where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd...
, industrialist and art collector Norton Simon
Norton Simon
Norton Winfred Simon , in the United States was a millionaire industrialist and philanthropist based in California. A significant art collector, he is the namesake of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California.-Early life:...
, boxer Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
, architect Paul R. Williams
Paul Williams (architect)
Paul Revere Williams, FAIA was a Los Angeles-based, American architect. He practiced largely in Southern California and designed the homes of numerous stars including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz, Lon Chaney, and Charles Correll...
(who designed his own home
Paul R. Williams Residence
The Paul R. Williams Residence was the personal home of the noted architect and Spingarn Medal winner Paul Williams. The residence is located in the Lafayette Square neighborhood of Mid-City, Los Angeles. The house has been designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument by the city of Los...
in the neighborhood), and members of the Crenshaw family.
Education
The neighborhood is zoned to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
.
The neighborhood is zoned to the following schools:
- Alta Loma Elementary School
- Johnny L. Cochran Jr. Middle School (formerly Mount Vernon Middle School)
- Los Angeles High SchoolLos Angeles High SchoolLos Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans....
Most of the new families in the neighborhood do not send their children to public school. And those that do use public schools tend to use Magnet and Charter schools outside the neighborhood.