VOICES - The first high school in Los Angeles was erected on a hill downtown. Through the years its location changed a couple times before finally moving to its current location on Olympic Blvd. in 1917 with 1,937 students.
Early buildings commissioned to house the Los Angeles High School were among the architectural jewels of the city. An edifice was erected that became an international cultural landmark for the famed school. Some of its graduates include Ray Bradbury, Charles Bukowski, Johnnie Cochran, Leonard Slatkin, and Mel Torme.
Perhaps its most illustrious graduates were those of the class of 1922. To honor the graduates of the school who gave their lives in WW I 1922 the students voted to use their money and buy the acreage across the street for the creation of a tree-filled memorial park. In 1923, the land on which the library now stands was purchased by the student body and deeded to the City of Los Angeles in commemoration of twenty alumni who died in World War I. Six years later, the city gave the Los Angeles Public Library the right to establish a branch on the site.
The library formally opened in 1930. The architectural firm of Austin and Ashley designed the building in a picturesque English Tudor style to harmonize with the high school across the boulevard. The students commissioned a stained window with the names of the twenty alumni and an inscription of their names. The window, designed by the renowned Judson Art Studio, was inspired by those in the Parliament Building of London.
Los Angeles High School and the Memorial Library existed as the “apple of your eye” for decades.
Then the Northridge earthquake occurred. Instead of spending a little money to rebuild and reinforce the high school a lot of money was spent to tear it down and build a cell block.
Prior to this one could determine when school was in session by the students on the gracious lawns and garden spaces in front of the building that resembled Parliament in London. Now one can determine when school is in session by the presence of the black and white LAPD patrol cars in front of the cell block.
Five years ago the Memorial Library suffered another indignity that continues today. An ill-conceived and out of place cement block was erected on the Memorial Park lawn. The individual who erected this block was even given an award by local officials before being forced to retired from membership in Friends of the Library because of discovery of over $20,000 theft from the library fund by this individual.
This block was also found to be life threatening to kids playing in the park.
Because of this it has been roped-off using police tape, cordoned-off, wired-off, and now fenced-off by the city over the years. This obscenity has existed on the lawn in this state for 5 years. It is high time that officials bring a crow bar and spend 4 hours and tear it down.
The alumni and WW I soldiers who gave their lives deserve better than this.
It is still there. All you have to do is look.
(Kay Martin is an author and a CityWatch contributor. His new book, Along for the Ride, is now available.)
-cw
Tags: Kay Martin, Memorial Library, Los Angeles High School
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 7
Pub: Jan 22, 2013