Barker Brothers Building
Barker Brothers Building | |
 The building in 2014 | |
  Location of building in Los Angeles County | |
| Location | 722 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°02′41″N 118°15′13″W / 34.0446°N 118.2537°W |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | Robert Brown Young |
| Part of | Broadway Theater and Commercial District (ID79000484) |
| Designated CP | May 9, 1979[1] |
Barker Brothers Building, also known as Sassony Building[2] and The Barker,[3] is a historic seven-story building located at 722 S. Broadway in the Broadway Theater District in the historic core of downtown Los Angeles.
History
[edit]Barker Brothers Building, built in 1909, was designed by Robert Brown Young, the architect responsible for several buildings on Broadway, including O.T. Johnson Block, Forve-Pettebone Building, J. E. Carr Building, Lankershim Hotel, Gebhard Building, and more,[1] and built by Clara Burdette.[4] The building's original tenant was Barker Bros., who were headquartered in the building from 1909 to 1926.[5] Upon opening, the building was marketed as "California's largest popular priced furniture store."[6]
In 1979, the Broadway Theater and Commercial District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Barker Brothers Building listed as a contributing property in the district.[1]
Barker Brothers Building was sold for $7.8 million in 2013 ($10.2 million in 2023) and $8.4 million in 2014 ($10.8 million in 2023). In 2016, Satila Studios bought the building for $14.5 million ($18.4 million in 2023), after which they rehabilitated it and converted it into offices with ground floor retail. The rehabilitation was part of the Bringing Back Broadway initiative.[2][4][7]
Architecture and design
[edit]Barker Brothers Building is made of steel, concrete, and brick with a pressed-brick facade. The building originally featured cornice and lugsills, but they were removed. The United States Department of the Interior described the building as "plain but restorable" when they included it as a contributing property in the Broadway Theater and Commercial District.[1][4]
The building's interior features dark wood flooring and a grand stairway with large-scale archways and wooden columns.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form - California SP Broadway Theater and Commercial District". United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. May 9, 1979.
- ^ a b "Rehab of DTLA's Sassony Building moves forward". The Real Deal. December 18, 2018.
- ^ "The Barker". downtownla.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Reiner-Roth, Shane (January 2, 2020). "Downtown L.A.'s Barker Brothers building to be restored to former glory". The Architect's Newspaper.
- ^ "Barker Bros. to Mark Its Diamond Anniversary". Los Angeles Times. January 2, 1955. p. 20 (24).
- ^ "722 South Broadway". Satila Studios. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ "722 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014 Property Information". PropertyShark. Retrieved November 25, 2024.