When I was younger I would visit my grandmother who spent her final years living in Culver City.  At that time, I dreaded going to visit her and thought the city was run down and depressing. I hadn’t been back in a number of year but recently on my way to The Grove drove down Culver Blvd and was amazed at how downtown Culver City had been revitalized.   Old historic building renovated and mixed with new chic café’s and boutiques.  This weekend I decided to re-visit Culver City and learn more about it’s history.

The Culver City home website had a detailed historic walking map which I used to explore some of the highlights on the walking tour.  It was Harry H. Culver, from Milford, Nebraska, who dreamed of a balanced city. He started plans for the city that carries his name in 1913, and it became an incorporated entity in 1917. He established the city in a temperate zone, along a transportation route, alongside railroad tracks, halfway between the growing pueblo of Los Angeles and Abbot Kinney's resort of Venice. Culver City began to do the business of developing itself, as a 1.2 square mile area, centered about our little Main Street. In the early days of the city, the trustees concentrated on the actions necessary to form the city

In the days of the early Spanish settlers, many were Catholic, and they attended Mass either at the Old Soldier's Home at Sawtelle, or they rode to St. Monica's in Santa Monica. Both were considerable trips by horse and buggy.   As is the case in many California Cities, the church was the foundation of the new city.

La Ballona Valley residents grew in number, and in 1883, a prominent landowner, J. Francisco Figueroa, donated acreage to the Diocese of Los Angeles for the construction of a new mission church. That little white wood frame church faced Washington Boulevard, then a dirt road. This new church was served by priests from St. Monica's and was named St. Augustine for the son of St. Monica. Father Patrick Hawe, the pastor of St. Monica's, built the mission church and came to say Mass here. Participants grew in number and Father Hawe began to share duties with priests from St. James in Redondo Beach and St. Clement in Ocean Park. The mission church seated about 200.

Culver City was incorporated in 1917, and two years later, it was necessary to appoint a permanent pastor for St. Augustine Parish, which then became a parish of the Monterey-Los Angeles Diocese. The first resident pastor was Father Thomas O'Toole, starting November 30, 1919. During Father O'Toole's two year tenure as pastor, he built the first rectory (priest's house), which was moved to Jean Place in 1926 for a convent. Each subsequent pastor added something for which he was remembered. In 1922, the pastor enlarged the church to seat 500. In 1926, the little parish hall was converted into a four-room schoolhouse, and a new stucco rectory was built. The Daughters of Mary and Joseph were invited that year to staff the school. They arrived on the feast of St. Augustine, August 28. The staff of six sisters opened St. Augustine School within two weeks with an initial enrollment of 123.

In 1936, a new St. Augustine Church was constructed with a seating capacity of 700, on Washington after the old church was moved back. Erected by noted churchbuilder Don Ely, the birdcage-like steel frame caused a stir as it was woven into a single unit. Ely also built the American Legion Building, now Brotman Medical Center's Glantz Auditorium on Hughes. The new church was dedicated in April, 1937 by Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los Angeles. The pastor, Father O'Donnell, often acted as a technical advisor to M-G-M Studios across the street. The studio helped the church raise funds by putting up tents for the annual barbecue, and the Machado family cooked the beef.

In 1947, a new school was completed, replacing the old bungalows with reinforced concrete, and the year after, a new convent was constructed. Father James McLaughlin (later Monsignor) became the pastor in 1949, and he not only added to the school, but he supervised the building of the new church. Constructed by Theisen & Co. from Pasadena, that American Gothic design was 14,000 square feet, and it was built to accommodate 1,070 parishoners. He opened the doors as a surprise on Christmas morning, 1957.

The current church was officially dedicated six months later by James Francis Cardinal McIntyre, Archbishop of Los Angeles on June 22, 1958 with standing room only. Throngs of dignitaries and locals attended the ceremony after hearing that a famous radio and television personality, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, was coming from the East to preach. Bishop Sheen and Monsignor McLaughlin attended the seminary together.

The little mission chapel in La Ballona Valley is no longer there, but the second church is used as a parish hall, alongside the new church. In addition to regular church work, the parish sponsors S.A.V.E.S, St. Augustine Volunteers for Emergency Services, a nondenominational entity that helps those in need. Our irregular boundaries include St. Augustine's Church in Culver City, while the school sits in Los Angeles.

The next stop on the walking tour was The Ivy Substation.  The Ivy Substation was constructed in 1907 by the Los Angeles Pacific Railway, which became part of the Los Angeles Pacific Railway Electric Company. It operated as one of its largest electric substations as a branch for the electrical generation and distribution system. Electricity was transformed and distributed to create the power for the electric railway system. The substation received alternating current (AC) and transformed it into direct current (DC) for use by the electric trains. This substation was located along the "Balloon Route" rail line from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean.

When real estate developer Harry Culver searched the area for land to establish his city, an important factor was transportation. The Ivy Substation played a role, and although it was not the depot as many have thought, it supplied the power. By the time Culver City began to materialize, one could catch a "Red Car" downtown to Los Angeles, or to Abbot Kinney's resort of Venice.

By 1954, the historic Mission Revival style building stood empty and eventually the weathered structure became a haven for transients. In the mid 1970's, David Cameron, a noted railroad historian, realized that the building must be protected or it would face demolition. Cameron, also a member of the Culver City Historical Society, lobbied to place the Ivy Substation on the National Register of Historic Places which happened in 1981. His successful campaign saved the structure from demolition by the Caltrans Venice Boulevard Improvement Project. Ivy is also designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #182. (Note plaque inside.)

Although the structure is actually in Los Angeles, it appears as a gateway to Culver City. Recognizing this, the Culver City Redevelopment Agency entered into a 40-year lease with the City of Los Angeles in 1987 with the option of a ten year renewal. This contract also included adjacent Media Park, named in a contest sponsored by our city's founder, Harry Culver. The winning entry was submitted by a pharmacist in nearby Palms, and his prize was a trip around the world!

The renovation of the building and park was funded by the Culver City Redevelopment Agency, with significant support from current and past Los Angeles Conservancy members Robert Burke and David Cameron. Los Angeles retained jurisdiction over the properties with review by the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, and the Cultural Heritage and Cultural Affairs Commission. This also assured that the renovation would comply with the standards established by the U. S. Secretary of the Interior.

Design and construction plans were prepared by Architect Milford Wayne Donaldson, FAIA. The work, by contractor Driver Eddy Construction Co., included asbestos abatement, lead-based paint removal, seismic strengthening of the original brick building, installation of replicated historic power poles and wires and the artistic cooling fountain, provision of utility services and ancillary facilities, non-intrusive disabled access modifications and landscaping improvements to the adjacent park grounds. Susan Berg was the CCRA project manager.

The Ivy Substation re-opened in a week of celebration in April of 1993, featuring free events for all segments of the community. Since that time, it has been used as a venue for a variety of entertainment events, meetings and parties

After Eugene and Kitty Donovan purchased the land at 9355 Culver Boulevard, they chose the architectural firm of Orville E. Clark to design the Citizen Building, with Mrs. Donovan's input. Natives of San Francisco, the Donovans, survived the great earthquake and fire of 1906, and built the Citizen to San Francisco's earthquake building codes since Southern California had yet to adopt guidelines. In 1928, the firm of O'Hanlon and Flansburg began construction on the Citizen. Eugene Donovan's final instructions before work began were reportedly "wherever possible, all materials, supplies and labor will be obtained from local sources in Culver City."

Construction was complete in 1929 at a cost of $80,000, which included furnishings. The News Printing Company that had been established in 1923 under the management of Eugene Donovan's son, Roy E., and the Western Citizen, founded by Eugene Donovan, were consolidated into the Citizen Publishers and Printers in this new building. Before, the Donovan's business had been located across the street, and initially, around the corner on Bagley.

The "new" 20-page edition of The Citizen was printed December 6, 1929, in its all-new modern plant. The newspaper was "dedicated in perpetuity to the service of the people that no good cause shall lack a champion and that evil shall not thrive unopposed". On January 1, 1930, the Donovans hosted a public opening for more than 2,000 guests in the Citizen's new home.

The Donovans' dream of a completely self-contained, successful hometown newspaper, and commercial printing plant, became a reality in seven short years. Their accounts included Thomas Ince, Hal Roach, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Selznick, R.K.O. Pathe and DeMille Studios.

The award-winning Citizen was a dynamic force in the development of the community, better government, business, recreational facilities, adequate streets, lighting and other projects that factor into an ideal modern community. Donovan championed battles for adequate bus transportation, the modernization and improvement of the Fire and Police Departments, beneficial zoning regulations and was an advocate for the Chamber of Commerce. It recorded Culver City's history. In 1934, before the Hollywood and Culver City Chambers of Commerce 'buried the hatchet', Donovan ran a contest to re-name Culver City, since movie credits at that time did not reflect "Made in Culver City." Entries for the $10 prize included names like "Cinema City" and "Filmville." Needless to say, the city retained its Culver City name.

Eugene Donovan learned printing and publishing in his native San Francisco. He was the managing editor of the Reno Gazette and was affiliated at various times with the Call, Examiner and other San Francisco dailies before he moved to Southern California. Before he established his own newspaper in Culver City, Donovan was the publisher and managing editor of the Culver City Daily News.

Eugene and Catherine Donovan both died in 1948, survived by their son and grandson. The Citizen building remained a family-owned business with grandson Roy L. Donovan still active in the community until its sale in the late 1990s, when it was purchased by Josetta Sbeglia, whose family came from the east with a history of historic renovation.

The Citizen building was marked by the Culver City Historical Society as Historic Site Number 4 in 1984. In 1987, it became the first structure in Culver City to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It also has Landmark Status by action of the City Council.

The Citizen Building is known for its fusion of Beaux Arts classical elements and Art Deco. Other examples of this type architecture in the Downtown area, like the 1928 City Hall and Fire Station No. 1, were demolished.

After Culver City incorporated in 1917, the City Trustees went about the business of legislating for city operation. One such action in 1919, Resolution No. 57, appointed Dr. Foster Hull as the second City Health Officer, replacing Dr. Mortensen. The Hull Building was built by the same Dr. Hull in 1925 to be the first hospital in Culver City. It became a victim of the Depression in the 1930s but was acquired by Louis Freeman, whose family still retains ownership.

Although the uses have changed numerous times over the years, the Hull Building retains most of its original character. Its many occupants have included Freeman Furniture, the Sunset Drug, Ed Tinger's Culver City Flowers, Al Simon's Sada's Flowers, Kamin's Shoes, a boarding house on the second floor, the Bank of Orange County, and Italian restaurants-Riccardo's Restaurant, Bella Pasta and San Gennaro. Office space over the years housed Dauber Security and space for production companies, including Sony Pictures. Many have fond recollections of Joe Wellington who owned Sunset Drugs after Chudacoff. That corner drug store had a soda fountain where young people like Clarita Marquez Young learned to make and serve the most popular drink: Coca-Colas.

By Council action, the Hull Building was awarded Landmark status under Chapter 38 of the Municipal Code, which deals with Historic Preservation. The outside of the structure is protected, although it probably would not be a candidate for the National Register of Historic Places due to the alterations of the windows. There has been an approved alteration, which required a Certificate of Appropriateness in 1997. The architecture is recognized as Neo-Classical in style, with construction materials of tan and rose colored brick.

Fortunately, the Bank of Orange County, a tenant in 1978, gutted the Hull Building to bring it up to earthquake standards. This explains its minimal damage from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Some bricks dislodged and fell during the temblor. Coincidentally, there was a building in the block west of The Culver Studios,with brick. That structure was being demolished for the construction of the new Culver Studios Office Building. With careful examination by owner Sony Pictures, it was determined that the bricks were not only similar, but made by the same manufacturer as those in the Hull Building. Sony Pictures saved enough brick for the Freeman family to make the needed repairs.

The Hull Building was recognized by the Culver City Historical Society as Historic Site Number Two as you can see by the plaque on the building. Louis Freeman's son, Bert Freeman, was in attendance at the marking and his grandson, Stu Freeman of Freeman Property Management, took over from his father.
The Washington Building was commissioned by Charles E. Lindblade. Its two- year construction began in 1926. Lindblade, for whom a Culver City street was named, was a business associate of the city's founder, Harry H. Culver. The master builders were Orlopp and Orlopp, who were listed on site in 1927. The building designer was Arthur D. Scholz, with Orville L. Clark mentioned in old records as the probable consulting architect. Clark went on to design other local buildings, like Culver City's 1928 City Hall and the Fire Station next door. The Washington Building was described by Carson Anderson in the owner's application for the National Register of Historic Places, as "Builder's Beaux Arts Classicism." The foundation and walls are both reinforced concrete. Anderson felt the areas of significance of the building fell into the categories of Architecture, Commerce and Community Planning and Development. The period of significance on the form was considered to be 1926-1940, with Lindblade listed as the significant person.

Lindblade(1887-1940), a real estate developer, served both as vice-president and president of Harry Culver's real estate firm. This building was constructed during Lindblade's most notable years, professionally, when he and Culver actively developed Culver City. These also appear to be his most visible years in the community. Some of his activities listed in the 1929 Who's Who in California included service as a director of Security First National Bank of Los Angeles, Pacific Building and Loan Association, (which financed much of the city's early development), and he also served on the board of the Pacific Military Academy. Lindblade was a founding member of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce, and he served as president of the Culver City Realty Board in 1927, and director of the California Real Estate Association (1928-29). He and his wife ,Joan Fox Lindblade, lived in nearby Cheviot Hills. He later worked with Earl Eastham's real estate company. Eastham was Culver's brother in law.

The Washington Building reportedly cost $30,000 at construction. Its triangular shape earned its nickname "The Flatiron Building," although it is only two stories tall, unlike the famous tall one in New York. The structure occupies 135 feet of Washington Boulevard frontage, stretching 152 feet along Culver Boulevard. The two long sides converge to a flattened east wall of 12 feet (where Starbucks is located), while the west wall measures 68 feet wide.

In 1931, the Washington Building housed the local post office, until the Gateway Station was completed down the street in 1940. Other notable occupants of the building included the Draft Board during World War II, the MGM Fan Club after the war, a dentist named Dr. Connelly, the American National Insurance Co., an attorney named F. A. Berry, a photographer named Chester Graves, and the Lindblade Real Estate and Development Company from 1929-1932.

The Washington Building was awarded Landmark status by the City of Culver City in accordance to Chapter 38, C.C.M.C., which protects and preserves its exterior. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places, as are Culver City's Culver Hotel, the Citizen Building and the nearby Ivy Substation.

The Culver Hotel opened in 1924 to headlines in the September 4th Culver City daily news: "City packed with visitors for opening of Culver skyscraper." It has remained a fixture in Culver City for over eighty years, drawing guests from nearby and all over the world. 
The six-story hotel, then named the Hotel Hunt, was called the "latest monument to his vision," referring to Harry Culver himself.  It was built on the land that originally held the first theater in Culver City, called the Meratta Theater which is no longer in existence.  This theater also held the first city offices that were relocated once construction began.
The  hotel incorporated the offices of Mr. Culver and has hosted several well-known casts from movies like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. It was built on property in the center of downtown, on what has been called "the shortest Main St. in the USA."
The exterior of the building has remained much the same though the signage in front has changed often with each new owner.  The hotel has also appeared in such favorites such as The Little Rascals, The Laurel and Hardy Classics, and eventually more modern day shows such as The Wonder Years and 7th Heaven.
Though a luxury property for its day, the Culver Hotel, at that time, would have disastrously failed today's standards of health and safety.  Only one bathroom per floor existed at the hotel's birth, creating a frantic morning scene with guests piling into the bathrooms for facial grooming, hair washing and toilet matters all at once. 
In the later 20th century this problem. as well as many other architectural atrocities, would be solved by Lou Catlett who converted several of the sixty six rooms into forty six rooms with private baths.  Mr. Catlett can actually be credited with uplifting the Culver from realtors, who through speculation, had allowed the hotel to deteriorate.  Investing vast sums of money by importing antique furniture from England, restructuring parts of the hotel to meet health codes, and breathing fresh air into the very walls themselves, Lou Catlett rescued the hotel only to become bankrupt for his efforts. 

The Culver Hotel has, to this day, remained the most prominent building in downtown Culver City. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it retains its historical prestige and nostalgic memories of days long past.
Several plaques dedicated to the historical significance of the building can be found hanging on its magnificent exterior.
Along with the reopening of the Culver Hotel 1997 was the return of the Munchkin cast, an event sponsored by Beyond the Rainbow. Six of the original Munchkins received a warm welcome from the Culver City officials as they entered the grand lobby and shared their remembrances with the representatives of the Culver City Historical Society.
It has been said that the returning Munchkins were awoken the morning after their first night to music and festivities that took the form of a parade outside their window.  Ecstatic that the city would honor them in this way they were crestfallen to learn that the festivities were actually in honor of the Armistice Day Parade.
Interviews were conducted as the Munchkins reminisced about the costumes, makeup and lights, as well as what it was like to work with Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton and Billie Burke.
Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Red Skelton, Buster Keaton, Ronald Reagan and other well-known stars maintained part time residences within the classic walls of the Culver Hotel. It increased in fame as MGM began filming The Wizard of Oz when nearly all of the one hundred and twenty four "little people" spent four weeks at the hotel. Legend had it that a secret underground tunnel was built to usher the munchkins to their set at the Culver Studio, as well as to ferry alcohol and women during the Prohibition Era, though the "secret" tunnel was actually a well-used underground pathway for pedestrians to cross the tiny but busy boulevard that once separated the hotel from Culver Studios.  Wild tales and stories that emerged from these four weeks of filming helped to inspire the 1981 movie comedy starring Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher called "Under the Rainbow." The producers actually used the Culver Hotel as a site for this fictional making-of-Oz story.
Part and parcel with the rich history of the Culver Hotel is the even more enticing legends that surround its ownership. It has been said that the famous Charlie Chaplin once owned the Culver Hotel, but sold it to the "Duke," Mr. John Wayne, for a dollar in a poker game. Another tale is that Mr. Wayne was propositioned by the Black Panthers for ownership of the Hotel, but adamantly refused their offer, leading the Panthers to move their operations to San Francisco. Mr. Wayne late donatedtheCulvertotheYMCA.

The Culver Hotel was restored to its original glory in the 1990s, with a renovation of the rooms that included individual baths and antique furnishings. The halls were hung with nostalgic scenes from old Hollywood and 1900s impressionist paintings, and the lobby and bar were retrofitted in early-1900s style moldings and dark woods.
Since the 1990s the hotel has undergone several new owners, finally landing in the hands of an independent family with plans on furthering the renovation in hopes of restoring the classic ambiance to the luxurious standards of its initial conception.