Bob Hope Patriotic Hall

Bob Hope Patriotic Hall is a 10-story building that was dedicated as Patriotic Hall by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in 1925 and was built to serve veterans of Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, World War I and to support the Grand Army of the Republic. It serves as the home of the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Patriotic hall was rededicated to honor of Bob Hope and renamed "Bob Hope Patriotic Hall" on November 12, 2004.[1]

The Bob Hope Patriotic Hall
General information
Architectural styleRomanesque
LocationLos Angeles County
Address1816 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, 90015
CountryUnited States of America
Current tenantshome of the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Named forBob Hope
Construction started1925
Opened1925
Renovated2006
OwnerCounty of Los Angeles
Technical details
Floor count10
Design and construction
Architecture firmAllied Architects Association
Awards and prizesCertificate of Honor, Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

History

Patriotic Hall was built in 1925 and the building opened its doors in 1926 to serve the public. When it was built, the 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m2) building was the tallest building[2] in the city.

Design

The building was designed by Allied Architects Association (33 prominent architects in Los Angeles) using Romanesque features. The lobby was designed with vaulted arch construction and contains murals on the walls.[3][4] A three panel mural created by A.J. Leitner called Soldiers and Sailors occupies one of the vestibules of the building. Created as part of the Works Progress Administration, the murals depict uniformed U.S. military personnel from 1776 to 1941.[5] A series of lobby murals completed by Helen Lundeberg as part of the Works Progress Administration were removed in the 1970s, and are now considered missing. In 2013, muralist Kent Twitchell unveiled We the People, Out of Many, One, a series of murals which occupies the site of Lundeberg's original work. Twitchell's murals pay homage to Lundeberg's design, while depicting real life veterans and other people associated with the military.[6]

Awards

A Certificate of Honor has been awarded to the building for its exceptional merit by the Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects,[7] and it was placed on the State’s Register of Historical Resources[8] on 27 February 1976. The building was built on land deeded by Civil War veterans.[2]

Other notable events

Arianna Huffington hosted a Shadow convention[9] in Patriotic Hall while the 2000 Democratic National Convention took place in Staples Center[10]

Refurbishment

In 2006, the building was temporarily closed so that it could be renovated. The renovations included:

  • Updated mechanical systems
  • ADA upgrades, including new parking stalls
  • Updated meeting, conference and office spaces
  • Refurbished gym
  • 500-seat auditorium
  • Full-service kitchen

The renovated Patriotic Hall was completed in 2013 at a cost of $46 million.[11]

In more active years, Patriotic Hall was the headquarters and/or a mailing address for hundreds of organizations. Once renovation was completed, the original veteran service organizations were invited back into the building, this includes:[2]

  • American Legion Post 8
  • World War II Veterans Groups
  • County offices such as the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which returned to the building on August 26, 2013 under its new director, Brig. Gen. Ruth A. Wong.[12]

Ownership and management

Bob Hope Patriotic Hall is owned by the County of Los Angeles. Operations are managed by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Current purpose

The hall is the home to military artifacts and memorabilia. It also houses documents from wars and conflicts starting with the American Revolutionary War, and including recent Middle East conflicts.

At the rededication ceremonies in 2013, American Legion member and past California Department Commander Hugh Crooks Jr expressed appreciation that the building was being rededicated back to the veterans: “This is not just for past veterans. It is also for future vets. All future vets will know that this building in Los Angeles County is their building. That’s what it’s here for. That’s what it will always be for.”[13]

Location

The building is less than a mile from Staples Center and LA Live. It is visible from both interstate 10 (Santa Monica Freeway) and State Route 110 (Harbor Freeway). The structure is located at 1816 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California, 90015. Figueroa Street was a part of the old US Highway 6. It is west from Historic South Central neighborhood. It is only one block from the Metro A Line train station at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.

Collections

There are many artifacts stored in the hall. They have been documented and cataloged. The estimated worth of the collection is valued at more than $1 million. Included are:

Much of the collection is property of American Legion Post 8. Display cases hold these valuable artifacts.

References
  1. "Department of Military & Veteran Affairs". Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  2. "Patriotic Hall Gets Preservation Money". Los Angeles Downtown News.com. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  3. "Active Projects/Missing Art: Bob Hope Patriotic Hall". Civic Art. LA County Arts Commission. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  4. "Active Projects/Bob Hope Patriotic Hall". Civic Art. LA County Arts Commission. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  5. "Soldiers and Sailors | LA County Arts Commission". www.lacountyarts.org. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  6. Guzmán, Richard. "For Muralist Kent Twitchell, It's Artwork Lost, Artwork Found". Los Angeles Downtown News - The Voice of Downtown Los Angeles. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  7. "We, the People: Out of Many, One". www.lacountyarts.org. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  8. "Listed California Historical Resources". ohp.parks.ca.gov. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  9. "Shadow Conventions 2000". Commondreams.org. June 19, 2000. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  10. List of Democratic National Conventions
  11. "Bob Hope Patriotic Hall Refurbishment". PCL Constructors Inc. Archived from the original on May 2, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  12. "Brigadier General Ruth A. Wong United States Air Force (Ret)". Military & Veterans Affairs, Los Angeles County. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  13. "Welcome Back, Patriotic Hall". www.legion.org/. The American Legion. Retrieved March 23, 2019.

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