Janes House

 house, historic landmark, 1902_construction, 1900s construction

6541 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Typical of the houses that lined Hollywood Blvd. in the early part of the 20th century, this is the lone remaining example of the old wood houses of the period. The Queen Anne/Dutch Colonial Revival home is the oldest building in Hollywood. It was designed by architects Oliver Dennis and Lyman Farwell for H.J. Whitley and built in 1902.

Built when Hollywood Boulevard was a dusty road called Prospect Avenue, the house was purchased in 1903 by Herman Nelson and Mary Ruth Janes although the family didn't move in until 1905. The three Janes sisters -- Mabel, Carrie, and Grace along with their mother -- ran the Misses Janes Kindergarten school on the premises from 1911 to 1926. The private school catered to the children of the wealthy and famous such as Ince, Chaplin, DeMille and Lasky.

The last Janes sister died in the 1980s and the house was threatened with demolition in 1984. The new owners, Sayam Bamshad and Parviz Ebrahimian, moved the house to the back of the lot and constructed Janes Square Landmark Shopping Center in front of the house.


bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.com/2009/04/no-227-janes-ho...