Landmark Status Granted to Six Buildings Representing Black Heritage in Los Angeles

A barber shop, a historic LGBTQ+ disco club, and the home of Los Angeles’ first Black mayor are among six buildings that have received Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) status as part of a project led by Getty and the City of Los Angeles’ Office of Historic Resources.

The designations are the result of the ongoing work of African American Historic Places, Los Angeles (AAHPLA) launched by the city and Getty in 2022 to identify, protect, and celebrate the city's Black heritage. Each site represents a unique piece of Los Angeles’ Black history. Designated sites include St. Elmo Village, the Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence, Jewel’s Catch One, StylesVille Barbershop & Beauty Salon, the California Eagle offices, and New Bethel Baptist Church. Historic plaques were installed at some of the sites over the past few months, with celebrations to be held on August 14 at the Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence, St. Elmo Village, and Jewel’s Catch One. A celebration for Stylesville will be announced at a later date.

“These historic buildings are not only markers of our history but remain vibrant social and cultural hubs for the African American community in Los Angeles, connecting the past with the present,” says Rita Cofield, associate project specialist at the Getty Conservation Institute and project leader of the AAHPLA project. “Their official landmark status ensures that these cherished spaces and their legacy endure, inspiring generations to come.”

To honor these Historic-Cultural Monuments and help the public identify and celebrate them, a bronze plaque will be placed on the properties, identifying key information about the sites. Installing the plaques is another way the city publicly acknowledges the importance and contributions of these historic places. They will offer the public an opportunity to interact with a piece of history they may not have previously known.

The AAHPLA project’s kickoff event was held at St. Elmo Village in 2023, where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in conversation with his longtime business partner and friend Deborah Morales, encouraged attendees to raise awareness about overlooked narratives of Black history.

“The historic designation of StylesVille Barber Shop in Pacoima and others across our city is a powerful testament to the power and impact of diversity in Los Angeles. I’m proud to represent this iconic business in Council District 7 and honor these landmarks, their stories and preserve history for generations to come,” says Councilmember Monica Rodriguez.

“Council District 10 is the tapestry of Los Angeles, filled with the stories and histories of everyday Angelenos. These landmark designations are more than just plaques; they are powerful reminders of the strength and joy of Black LA,” says Councilmember Heather Hutt. “By honoring sites like St. Elmo Village, the Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence, and Jewel’s Catch One, we are not only preserving our city’s shared history, we’re ensuring that future generations recognize the vital role African Americans have played in shaping Los Angeles.”

“Receiving this HCM designation is an important acknowledgement from the city that gives us fuel to continue the work of founders Rozell and Roderick Sykes,” says Jacqueline Alexander-Sykes, artist, director, and steward of St. Elmo Village. “It recognizes and highlights the community and the community work that has helped St. Elmo Village to survive and thrive and ensures the Village remains a cornerstone of creativity in Los Angeles.”

An advisory committee comprised of civic, community, and cultural leaders selected each site from the existing African American History of LA context document based on theme, geographic location, and gender diversity that reflect various aspects of African American heritage throughout the city of Los Angeles. Sites went before the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission for nomination and were approved by the full city council in 2024 and 2025.

“The adoption of these historic designations represent an exciting first step of the African American Historic Places, Los Angeles partnership between the City and Getty,” says Ken Bernstein, Principal City Planner for Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources. “Each of these six sites are not only significant places of history and meaning individually, but collectively they also encapsulate broader themes that give our communities insight into the rich and layered story of African Americans in Los Angeles.”

Designated HCM buildings:

StylesVille Barbershop & Beauty Salon

13161 Van Nuys Blvd, Pacoima, CA 91331
Council District 7

The San Fernando Valley rapidly developed in the 1940s but its suburban communities were largely off-limits to people of color, aside from Pacoima, which was racially diverse. Fred and Ollie Carter were among Pacoima’s modest but growing African American community during this era. Well-respected community leaders, the Carters opened StylesVille Barbershop & Beauty Salon in 1958 and in 1977 moved the business directly across the street to its current location. It is the oldest Black-owned business in the San Fernando Valley and is currently operated by third-generation owner, Gregory Faucett.

St. Elmo Village

4820-4846 West St. Elmo Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90019
Council District 10

This community-centric creative space located in Mid-City is a rare example of an artist enclave comprised of residences, art studios, and cultivated landscapes. Founded by family members Rozzell and Roderick Sykes, it became a permanent space to display their art and welcome local and national artists to create and exhibit their work. The site was important to the Black Cultural Arts Movement, was an artist and community haven, and was an incubator for the Black Lives Matter movement. It is currently run by Jacqueline Alexander-Sykes and continues to host art workshops, festivals, and programs that engage local youth.

Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence

3807 Welland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Council District 10

Purchased by Tom and Ethel Bradley in 1950 despite racially restrictive covenants in the Leimert Park neighborhood, the building was built in 1940 and served as the home of the first Black mayor and first Black First Lady of Los Angeles. Tom Bradley was one of the first African Americans to serve on the City Council and spent 20 years as mayor, the longest tenure of any mayor in the city's history. He helped bridge gaps between diverse groups and interests across the city, a skill for which he is widely remembered. Ethel was a dedicated supporter of her husband and a skilled community leader in her own right.

Jewel's Catch One

4061 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Council District 10

Located in Mid-City, Catch One is the first African American female-owned disco club in Los Angeles and one of the city’s first gay nightclubs that welcomed LGBTQ+ people of color. Despite the prominence of bars and nightclubs to the LGBTQ+ community in the 1950s and 1960s, many did not allow people of color. Opened by Jewel Thais-Williams in 1973 and operated by her until 2015, it quickly became known as a hub for African American LGBTQ+ people. It also acted as a meeting space for numerous LGBTQ+ organizations and, during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, was a refuge and a venue for charity balls and fundraisers. Jewel was able to see the site designated before she passed away on July 7, 2025. AAHPLA is honored to designate a place that will continue to celebrate and tell the story of Jewel Thais-Williams and the pioneering legacy she has left behind.

California Eagle

4071-4075 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90011
Council District 10

Former home of one of the longest-running Black-owned and operated newspapers in Los Angeles, the California Eagle Newspaper was established by John Neimore in 1895. It continued to thrive once Charlotta Bass took over after Neimore passed in 1912. Bass was the first African American woman to run a newspaper in the U.S. The newspaper shed light on a variety of civil rights topics and gained national recognition for its coverage of segregation, discrimination, and issues of racial equity. The newspaper vacated the building around 1954, moving to two other locations before it folded.

New Bethel Baptist Church

503-505 E. Brooks Avenue, Venice, CA 90291
Council District 11

The establishment of the church in 1952, and subsequent purchase of the subject property in 1957, coincided with a pivotal moment of African American migration to the Oakwood neighborhood. While African Americans have resided in Venice since the early 1900s, the Black population in Oakwood tripled as a result of the increased need for defense workers during World War II, as well as the displacement of African American and Latino residents of Santa Monica following the construction of the Santa Monica Freeway in the 1950s through 60s. Despite physical and demographic changes in Oakwood, New Bethel Baptist Church represents an anchor of stability for long-term residents, as well as a gathering place for returning friends and families who left the neighborhood.

Another major milestone for AAHPLA will be to collaborate with three historically African American neighborhoods in Los Angeles to develop better cultural preservation strategies. The project will work with steering committees in each neighborhood, beginning with Venice’s Oakwood neighborhood. Oakwood emerged as a Black enclave in the early 1900s as Black residents arrived for job opportunities—many helped build the Venice Canals, worked on the pier for the Abbot Kinney Company and other venues, and provided services for the Venice community as entrepreneurs. The next, Pacoima, was a major settlement for African Americans post-World War II during a time when racially restrictive covenants prevented them from living in the San Fernando Valley. It gained recognition in the 1960s and 70s for its activism against police brutality, housing issues, and more. Finally, the Central Avenue corridor is a gem of musical heritage and legacy businesses, known as the jazz corridor during the 1930s and 50s with a vibrant nightlife that earned it the nickname “Little Harlem.”

The AAHPLA project team continues to engage with the Los Angeles community to gather feedback about preservation practices that protect and celebrate local cultural heritage and learn what other sites the public wants to see receive historic landmark status. Submit questions via email and sign up for project updates.

In addition to AAHPLA, Getty is committed to broadening the awareness of and working to preserve Black cultural heritage. Other recent work in this area includes the Conserving Black Modernism initiative, which has just announced its third cohort of grantees; the African American Art History Initiative; and the Getty’s joint acquisition of the archive of Paul R. Williams, one of the best-known 20th-century Black architects in the United States.