Did You Know: Hotel Figueroa was Built for Businesswomen?
USC Digital Archives / Los Angeles Examiner
[digarc.usc.edu]
A photo of the Hotel Figueroa from 1928, with Y.W.C.A. gym and lounge in the rear.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Did you know that the Hotel Figueroa was built in 1926 as a hotel for "business, traveling and professional women and their husbands and children"?
The 409-room was built by the Y.W.C.A., and was billed in the L.A. Times as the "one of the largest financial transactions ever consummated by a body of organized women."
Designed and built by Stanton, Reed & Hibbard, the structure cost $1,250,000. The top nine were exclusively for women, while the bottom two were for men with families.
Ground was broken on September 28, 1925, and the cornerstone was laid on January 18, 1926. Into the cornerstone were placed the hotel's business documents, a "short historical sketch" of the Y.W.C.A., and a roster of the organization's directors and officers from its beginning in 1893 and the current group from 1926. The building was formally opened on August 15, 1926, with a dinner-dance in the Fountain Floor ballroom.
In building the hotel, though, the Y.W.C.A. appears to have overstepped its abilities. In February of 1928, the group opened a fundraising campaign to try and free the organization from its debts. A mortgage bond on the hotel was soon to come due, and the group was worried about losing it. It's not clear whether or not that ended up taking place, but by later that year the hotel had a male manager.
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Carly Rosso on January 07, 2009, at 05:28AM – #1
I think this is amazing what was created by these women. I am currently an employee for the YWCA of Bucks County in Trevose Pennsylvania and I had no idea about this time in history. I have to say that I am honored to work for an organization that spreads the help all over the world where it is needed. With our logo Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women, I think we can say that has been done.
JM on January 07, 2009, at 08:59AM – #2
Fascinating history. Thanks, Eric. I love this hotel and find it to be one of Downtown's best-kept secrets (it's not really a secret, but it's not over-crowded). Do you know anything about the performing arts building across the street? I always wonder about that one, and whether they'll ever do something with it. Great location.
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on January 07, 2009, at 09:17AM – #3
JM: The Variety Arts Center was purchased several years ago by David Houk, who previously renovated the Pasadena Playhouse (and who was/is the developer on Park Fifth). He put the building on the market last year, but it hasn't sold.
Sandie Richards on January 08, 2009, at 01:42AM – #4
The Variety Arts building was originally a Ladies' Club, built for a very active group of 'society' women. It was called, The Friday Morning Club. You can find out more at this site- http://www.varietyartscenter.com/
Many of the Friday Morning Club's original members were also members of what was then called the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, now First United Methodist of L.A.
Over the years the club featured the membership and patronage of some of Los Angeles's 'High Society' ladies... Anyone with some time and an internet connection can find old L.A. Times articles, cook-books, photographs.
I would not be at all surprised to learn that many of the Friday Morning Club members were behind the YWCA and hotel across the street...
Next time you walk by the Variety Arts Building, check out the motto from the Friday Morning Club, on the south part of the front entrance. It's quite inspiring.
JM on January 08, 2009, at 08:49AM – #5
Thank you both for the very interesting background info. I can't believe I lived so close to this building and never knew they had a website.
As an aside, I went to the Disney Concert Hall in March 2006 and they had an exhibition of maps. There was a prominent display with a map of Downtown Los Angeles in the late 1800s. I was surprised by how many parks and churches there were and I've since tried to find something similar (with streets and buildings). Do you know of any good resources for Downtown maps? I've been disappointed with the ones I've found so far.