Landmarked! the Fairfax Theatre
The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and Save Beverly Fairfax were successful in our efforts to landmark the 1929-1930 Fairfax Theatre at 7901-09 Beverly Blvd. near the corner of Fairfax Avenue. The community rallied to preserve this prominent Art Deco theater, which became a catalyst in forming a new Jewish community on the westside of Los Angeles when it opened in 1930.
LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO DESIGNATE THE FAIRFAX THEATRE AS A LOS ANGELES HISTORIC CULTURAL MONUMENT ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021.
The final stage in designating the Fairfax Theatre an Historic Cultural Monument was a full City Council vote. This vote took place at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Thanks to all who supported our nomination!
WRITE A SUPPORT LETTER:
Our next hearing is on November 30, 2021. If you support the Fairfax Theatre being designated as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, please send an email to the Planning and Land Use Committee members listed below the sample letter by Monday, November 29 at 10:00 AM PT (the sooner the better, due to the holiday). You are encouraged to personalize the letter with your own experiences with the neighborhood and theatre. Below is history information. And if you haven’t done so, please sign our petition.
Subject: Support the Fairfax Theatre HCM - Council File 21-0915
Dear Councilmember,
Please vote to support the Fairfax Theatre Historic Cultural Monument designation, as unanimously passed by the Cultural Heritage Commission.
In July the State Historical Resources Commission unanimously voted to add this important historic building to the National Register of Historic Places. The Fairfax Theatre building is recognized both for its importance in developing the Fairfax District as an ethnic Jewish neighborhood as well as for its art deco architecture.
This nomination is supported by important historians of Jewish Culture, members of UCLA's Mapping Jewish Los Angeles Project, the president of Hadassah of Southern California, and the Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles.
Recognizing this historic cultural center of the Jewish community is especially important at this time of increasing anti-Semitism. The preservation of this building would serve as a monument to the many generations of Jewish families who found refuge in the Beverly-Fairfax neighborhood.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your address, neighborhood, or zip code very important if you live in the area (council district 5)]
WHO TO SEND TO:
EMAIL:
paul.koretz@lacity.org, debbie.dynerharris@lacity.org, daniel.skolnick@lacity.org, rob.fisher@lacity.org, artdeco@adsla.org, Gilbert.Cedillo@LACity.org, Gerald.Gubatan@LAcity.org, Council.Harris@LAcity.org, Kidada.Malloy@LAcity.org, Councilmember.Ridley-Thomas@LACity.org, Hakeem.Parke-Davis@LACity.org, Councilmember.Lee@LACity.org, Councilmember.blumenfield@LACity.org, Andrew.pennington@lacity.org, jill.kline@lacity.org, councilmemberrodriguez@lacity.org, joan.pelico@lacity.org, jay.greenstein@lacity.org
ATTEND THE MEETING:
The Historic-Cultural Monument nomination for the Fairfax Theater Building located at 7901-7909 West Beverly Boulevard is scheduled to be heard before the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee of City Council on Tuesday, November 30 at 2:00pm. The agenda has not yet been posted, but will soon be available online. Click the button below to view it. In the meantime, below are the instructions for accessing the meeting:
Members of the public who would like to offer public comment on the items listed on the agenda should call 1-669-254-5252 and use Meeting ID No. 161 644 6631 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak.
The 1929-1930 Fairfax Theatre at 7901-09 Beverly Blvd. near the corner of Fairfax Avenue.
ABOUT THE FAIRFAX THEATRE
The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles goes through a nomination process for buildings that we identify as being “historically significant.” We’ve teamed with Save Beverly Fairfax in an attempt to landmark the 1929/30 Fairfax Theatre in the Beverly/Fairfax area of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Conservancy, Hollywood Heritage and the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation have been key supporters in the preservation community. It is also important that the public get behind our nominations, by writing letters of support to decision-makers and advisors in this process and/or appearing (by Zoom or telephone) to express encouragement to the city to landmark the building.
STATUS UPDATE
On Friday, July 30, 2021 at their quarterly meeting, the State Historical Resources Commission unanimously voted to add the Fairfax Theatre to the National Register of Historic Places! Following the presentation by Steven Luftman, Commissioner Alan Hess commented that “the social history is extremely compelling and well-stated.” Commissioners Janet Hansen also expressed concern that Los Angeles has already lost a lot of Art Deco buildings and Luis Hoyos commented that single screen theatres are becoming an endangered species. The assertion by the owner’s legal representation, Bill Delvac, that the building no longer maintained integrity as a theatre, was not validated by the Commission. The nomination was on criteria A and C - cultural history and architecture (Art Deco style).
The second Cultural Heritage Commission Meeting for the Fairfax Theatre was heard, on Thursday, August 5 at 10:00 AM PT (virtual). The Commission voted unanimously to recommend the Fairfax Theatre as a Cultural Historic Monument.
Please sign our petition.
First a bit about the building. Below that there is information about writing a letter of support and/or attending the Cultural Heritage Commission meeting to voice your support verbally.
The Fairfax Theatre (7901-7909 Beverly Boulevard at Fairfax) was an important location for fundraising in the Jewish community that began to form in Beverly/Fairfax around 1930.
Save Beverly Fairfax and the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles are determined to see that the Fairfax Theatre Building be recognized as a catalyst in forming a new Jewish community on the west side of Los Angeles. We hope you will support our efforts.
The theatre was important historically as a Jewish Cultural Center in the Beverly/Fairfax community. Jews came to this area because it was unrestricted for the purchase of property. In many areas of Los Angeles non-white persons or members of ethnic communities were not allowed to rent or purchase property.
The first Jewish Synagogues moved to the Fairfax neighborhood in 1933: the orthodox Etz Jacob and the reformed Fairfax Temple. In 1934 the Western Jewish Institute (now the Congregation Shaarei Tefila) was established. All of these institutions held fundraisers at the Fairfax Theatre, the first within weeks of its opening in 1930.
The Beverly-Fairfax Jewish Community Center (JCC) was another important institution to raise funds at the subject building. The first benefit for the Beverly-Fairfax JCC was held at the Fairfax Theatre in 1935, prior to the JCC opening just a block away in 1943. This JCC was an important concrete symbol of the Jewish migration from Boyle Heights to the Fairfax District.
Other Jewish causes such as Hadassah's Child Welfare Services held many benefits in the theater. High Holy Day services were held at the Fairfax Theatre for decades, even after local temples opened, they were often the “featured” services with special cantors and choirs.
The first Jewish deli on Fairfax Ave, the first kosher meat market, and the first Jewish bakery were located in the theater building. This was 23 years before Canter’s moved to the neighborhood. In 1929 the section of Fairfax Avenue now known as the Kosher Canyon was not even paved, less than a year before the Fairfax Theatre Building opened.
The Fairfax Theatre Building also had professional offices on the second floor. Among the medical professionals was Dr. Benno Z. Reinard, previously Chief of the Gynecological Department of National Public Health in Berlin, Germany. A victim of the Nazi persecution of Jewish physicians, Dr. Reinard and his wife escaped, first to Spain and then New York. In October of 1936 he found refuge in the Fairfax Theatre Building, opening his gynecological office in Suite 5.
Today, standing at the southern terminus of the Kosher Canyon, with all its graffiti and grime, the Fairfax Theatre remains one of the most prominent buildings in the district. Just imagine how grand it must have been in 1930, with its tower reminiscent of a miniature Art Deco skyscraper and topped with neon tubes in the form of a globe, soaring 30 feet over any other building in the area.
The Fairfax Theatre. April 10, 2021. photo: Margot Gerber/Art Deco Society of Los Angeles.
Campaign History: In 2009, the Fairfax Theatre was submitted for Historic Cultural Monument (HCM) consideration. The building was not landmarked at this time. New information has been discovered (through archives that were not available previously) in the ensuing years, so the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles has joined with Save Beverly Fairfax to revisit an HCM.
The Cultural Heritage Commission heard a presentation by ADSLA and Save Beverly Fairfax on May 6, 2021 on Zoom. The owner of the building is opposing the nomination and his paid consultant Theresa Grimes and his attorney Bill Delvac refuted the fact that there is a sufficient amount of new context for a nomination. After hearing impassioned testimony from many neighborhood associations, past and present residents, historical societies, the historic theater community, Jewish historians, past tenant Greg Laemmle of Laemmle Theatres and New York Times Film Critic Manohla Dargis, among many others, the commission agreed to allow the nomination to be considered! The building has been pending development for over a decade. The plan that was related in the past, was to maintain the facade and to build a residential building on the land behind it.
A hearing at Cultural Heritage took place on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 10:00 AM. This was the first regular hearing in the HCM process. The Commission voted unanimously to take the Fairfax Theatre under consideration. The agenda can be found here.
Sunday, July 25, 2021 at 5:00 PM PT the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles hosted a free virtual presentation on the Fairfax Theatre with the writer of the nomination, Steve Luftman. You can view the presentation here on our Vimeo channel.
Friday, July 30, 2021 at 9:00 AM PT, the Fairfax Theatre was presented to the California State Commission that determines National Register of Historic Places designation. If you are able to tune in or write in to voice your support, it will really help the cause. The meeting agenda and other instructions can be found here or click the green button below. Letters supporting the campaign at the State level were sent to Amy Crain to support the Fairfax Theatre on the National Registry, at Amy.Crain@parks.ca.gov
Thursday, August 5, 2021 at 10:00 AM PT was the virtual Cultural Heritage Meeting where the commission discussed the staff report and voted to support landmarking the Fairfax Theatre.
On Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at the 2:00 PM PT meeting of the Planning and Land Use Management committee, there was a unanimous vote to designate the Fairfax Theatre a Cultural Heritage Monument in the City of Los Angeles.
WRITE A LETTER OF SUPPORT
The Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) was presented with the Fairfax Theatre at a virtual meeting on Thursday, August 5, 2021 at a 10 AM. Letters are all public record and may be seen on the City Department of Planning website. It is important that letters arrive to the commissioners and council office a few days prior to the meeting to be read in time. What follows is information about the meeting and writing a letter.
Click here for instructions to speak at the meeting. You can both send a letter and speak at the meeting. You will have one minute. Please contact us in advance if you plan to speak, so we can coordinate.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Email a letter of support for the building’s nomination to the Cultural Heritage Commission.
If you haven’t written a letter or have new thoughts to share, please keep the letters coming through August 3, 2021.
EMAIL:
chc@lacity.org, melissa.jones@lacity.org, ken.bernstein@lacity.org, paul.koretz@lacity.org, debbie.dynerharris@lacity.org, daniel.skolnick@lacity.org, rob.fisher@lacity.org, artdeco@adsla.org
SUBJECT LINE:
Letter of support for Fairfax Theatre Historic Cultural Monument CHC-2021-3836-HCM /
CEQA: ENV-2021-3838-CE
WHAT TO SAY:
Letters in your own words are the best, but if you aren't sure what to say, here is a prompt. If you live or work in the area or have some connection to the building, please mention it!
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Commissioners,
Please support the Fairfax Theatre's Historic Cultural Monument application.
It's clear from the new information discovered since its previous nomination that the Fairfax Theatre was a key element in the development of the Fairfax District as a Jewish neighborhood.
This striking example of Art Deco architecture marks the southern entrance into the Fairfax commercial corridor. When it opened in 1930, it was by far the most significant building in the Beverly-Fairfax neighborhood. It was the first major commercial development. Fairfax Avenue was virtually empty and until 1919 was a dirt road.
The Fairfax Theatre became the center of the developing neighborhood’s social life, both as a venue for entertainment, and as a center for fundraising by local Jewish synagogues, temples, clubs, and charities. The building’s retail storefronts were a commercial center of the neighborhood, with ethnic specialty stores and restaurants.
The first Jewish delicatessen, the first kosher meat market, and the first Jewish bakery on Fairfax Ave were all located in the theater building. This was 23 years before Canter’s moved to the neighborhood.
Now is the time to landmark this building, which has been neglected by the owner for over a decade.
Recognizing this historic culture center of the Jewish community is especially important at this time, as the neighborhood is transitioning from the “Kosher Canyon” it once was, to a district of trendy clothing and skateboard shops. The preservation of this building would serve as a monument to the many Jewish families who found refuge in the Beverly-Fairfax neighborhood for generations.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your address, neighborhood, or zip code very important if you live in the area]
VOICE YOUR SUPPORT AT THE CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION MEETING ON June 3, 2021 at 10:00 AM
If you are able to call into the meeting, please do. This is very helpful to the cause!
TO PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM:
To speak you will use the feature in Zoom to raise your hand. A meeting official will call your name and give you verbal instructions to unmute. You will NOT appear on camera if you connect on Zoom, but you will be able to see the presenters and the presentations. Click the green button below to connect. USE MEETING ID: 811 5667 2874 Password: 923851
CALL INTO THE MEETING:
You can call in by telephone to LISTEN to the meeting: 213-621-2489 or 818-904-9450 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. Use Meeting ID No. 811 5667 2874 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. You may use password: 923851.
You can call in by telephone to SPEAK. Either access the ZOOM link or call 1 (213) 338-8477 or 1 (669) 900-9128 and use Meeting ID No. 811 5667 2874 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. You may use password: 923851.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:
Members of the public who wish to participate in the meeting and offer public comment to the Cultural Heritage Commission, can
Members of the public who wish to provide public comment will be able to listen or view the meeting via their phone or other electronic device. Each speaker’s audio will be unmuted as they are called upon. Speakers are typically given 1-2 minutes to speak and at the end of the time limit, you will hear a buzzer sound or verbal indicator. Soon thereafter, your audio will again be muted.
To comment on an agenda item online via Zoom, use the login information provided above for presenters. Following the Commission President calling the item, click the “Raise Hand” button at the bottom of your screen. Commission Office staff will call your name, if available, when it is your turn to speak. You will see a prompt stating, “The Host would like to unmute you.” Please click on “Unmute.”
To comment on an agenda item, press *9 to “raise your hand” virtually following the Commission President calling the item. Commission staff will call upon speakers using the last four digits of the phone number, if available.