Cherokee Building
Building in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cherokee Building is a historic two-story commercial structure located at 6630 W. Hollywood Boulevard and 1652 N. Cherokee Avenue in Hollywood, California.
Cherokee Building | |
The building in 2024 | |
  Location of building in Los Angeles County | |
| Location | 6630 W. Hollywood Blvd. and 1652 N. Cherokee Ave., Hollywood, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34.1015°N 118.3344°W |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Norman W. Alpaugh |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Part of | Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District (ID85000704) |
| Designated CP | April 4, 1985 |
History
Cherokee Building was built by Norman W. Alpaugh in 1929 and features a Spanish Colonial Revival design.[1] The building housed Hollywood's first drive-in businesses, and it catered to the automobile by having a large motor entrance at the rear where motorists could park and enter, rather than entering from the street.[2]
One of Cherokee Building's original tenants was a hair salon that acted as a front for a Prohibition-era illegal card club and gambling speakeasy. In the 1930s, Gene Austin opened a nightclub in the building, and that business was followed by several bars, including a gay bar.[3][4] In 1944, the bar changed to Boardner's, whose name has remained ever since.[5]
In 1938, Larry Edmunds Bookshop moved into one of the building's storefronts.[2] In the 1960s and 70s, several clothing stores popular with rock musicians were located in this building.[4]
In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Cherokee Building listed as a contributing property in the district.[1]
In 1993, the building was sold for $2.76 million ($6.15 million in 2025).[6]
Architecture
Cherokee Building was built with concrete in an L-shaped configuration. The building features a Spanish Colonial Revival design, one that includes an elaborate stringcourse, a tiled roof, Moorish arches, a brick patio with a tiled fountain as its focal point, Churrigueresque and wrought iron ornamentation, and ornamental medallions.[1]