LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Six locations that represent Los Angeles’ Black history received landmark status in August, the city announced.
Among the newly-designated landmarks are the home of L.A.’s first Black mayor, a Pacoima barber shop and a historic LGBTQ+ disco club.
The city of Los Angeles, in partnership with Getty, named each site a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) as part of a wider effort to help protect and celebrate Black heritage.
“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,” said Rita Cofield, associate project specialist at the Getty Conservation Institute and project leader of the African American Historic Places, Los Angeles (AAHPLA) project.
“Their official landmark status ensures that these cherished spaces and their legacy endure, inspiring generations to come,” said Cofield.
The six locations that received HCM status are:
- St. Elmo Village
- Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence
- Jewel’s Catch One
- StylesVille Barbershop & Beauty Salon
- California Eagle offices
- New Bethel Baptist Church
According to Getty, the locations were selected by an advisory committee based on theme, geographic location and gender diversity. The sites were then nominated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission and approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 2024 and 2025.
Each location will receive a unique plaque that explains the historic and cultural relevance of the site.
Here’s a breakdown of the six newly-designated landmarks and the significance of each to Los Angeles’ Black heritage.
Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence
3807 Welland Ave, Los Angeles
The Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence is one of Los Angeles’ six newly designated Historic-Cultural Monuments.
© J. Paul Getty Trust
Tom Bradley was L.A.’s first Black mayor from 1973 to 1993.
He and his wife, Ethel, purchased their Leimert Park home in the 1950s and helped integrate the neighborhood, despite racially restrictive covenants in the area.
St. Elmo Village
4820-4846 West St. Elmo Dr., Los Angeles
St. Elmo Village is one of Los Angeles’ six newly designated Historic-Cultural Monuments.
Elizabeth Daniels © J. Paul Getty Trust
St. Elmo Village is a small creative community in Mid City that has been at the forefront of Black art and civil rights for decades. The small village is considered the birthplace of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I think part of our longevity has been through community, and the community has helped build this, and the community has helped save this,” said Jacqueline Alexander-Sykes, director and administrator of St. Elmo Village.
Jewel’s Catch One
4061 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles
Jewel’s Catch One is one of Los Angeles’ six newly designated Historic-Cultural Monuments.
Elizabeth Daniels © 2025 J. Paul Getty Trust
Catch One was the first African American female-owned disco club in L.A. It was also one of the first gay nightclubs to welcome LGBTQ+ people of color.
Jewel Thais-Williams opened the club in 1973, and she was able to see the site designated as a landmark before her death in July.
StylesVille Barbershop & Beauty Salon
13161 Van Nuys Blvd, Pacoima
StylesVille Barbershop & Beauty Salon is one of Los Angeles’ six newly designated Historic-Cultural Monuments.
© J. Paul Getty Trust
Fred and Ollie Carter opened StylesVille Barbershop & Beauty Salon in 1958 before moving the business to its current location across the street in 1977.
The business is now operated by third-generation owner Gregory Faucett, and holds the title of the oldest Black-owned business in the San Fernando Valley.
California Eagle offices
4071-4075 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles
The California Eagle Office is one of Los Angeles’ six newly designated Historic-Cultural Monuments.
© J. Paul Getty Trust
John Neimore started the California Eagle Newspaper in 1895. The building that is now designated as a landmark housed the paper before it moved locations in 1954 and later went out of business.
The paper became one of the longest-running Black-owned and operated newspapers in Los Angeles. Once Charlotta Bass took over the paper in 1912, she became the first African American woman to run a newspaper in the U.S.
New Bethel Baptist Church
503-505 E. Brooks Avenue, Venice
New Bethel Baptist Church is one of Los Angeles’ six newly designated Historic-Cultural Monuments.
© J. Paul Getty Trust
New Bethel Baptist Church was established in 1952, coinciding with a mass migration of African Americans to the Oakwood neighborhood. The church represents a constant anchor for long-term residents amid changes in the area.
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