Rowan Building
Rowan Building | |
.jpg) The building in 2008 | |
  Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area | |
| Location | 460 S. Spring Street and 131 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°02′50″N 118°14′56″W / 34.0472°N 118.2490°W |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architects | Parkinson and Bergstrom |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style/Beaux Arts |
| Part of | Spring Street Financial District (ID79000489) |
| Designated CP | August 10, 1979 |
Rowan Building, also known as Title Insurance Building[1] and Rowan Building Lofts,[2] is a historic building located at 460 S. Spring Street and 131 W. 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California. It is a contributing property in the National Register of Historic Places-listed Spring Street Financial District.
History
[edit]Rowan Building was designed by Parkinson and Bergstrom for Robert Rowan and built in 1910.[3][4] Upon completion, it was the largest office building in Los Angeles.[5]
Rowan Building's occupancy began to drop in the 1970s.[4] In 1979, the Spring Street Financial District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Rowan Building listed as a contributing property in the district.[3][5]
Developer Tom Gilmore bought Rowan Building in 2000[6] and Downtown Properties bought it in 2004.[4] The building was converted to residential between 2006 and 2008 at a cost of $50 million ($77.6 million in 2025).[4] It contains 206 units[2] as well as ground floor storefronts.[4]
Architecture and design
[edit]Rowan Building is eleven stories and made with stone, brick, and 3,000 short tons (2,700,000 kg) of steel.[3][5] The United States Department of the Interior describe the building as having a Commercial Style design, while others describe the design as Beaux Arts.[4] The building features cornice, a stone and terra cotta facade, and contains more than 2000 windows.[3][4]
Inside, the building contains a marble-clad lobby, hallways, and stairways. The elevator doors feature an Art Deco design with nickel and silver.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Sitton, Tom (2008). "GC 1323 - Historic Sites Surveys" (PDF). Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
- 1 2 "Rowan Building Lofts". downtownla.com. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Spring Street Financial District". National Park Service. August 10, 1979.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Guzmán, Richard (February 25, 2008). "The Return of the Rowan". The Real Deal.
- 1 2 3 "Millions in Skyscrapers: Staggering Sum Going into Metropolitan Blocks; Downtown Sky Line Daily Grows More Imposing". Los Angeles Times. April 15, 1911.
- ↑ Michelson, Alan. "Rowan Building, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA (1911-1912)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved October 26, 2026.