{"nrhp_refnum":"05000213","name":"Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"529 Wilshire Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Los Angeles","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":34.062380751000035,"lon":-118.343482301,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-03-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Art Deco commercial building with a mezzanine at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, built in 1929 as a Security-First National Bank branch and designed by Morgan, Walls and Clements.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an outstanding local example of Art Deco design in a small commercial building at the eastern edge of the Miracle Mile. Its black and gold glazed terra cotta facade is described as extremely rare, and only one comparable building is identified as surviving in Los Angeles. It also represents the work of architect Stiles O. Clements and his firm.","narrative":"Built in 1929 on Wilshire Boulevard near La Brea Avenue, this small Art Deco building opened as a Security-First National Bank branch. It was designed by the Los Angeles firm Morgan, Walls and Clements under architect Stiles O. Clements. Its street facade is clad in black and gold glazed terra cotta, arranged in ribbed piers with zigzag friezes and decorative aluminum panels. The nomination calls this material extremely rare and identifies only one other surviving black and gold terra cotta Art Deco building in Los Angeles. The design echoes the larger Richfield Oil Building by the same architects, since demolished. The building won a 1930 award from the local American Institute of Architects chapter. Inside, the open banking hall retains Art Deco skylights, plaster and metal details, vaults, and an original wood staircase. In 2004 the interior was adapted to offices, with added mezzanine rooms. It is considered locally significant for its architecture and its place among the Miracle Mile's ornamented commercial buildings.","period_of_significance":"1929","architect_builder":"Morgan, Walls and Clements (Stiles O. Clements, Octavius Morgan, John A. Walls)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Art Deco (Zigzag Moderne)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Interior was converted to offices in 2004 with historic fabric restored; current use is business/office. Exterior plate glass and entrance doors have been replaced.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.556488-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/05000213.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000213/f6a8b0c69d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000213/f6a8b0c69d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Los Angeles","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Security-First_National_Bank_of_Los_Angeles.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Security-First_National_Bank_of_Los_Angeles.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859510","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133273491"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/security-first-national-bank-of-los-angeles-05000213/"}