{"nrhp_refnum":"84000785","name":"American Trona Corporation Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Pacific Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Los Angeles","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":33.71751434600003,"lon":-118.28693093599998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-08-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rectangular industrial building, the former American Trona Corp. \"Raw Salt Storage\" building (Building No. 425), on the east side of Pacific Avenue between 28th and 30th Streets in San Pedro, Los Angeles, on the Fort MacArthur Military Reservation. It was built in 1916-1917.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is an early West Coast industrial example of exposed heavy timber construction. Its interior contains one of the largest surviving wood structural spaces in West Coast industrial buildings. It also relates to the early California potash and soda industry. The State Historic Preservation Officer recommended listing under Criteria A and C.","narrative":"Built in 1916-1917 for the American Trona Corp., this industrial building in San Pedro measures about 302 by 88 feet and stands 48 feet tall. It was designed to process and store salt from Searles Lake, shipped by rail, for potash and soda fertilizer. The plant never reached full operation, and its machinery was removed in 1919. Later it served as a sawmill and warehouse, and in 1943 the Army acquired it as part of Fort MacArthur. The ground floor is reinforced concrete, while the upper level is heavy timber with trusses, catwalks and a modular bay system. Exterior windows and doors were changed in 1943, and interior spaces were divided in later decades, but the exposed timber interior remains largely intact. The building was listed as one of the largest surviving wood structural spaces in a West Coast industrial building and for its link to California's potash industry.","period_of_significance":"1916-1917","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Condition listed as excellent and occupied; the building is military-owned and has been altered over time, but the interior timber structure remains largely intact.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.890336-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/84000785.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000785/d0faef5d14-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000785/d0faef5d14-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Rand, Marvin, creator","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SOUTH_AND_EAST_FACADES_-_Fort_MacArthur,_Raw_Salt_Storage_and_Processing_Buildings,_Pacific_Avenue,_San_Pedro,_Los_Angeles_County,_CA_HAER_CAL,19-SANPE,1-1.tif\" rel=\"noopener\">Rand, Marvin, creator</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SOUTH_AND_EAST_FACADES_-_Fort_MacArthur,_Raw_Salt_Storage_and_Processing_Buildings,_Pacific_Avenue,_San_Pedro,_Los_Angeles_County,_CA_HAER_CAL,19-SANPE,1-1.tif"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858915","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Trona_Corporation_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4745280"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/american-trona-corporation-building-84000785/"}