Bungalow Court at 1544 N. Serrano Avenue
Why it's listed
Built in 1925, this bungalow court at 1544-1552 N. Serrano Avenue in Hollywood sits on a flat parcel about 100 feet wide and 175 feet deep. Two identical rows of three one-story bungalows face each other across a narrow courtyard, with a two-story, two-unit residence at the rear and two garages at the back corners. The buildings show Spanish Colonial Revival elements, including flat roofs with stepped molded parapets, stucco walls, wood double-hung windows, arched porch roofs hung on tie-back chains, and twelve-light wood front doors. Inside, many units keep hardwood floors, plaster walls, built-in cabinets and original tile. The court reflects the bungalow court type, which spread across Southern California as Hollywood grew denser during the film industry's expansion. In 2009 it was one of four Hollywood bungalow courts rehabilitated as low-income housing, in response to concern over court demolitions for condominiums. It continues as multiple-unit housing.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the property as a well-preserved example of the bungalow court building type, a multiple-family housing form that flourished in Southern California and Hollywood from about 1910 through the 1930s. It also shows Spanish Colonial Revival design elements and original exterior and interior features. It was rehabilitated in 2009 to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards as affordable housing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000764, listed September 16, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1544-1552 N Serrano Ave, Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | September 16, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000764 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late 19th/20th Century Revivals: Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 2009 as low-income housing, including units reserved for people living with HIV/AIDS; the National Park Service approved the completed work on March 31, 2010. It remains in multiple-dwelling use. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 34.09975, -118.30667 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000764.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133280412
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.