Catholic-Protestant Chapels, Veterans Administration Center
Why it's listed
Two chapels, one Protestant and one Catholic, share a single wood-frame building on the Veterans Administration grounds at Sawtelle in Los Angeles. Designed by Los Angeles architect J. Lee Burton, it was dedicated in March 1900 and cost $14,000 to build. Large gables on the exterior mark the two chapel spaces inside. The Protestant Chapel faces Wilshire Boulevard and has an arched portico, a balustraded balcony, a square belfry tower and a smaller tower with a pyramidal roof. The Catholic Chapel has an east entrance with an open-arched belfry and steeple. Wood siding, shingles and abundant scroll-saw ornament are painted white. A fire in 1955 damaged the front, and rebuilding included plywood reinforcement and closing the balcony. Restoration cost far less than a new chapel and spared the building from demolition. The nomination values it as a lively example of shingle-style design, a type becoming rare in cities, and as a link in the architectural history of the grounds.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the chapels as an exuberant example of the shingle style, examples of which are described as rapidly disappearing from cities. The fanciful building gives the Veterans Administration grounds historical depth and continuity with later building styles.
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 72000229, listed February 11, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Eisenhower Ave., Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | February 11, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000229 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 20th Century (built 1900) |
| Architect / builder | J. Lee Burton, Los Angeles architect |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style, with Carpenter's Gothic scroll-saw ornament |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked as good condition and altered; the balcony was closed and the structure strengthened after a 1955 fire. The form checks government and religious use. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Within district | West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.05496, -118.45626 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 72000229.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7959336
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.