Citizens Publishing Company Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1929 at 9355 Culver Boulevard, this two-story reinforced brick and concrete building was made for The Citizen, a weekly newspaper, and its printing business. Eugene and Catherine Donovan commissioned it. Catherine developed the design concept, and Los Angeles architect Orville Clark, who also designed Culver City's City Hall and a fire station, carried it out. The street facade pairs a two-story arch and symmetrical Beaux Arts composition with Art Deco floral and zigzag ornament, while the other walls have a plain industrial character. The building cost $80,000, a large sum for the city then, and local suppliers provided many materials. The Citizen became the town's most influential paper and won state and national editorial and typography awards. The firm also printed hundreds of dummy newspapers each year for Hollywood studios. Publisher Eugene Donovan took an active part in Culver City civic affairs. About 2,000 people attended the building's opening reception in January 1930.
Significance in brief: It housed The Citizen, a weekly community newspaper that won state and national awards and became Culver City's largest and most influential paper. It is tied to publisher Eugene Donovan's civic leadership and to a printing business that produced dummy newspapers for major film studios. Its facade also combines Beaux Arts and Art Deco elements in a way that made it a local landmark.
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 87000082, listed February 12, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 9355 Culver Blvd., Culver City |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | February 12, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000082 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1936 |
| Architect / builder | Orville Clark, Architect |
| Architectural style | Eclectic design combining Beaux Arts elements with Art Deco ornament |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture, Communications, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition, unaltered and occupied. The main interior spaces remain as built in 1929, and a mid-1940s rear annex is the only notable addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.02539, -118.39402 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 87000082.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28058853
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.