Friday Morning Club
Also known as: Variety Arts Center
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Why it's listed
Built in 1924 on Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, this five-story concrete and steel building was designed by Allison & Allison as the clubhouse of the Friday Morning Club, a women's club founded in 1891 that promoted charitable work, kindergartens, mobile libraries and women's suffrage. A first-floor theater helped pay off the mortgage and became central to the city's cultural life, hosting plays, speakers and live radio broadcasts in the 1930s, including The Burns and Allen Show. The Italian Renaissance Revival exterior features a triple arched entrance on Corinthian columns and a pierced concrete balcony. Inside, hand-painted concrete ceilings are molded to resemble wood beams and coffers, and the library has a Tiffany-designed fireplace of Batchelder tile. The building has remained largely unaltered. Since 1977 it has been owned by the Society for the Preservation of Variety Arts, which uses it for performances, collections and a museum, while the club still occupies the fifth floor.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its association with the Friday Morning Club, a major Los Angeles women's club founded in 1891, and with the Golden Age of Radio in the 1930s, when live shows were broadcast from its theater. It also points to the quality of its Italian Renaissance Revival design and interiors, and to the prominent architectural firm Allison & Allison.
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 84000865, listed May 17, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 938-940 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | May 17, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000865 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-1924 |
| Architect / builder | Allison & Allison, architects |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in excellent condition, virtually unaltered; used as a theater, performing arts center, library and museum, with the Friday Morning Club leasing the fifth floor. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 34.04556, -118.26294 (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 84000865.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5503499
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.