Westlake Theatre
Also known as: Westlake Theatre Building
Why it's listed
Facing MacArthur Park about a mile west of downtown Los Angeles, this large concrete theatre opened on September 22, 1926, with 1,949 seats. Architect Richard M. Bates gave it a Spanish Colonial Revival design, with Churrigueresque cast stone ornament across the Alvarado Street front and lighter Classical and Adamesque decoration inside. Offices and shops occupy the two-story front section, the auditorium rises behind it, and a tall stage house stands at the east end. A three-story neon roof sign remains. In 1935 S. Charles Lee updated the entrance with an Art Deco ticket booth, marquee and foyer terrazzo. Inside, the auditorium keeps a mural by Dutch-born muralist Anthony Heinsbergen. The building reflects the 1920s boom around Westlake Park, when apartment hotels, offices and entertainment venues filled the district. After 65 years as a movie theatre it closed in 1991, and the auditorium now serves as a swap meet. The city designated it a local monument in 1991.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the theatre as a surviving 1920s movie palace in Spanish Colonial Revival style, with Churrigueresque exterior detail and Adamesque interior ornament. It retains an Anthony Heinsbergen auditorium mural and 1935 Art Deco alterations by S. Charles Lee. It also reflects the growth of the Westlake Park area as a fashionable entertainment and commercial district in the 1920s.
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 09001200, listed January 7, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 634-642 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | January 7, 2010 |
| Reference number | 09001200 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Richard M. Bates (architect); West Coast-Langley Theatres (builder); S. Charles Lee (1935 alterations); Anthony Heinsbergen (muralist) |
| Architectural style | Colonial - Spanish Colonial (Churrigueresque exterior detail, Adamesque interior) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The theatre closed as a movie house in 1991. The auditorium now houses a swap meet, while the offices and front retail spaces keep their original function. Some arched openings are covered with plywood or panels. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.05814, -118.27559 (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 09001200.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7988991
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.