Craftsman Bungalows Flourish in West Adams:

Jefferson Park, an architecturally distinct community southwest of downtown Los Angeles in the Historic West Adams District, will open the  doors of nine of its Craftsman bungalows to visitors for a special walking tour on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All of the houses were built circa 1910 and still maintain the signature features of Craftsman style that are now so admired. The bungalows are particularly remarkable for their consistency of style and historic integrity.  Most of the modest, one-story homes, originally built for less than $3,500, are about 1,500 square feet with characteristic features of the Arts and Crafts movement, such as covered porches, built-in china cabinets, bookcases with original leaded glass, trundle beds, double Dutch entry doors and decorative moldings.  Natural building materials, such as limestone and sandstone, which were used for pillars and chimneys, are features particularly unique to Jefferson Park. The tour will benefit the West Adams Heritage Association, a non-profit organization that supports preservation of the community’s architectural and cultural heritage, with proceeds being allocated to help complete a Jefferson Park Historic Resources Survey for the proposed Jefferson Park HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.) The West Adams Heritage Association was founded in 1983 to support preservation of the community’s architectural and cultural heritage.  WAHA has grown from a small resident support group to a recognized preservation voice with hundreds of members who live in the many neighborhoods of the Historic West Adams District, including Jefferson Park. This tour focuses specifically on homes located in Jefferson Park between Jefferson and Exposition Boulevards, and Arlington and Fourth Avenue.  All the houses on the tour are within easy walking distance of one another.  Tickets may be purchased on the day of the event for $20 per person, or in advance for $15 per person. For information, call (323) 871-8554, or write tour@JeffersonPark.info.