Chester Place
Coordinates: 34°01′50″N 118°16′37″W / 34.030594°N 118.276985°W
Chester Place was one of the first gated communities in Los Angeles, California. It was notable for its close proximity to the University of Southern California, as well as prestigious residents such as Edward L. Doheny. The community later became a satellite campus of Mount St. Mary's College in 1962 after the land was left as a gift from Estelle Doheny.
The foundation for the creation of Chester Place started with a Los Angeles land survey conducted in 1853 by New Hampshire lawyer Henry Hancock. Hancock surveyed the lots near present day Downtown Los Angeles based on the dirt road boulevards that ran east to west across the city. Between each of these boulevards land was separated into large 35-acre (140,000 m2) lots to be sold. In 1855 Hancock eventually bought one of the best lots, which was to later become Chester Place.
Hancock sold this lot that would become Chester place on July 26, 1867 to a group of buyers, one of whom was the New England sea captain Nathan Vail, who purchased 17 acres (69,000 m2) right north of Adams Boulevard. Around this same time, the city brought irrigation canals to the area. This irrigation canal, or a zanja as the Mexican settlers called it, increased the land value of the area, which was directly related to the availability of water. South of Adams and Chester Place a new Agricultural park was also growing, which became known for horse racing, gambling, and entertainment. With a new streetcar line extended from historic Downtown in 1874 along Washington and Figueroa, this meant that the Agricultural Park area had easy transportation to the hub of the city. Agricultural Park would later be renamed Exposition Park when it was incorporated into city limits and was the site of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics.
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