Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building (1949)
| Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Commercial Offices / Non-Profit |
| Location | 1999 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90018 |
| Coordinates | 34°01′59″N 118°18′32″W / 34.032989°N 118.308798°WCoordinates: 34°01′59″N 118°18′32″W / 34.032989°N 118.308798°W |
| Construction started | 1948 |
| Completed | 1949 |
| Cost | $956,000 (1949) |
| Owner | South Central Los Angeles Regional Center (SCLARC) |
| Management | South Central Los Angeles Regional Center (SCLARC) |
| Height | |
| Roof | 25.6 m (84 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 Plus Mezzanine and Basement |
| Floor area | 5,017 m2 (54,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Paul Revere Williams |
| Developer | Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company |
| Structural engineer | Morris K. Goldsmith |
| Main contractor | Herbert M. Baruch Corporation |
| Designated | April 7, 2011 |
| Reference no. | 1000 |
| References | |
The Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building is a landmark 5-story, 84 m (276 ft) office building in the Late Moderne style built in 1949 as the headquarters for its namesake company. The building was designed by Paul Revere Williams, the noted African-American Architect. The building is located in the West Adams district of South Los Angeles about 3.5 miles southwest of Downtown Los Angeles and 2 miles northwest of Exposition Park and USC. This was the company’s second building to bear this name, the first having been built in 1928.
Founded in 1925 Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company (GSM) was the largest African American owned insurance company in the Western United States and was the first to offer all persons life insurance regardless of race. The company grew extensively during the 1920s and 1930s serving this previously unserved market.
In 1946 the board of the Golden State Mutual Company decided it had outgrown its second 1928 building on Central Ave (also an historic building) and to relocate to a new site at the corner of West Adams Boulevard and South Western Ave (1999 West Adams) in the West Adams District. At that time this location was described as “most attractive business corners outside of downtown Los Angeles” due to its convenient location on major bus lines. The company’s decision to locate here, in part, signaled the decline of the Central Avenue District for the City’s African American Population.
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