Former Mayor Cristobal Aguilar signed Pershing Square into being in 1866, at which time it was called La Plaza Abaja ("The Lower Plaza"). During the 1880s and '90s, it was known as 6th Street Park and Central Park, but was renamed Pershing Square in 1918 in honor of General John J. Pershing. The park was first renovated in 1911; in the 1950s a car garage was built beneath it; and in 1994, it was completely redesigned by architect Ricardo Legoretta and landscapist Laurie Olin and was rededicated on February 3, 1994. Pershing Square takes up the entire block and is bounded by 5th Street to the north, 6th Street to the south, Hill Street to the east, and Olive Street to the west.; This building for St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral was razed for the construction of the Biltmore Hotel. Its replacement was a 1,200-seat church at 615 South Figueroa Street, designed by Reginald Johnson, Roland Coate, Gordon Kaufman, and Carleton Winslow. That structure was dedicated on July 13, 1924 and razed in 1980. Two women are walking through 6th Street Park (later Pershing Square); behind them are the first St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral building (right of center) at 523 S. Olive Street and a large residence (far right).
St. Paul's Cathedral (Los Angeles, Calif.) Women--California--Los Angeles Parks--California--Los Angeles Queen Anne revival (Architecture)--California--Los Angeles Anglican church buildings--California--Los Angeles Church buildings--California--Los Angeles Dwellings--California--Los Angeles Lost architecture--California--Los Angeles Pershing Square (Los Angeles, Calif.) Downtown Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.