By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LEIMERT PARK — On a cool, crisp morning, with the familiar sounds of drums wafting through the neighborhood, some residents held a community yard sale to raise funds to nominate this iconic neighborhood to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Leimert Park is known for its rich history, cultural significance and thriving arts scene.
An area with cultural attractions, including Vision Theatre, World Stage and the California Jazz and Blues Museum, Leimert Park has also been instrumental in the Martin Luther King Day parades, Juneteenth celebrations, drum circles, art walks, and jazz festivals. It has affectionately been referred to as the “Black Greenwich Village” due to its influential Black community and abundance of jazz clubs, art galleries and soul-food restaurants.
It also is known for its historic architecture, a blend of Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial styles, with ornate tile work, stucco facades and curved lines that evoke a sense of old-world charm.
The neighborhood’s design features tree-lined streets, courtyard homes and well landscaped public spaces.
Those attributes are some of the reasons Leimert Park advocates and residents have set the wheels in motion to get the community listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Leimert Park qualifies for a number of reasons,” said Diane Robertson, who has taken up the mantle, along with six other Preserve Leimert Park Homeowners Committee members, to get the Leimert Park designation. “There is the architectural significance of the community, the historic significance and the social significance of the community.
“It’s the epicenter of music, art and culture in the city of Los Angeles,” Robertson said. “I would argue there is no other community in Los Angeles like Leimert Park.”
Robertson, the president and CEO of the Leimert Park Jazz Festival, said residents were on the “final push” of raising funds needed to complete the nomination of Leimert Park to the prestigious registry.
Robertson, who has lived in Leimert Park since 2014, said part of the proceeds from the yard sale would go toward hiring an architectural research firm to survey all properties in Leimert Park.
“There are approximately 2,000 properties the firm will need to survey to determine the number of properties that have retained the original architectural detail,” said Robertson, who also hosts the Sunday Jazz at The World Stage monthly concert series. “Then, there is a lot of paperwork that has to be submitted. The money being raised is for their scope of work.”
Los Angeles Conservancy President and CEO Adrian Scott Fine said Leimert Park deserves the designation.
“Leimert Park matters because it stands as a vibrant center of Black culture, where the stories, people, and early 20th-century Spanish Colonial style homes form an essential chapter of South Los Angeles’ history,” he said. “For generations, Angelenos have called this community home, shaping its rich and layered identity. Honoring this legacy is vital to ensuring Leimert Park receives the recognition it deserves.”
The Los Angeles Conservancy has secured a $75,000 grant from the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant, funded by the Historic Preservation Fund of the National Park Service through the U.S. Department of the Interior, putting the organization just $10,000 shy of its goal to nominate Leimert Park as a historic district.
The conservancy is serving as the fiscal sponsor for fundraising and will establish and maintain a designated fund to support the research, preparation and nomination of any portion or all of the Leimert Park neighborhood as the “Leimert Park Historic District” (specific naming to be determined at a later date), to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Upon completion, the nomination will be submitted for consideration to the California Office of Historic Preservation and the National Park Service.
Listing Leimert Park in the National Register would bring official recognition of its cultural and historic significance, putting it on the map as a treasured neighborhood. It also would protect the area from the state’s higher-density development rules, preserve the area’s character and unlock federal grants and tax incentives to support its preservation.
Lynne and Dave Howard have lived in Leimert Park since 2016. Both are enamored with the area.
“We love it,” Lynne Howard said. “In all of the places I’ve lived in LA, it has the best community feel. The nomination is important to us. When we bought our house, one of the things that appealed to us about the neighborhood was the many historical elements intact in this area.
“So many houses in LA are being torn down and rebuilt without their historic characteristics.” she added. “I love that it hasn’t touched our neighborhood yet. I want to keep it that way.”
“I love hearing the music coming over from the village,” Dave Howard said. “I love sitting outside with a glass of wine and listening to the music.”
Larry and Helene Safford, who have been married 38 years, moved to Leimert Park two years after looking all over Los Angeles “for a nice neighborhood.”
“Leimert Park looked like a nice neighborhood,” Larry Safford said. “The architecture is amazing. We’ve been very happy. It should be designated because it has such a history.”
“The history is what drew us to the neighborhood,” Helene Safford said. “We love the historic homes and the people in the neighborhood. We walk everywhere. We’ve made good friends. It’s a great place to live.”
Before moving to Leimert Park, Kathy Wong and her husband lived in the Bay Area.
“We were drawn to the history of the Village,” said Wong, who is an art appraiser. “I appreciate the historic nature of objects and architecture. We were drawn to the charm and character of this neighborhood.
“Having a commercial district as vibrant as this within walking distance is a privilege. Not all areas of Los Angeles have this level of walkability. I feel humbled. We’ve been embraced by the neighbors.
“People who move here with the spirit of community are welcome,” Wong added. “It’s not about holding on to the idea of the past; it’s having some kind of galvanizing identity that will preserve the community nature of the neighborhood.”
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States’ official list of historic places worthy of preservation. It’s administered by the National Park Service under the Department of the Interior.
Its purpose is to identify, evaluate and protect historic resources (buildings, sites, districts, structures or objects) that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or culture.
To be eligible, properties must meet specific criteria related to historical significance and integrity. A listing can provide tax incentives for preservation, eligibility for certain grants and recognition of cultural importance.
Nominations are typically prepared by state historic preservation offices and reviewed by the National Park Service.
Donations can be made online or by check (made payable to the Los Angeles Conservancy) and sent to: Leimert Park National Register Nomination Fund, Los Angeles Conservancy, 523 W. Sixth St., Suite 826, Los Angeles, 90014.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
