Banks & Huntley Building

Banks & Huntley Building
U.S. Historic district – Contributing property
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
The building in 2008
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location	632 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, California
Coordinates	34°02′43″N118°15′04″W / 34.04517°N 118.25115°W / 34.04517; -118.25115
Built	1930
Architect	Parkinson and Parkinson
Architectural style	Art Deco
Part of	Spring Street Financial District (ID79000489)
LAHCM No.	631
Significant dates
Designated CP	August 10, 1979
Designated LAHCM	January 14, 1997

Banks & Huntley Building is a historic building located at 632 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles, California. It is a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument and a contributing property in the Spring Street Financial District.

History

Banks & Huntley Building was designed by Parkinson and Parkinson and built in 1930. ^[1] The building was the first in Los Angeles to have central heating and air conditioning. ^[2] It was featured in Architectural Digest in 1931. ^[3]

In 1979, the Spring Street Financial District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Banks & Huntley Building listed as a contributing property in the district. ^[1] The building was declared Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument No. 631 on January 14, 1997. ^[4]

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund moved into the building in 1984 and agreed to buy it for $8.5 million in 1991 ($20.1 million in 2025). The organization raised $6.2 million as of 1996. They also renovated the building and occupied the top two floors while renting out the floors underneath. ^[2]

Architecture and design

Banks & Huntley Building is a twelve story concrete office building that features an Art Deco design with Moderne styling. ^{[1] [2]} The building's upper facade is treated as a tower and features vertical panels of chevrons. ^[5] The building as a whole has been described as "an Art Deco gem." ^[6]

Inside, early pictures of the building show polished stone walls and floors, ^[7] while the Los Angeles Times reported in 1996 that the walls were covered with polished wood paneling. ^[2] The building also features decorative elevator doors ^[7] and several of the building's ceilings feature colorful frescoes. ^[2]

See also

• List of contributing properties in the Spring Street Financial District

References

1. "Spring Street Financial District". National Park Service. August 10, 1979.
2. "Group Restores Historic Building". Los Angeles Times . July 24, 1996.
3. "Banks Huntley Building, Los Angeles — John and Donald B. Parkinson, Architects". Architectural Digest . Vol. VIII, no. 2. 1931.
4. "Historical Cultural Monuments List" (PDF). City of Los Angeles . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
5. Winter, Robert (2009). An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Gibbs Smith. p. 252. ISBN   978-1-4236-0893-6.
6. Sonksen, Mike (August 23, 2013). "Iconic Vision: John Parkinson and Angel City Press". PBS SoCal.
7. "Image / [Interior elevator lobby general view Banks Huntley Building, 634 South Spring Street, ..." Calisphere . University of California . Retrieved October 7, 2026.