Fred C. Thomson Building

Fred C. Thomson Building
Hollywood Citizen News excerpt about the building, 1927
General information
Architectural style	Spanish Colonial Revival
Location	6528 West Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Coordinates	34°05′52″N118°19′57″W / 34.0979°N 118.3326°W / 34.0979; -118.3326
Completed	1927
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Gogerty and Weyl
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Designated	November 5, 2019
Reference no.	1196

Fred C. Thomson Building, also known as the Court of Olive, ^[1] is a historic retail building located at 6528 West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

History

Fred C. Thomson Building was designed by the architectural partnership Gogerty and Weyl for silent film star Fred Thomson and his journalist and screenwriter wife Frances Marion. It was built in 1927-1928 ^{[2] [3]} at a cost of $100,000 ($1.75 million in 2023) ^[4] and its original tenants included Mary Helen Tea Room, Sunshine of Hollywood, Kepners hair salon, and offices for Weyl. ^[5] The building also housed Travis Benton's (head of Paramount Studios' costume department) studio and store during its early years. ^[6]

Fred Thompson died in 1928, after which the building was sold to Franklin Rice, who owned it until his death in 1949. ^[7] The building was then purchased by Edgar Bergen, who broadcast The Charlie McCarthy Show from it intermittently for the next seven years. ^[8]

The Cat & Fiddle occupied the building from 1985 to 2014, and it has since been home to April Bloomfield's The Hearth and Hound. ^[6]

The building was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #1196 in 2019. ^[9]

Architecture and design

Fred C. Thomson building features Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and is considered an excellent and intact example of the style. Elements of the style featured in the building include smooth stucco wall cladding, multi-lite wood casement windows, and a hipped red-tiled roof. Additional distinguishing features of the building include an interior courtyard, ornamental wall cutouts, arched window openings, and decorative wrought iron. ^[8]

See also

• List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood

References

1. Turnbull, Martin (February 4, 2014). "The Fred Thomson building – aka the "Court of Olive" – 6530 Sunset Boulevard, circa late 1920s".
2. Michelson, Alan. "Carl Jules Weyl Sr. (Architect)". University of Washington Pacific Coast Architecture Database . Retrieved February 18, 2025.
3. "Historic Resource - Fred C. Thomson Building 6528 W Sunset Blvd". City of Los Angeles. November 5, 2019.
4. "Fred C. Thomson Building". Hollywood Citizen News . June 25, 1927.
5. "Image / [Thompson building and courtyard, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood] (13 views)". University of California - Calisphere . Retrieved February 18, 2025.
6. "AIDS Healthcare Foundation Leads Charge to Mark Iconic, Hollywood Cat & Fiddle Restaurant & Pub Building a Historic-Cultural Monument, Passes City Council". Business Wire. November 8, 2019.
7. Keith, Morgan (November 7, 2019). "Sunset building gets historic-cultural status". Beverly Press Park Labrea News.
8. "Fred C. Thomson Building" (PDF). Los Angeles City Planning Department. August 15, 2019.
9. "Historical Cultural Monuments List" (PDF). City of Los Angeles . Retrieved August 31, 2024.