May 17, 1979
Eugene W. Britt House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Britt House was constructed in 1910, as a residence for Eugene W. Britt (1885-1935), a prominent lawyer in Los Angeles at that time. Born in Missouri, Britt moved to California in 1878 to practice law. He represented Lake County in the California Assembly in 1885, served on the State Supreme Court Commission from 1895 to 1900, and was president of the Los Angeles Bar Association. in 1912. In 1923 Britt sold the house to A.K. Detwiler who lived there until the early 1940s. Shortly thereafter, the present owners acquired the home and have occupied it as a single-family residence since that time. The architect of the Britt House, Alfred Faist Rosenheim (1859-1942), began his career in St. Louis in 1885 and moved to Los Angeles about 1902 where he became one of that city's most notable architects. Rosenheim was responsible for the designs of the H.W. Heilman Building on Spring Street (1902), the May Company Building on Broadway (1906), and the Second Church of Christ Scientist on West Adams (1910), and numerous other structures in Southern California which include many mansions in the then fashionable West Adams district. He was a past president of the Southern California Chapter, A.I.A., the Architectural League of the Pacific Coast, and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Commission. The most notable architectural feature of the Britt House is the fact that it was-one of the earliest American Colonial Revival residences in Los Angeles done in brick rather than wood. Residences designed in this style in Southern California were plentiful during the late 1890s to 1915 period, but the majority were built of wood or wood-frame and stucco. Rosenheim designed this house with brick building materials in mind, combining red brick with cream-colored terra cotta, and adding quoins on the building corners, arched window structures of radiating brick, decorative railings around the portico and terrace, and other details associated with brick structures. Although the use of brick in American Colonial Revival structures became more common after 1910, the Britt House was one of the earliest residences in Los Angeles to incorporate brick into this architectural style. At the time of its completion, it represented a significant contribution in both its elegance and unique architectural blend of design and materials to the West Adams district, the most fashionable residential area of the city in the early 1900s. In recognition of the architectural significance of the Britt House, its remarkable state of preservation, and the fact that is has not been appreciably altered through the years, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Board designated it a local historical landmark in 1978.
Eugene W. Britt House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Britt House was constructed in 1910, as a residence for Eugene W. Britt (1885-1935), a prominent lawyer in Los Angeles at that time. Born in Missouri, Britt moved to California in 1878 to practice law. He represented Lake County in the California Assembly in 1885, served on the State Supreme Court Commission from 1895 to 1900, and was president of the Los Angeles Bar Association. in 1912. In 1923 Britt sold the house to A.K. Detwiler who lived there until the early 1940s. Shortly thereafter, the present owners acquired the home and have occupied it as a single-family residence since that time. The architect of the Britt House, Alfred Faist Rosenheim (1859-1942), began his career in St. Louis in 1885 and moved to Los Angeles about 1902 where he became one of that city's most notable architects. Rosenheim was responsible for the designs of the H.W. Heilman Building on Spring Street (1902), the May Company Building on Broadway (1906), and the Second Church of Christ Scientist on West Adams (1910), and numerous other structures in Southern California which include many mansions in the then fashionable West Adams district. He was a past president of the Southern California Chapter, A.I.A., the Architectural League of the Pacific Coast, and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Commission. The most notable architectural feature of the Britt House is the fact that it was-one of the earliest American Colonial Revival residences in Los Angeles done in brick rather than wood. Residences designed in this style in Southern California were plentiful during the late 1890s to 1915 period, but the majority were built of wood or wood-frame and stucco. Rosenheim designed this house with brick building materials in mind, combining red brick with cream-colored terra cotta, and adding quoins on the building corners, arched window structures of radiating brick, decorative railings around the portico and terrace, and other details associated with brick structures. Although the use of brick in American Colonial Revival structures became more common after 1910, the Britt House was one of the earliest residences in Los Angeles to incorporate brick into this architectural style. At the time of its completion, it represented a significant contribution in both its elegance and unique architectural blend of design and materials to the West Adams district, the most fashionable residential area of the city in the early 1900s. In recognition of the architectural significance of the Britt House, its remarkable state of preservation, and the fact that is has not been appreciably altered through the years, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Board designated it a local historical landmark in 1978.
May 17, 1979
Posted Date
Mar 14, 2022
Historical Record Date
May 17, 1979
Source Name
United States Department of Interior - National Park Service
