Beverly Vista School, Administration Building, 200 South Elm Drive, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, CA

Significance: At Beverly Vista, the Administration Building (Building A) is a fine example of public school design. The first building to be erected on campus, Building A, was designed by architect Francis J. Catton in the Italian Romanesque Revival style. Incorporating the distinguishing characteristics of this architectural idiom such as brick exterior walls, a tiled roof, an extensive and unifying use of arches as a decorative motif, and a tower which is reminiscent of ecclesiastical Romanesque precedents. The use of the Romanesque Revival style also represents a distinctly traditional choice of architectural imagery. While all of the other schools in the Beverly Hills Unified School District showcase the Spanish style, that eventually became integral to the mythology of southern California, Beverly Vista suggests a more urban approach to school design. Built in 1924, Building A is the oldest extant public school building constructed by the District in Beverly Hills.
Survey number: HABS CA-2704-A
Building/structure dates: 1924 Initial Construction