Place
Jordan High School
Boasting five structures from the school's earliest period, between 1925 and 1927, each seismically retrofitted and renovated with a unifying PWA Moderne style following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake.
Place Details
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Designation
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Community
Photo by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy
Overview
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) proposed the demolition of two out of five historic buildings at Jordan High School in South Los Angeles, a National Register-eligible historic district. The campus’s eligibility would have been jeopardized if both the Domestic Science Building and the North Annex were demolished as proposed in the draft environmental impact report (EIR) released in February 2012.
In October 2012, a successful resolution to Jordan High School, the Board of Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) approved a revised development project that avoided demolition of an additional historic classroom building, preserving the core of this historic school campus.
At the time of the original proposal, the Conservancy knew there was a feasible preservation alternative for which we advocated strongly.
By LAUSD reusing and reinvesting in its existing buildings at Jordan, it set an example for many other historic schools that can be modernized to provide high-performing educational facilities while respecting its rich history.
About This Place
About This Place
Jordan High School was established in 1925 and named after the naturalist, eugenicist, and Stanford University president, David Starr Jordan (the school’s name was shortened from David Starr Jordan High School to Jordan High School in October 2020). The historic campus boasts a collection of five structures from its earliest period. Four of the five structures were all constructed between 1925 and 1927, including the Administration Building, its West Annex also known as the Domestic Science Building, the North Annex, and the Auditorium.
Following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, these buildings were seismically retrofitted in 1935 and renovated with a unifying PWA (Public Works Administration) Moderne style. Prominent Los Angeles architect Sumner P. Hunt designed the remodeling and retrofitting effort with builder George M. Easton and under the supervision of the district architect Alfred S. Nibecker, Jr. A loggia connecting the Administration Building to the North Annex also was constructed in 1935 and constitutes the fifth structure in this historic district determined eligible in 1994 for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Three additional buildings on campus date from the same period of construction: the PWA Moderne-style girl’s gymnasium (1937), and two shop buildings from the 1920s that were also seismically upgraded in 1935.
Our Position
The Conservancy strongly advocated for feasible preservation alternatives that would meet the project objectives, while maintaining the campus’s eligibility as a National Register historic district.
The following points summarize the Conservancy’s advocacy position:
- As a National Register-eligible historic district, the Conservancy would like to ensure that eligibility of the Jordan High School campus as a historical resource is maintained while minimizing and avoiding any adverse impacts associated with the proposed project.
- The Domestic Science Building and North Annex must be preserved in order to maintain the campus’ eligibility as a National Register historic district. The Conservancy strongly believes feasible preservation options exist to accomplish this goal.
- By reusing and reinvesting in its existing buildings, Jordan, like many other historic schools, can be adapted to provide high-performing educational facilities while respecting its rich history.
We urged the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to set an example for its students of responsible historic and cultural stewardship by adopting a preservation alternative as the preferred project.
Following our comment letter, Conservancy staff met with LAUSD as well as with the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, one of two charter schools operating at the campus. The conversations helped us understand the school district’s needs and constraints while clarifying where compromise was possible.
Based on our comments on the importance of maintaining the historic district as well as the collection of three buildings along the street front, LAUSD revised the project. Although the North Annex is set to be demolished, LAUSD will retain the Domestic Science Building alongside the Administration Building, Auditorium, and Loggia.
New classroom buildings, open space, and fire and safety features will be incorporated throughout the rest of the site. With four of the five contributors to the historic district remaining, and new construction on campus compatible in scale and massing with the historic buildings, we believe and agree that Jordan High School will retain its eligibility for the National Register.
We appreciate LAUSD’s efforts to meet with the Conservancy and address our concerns. As the district begins to plan a renovation program for its existing schools, we will build on the experience of Jordan and work with LAUSD staff to ensure their historic schools continue to serve students well into the future.
