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Echo Park is in the process of potentially hosting a new historical monument. Some bungalow apartments, known as the Lento Brick Court, have been nominated and taken on by the Cultural Heritage Commission as a potential candidate.
The Echo Park Historical Society originally submitted the application suggesting this hillside courtyard of five buildings in uniform brick deserved the protection, status, and benefits of being a historical monument.But in order to even be considered, a selected staff reviews the applications and confirms the proposed sites have some sort of cultural, economic, or social history to the nation. (for more information on the process see LAist's recent post on how it works)
The Lento Brick Court was determined to have historical significance because it was built in a way that allowed immigrants in the early 20th century to feel what it would be like to have their own home. According to The Eastsider LA, the Echo Park Historical Society, who submitted the application, said the Lento Brick Court has a “rare example of a mixed use complex of commercial store fronts and a residential hillside bungalow court.”
A report (PDF) submitted to the Cultural Heritage Commission also noted that the particular hillside courtyard was profiled in the book Courtyard Housing in Los Angeles (1992) by Stephanos Polyzoides, Roger Sherwood, and James Tice.
The Lento Brick Court will be considered by the Planning and Land Use Management Committee today during its weekly meeting.