Rowan Building

Rowan Building
The building in 2008
Rowan Building is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Rowan Building
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location460 S. Spring Street and 131 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, California
Coordinates34°02′50″N 118°14′56″W / 34.0472°N 118.2490°W / 34.0472; -118.2490
Built1910
ArchitectParkinson and Bergstrom
Architectural styleCommercial Style/Beaux Arts
Part ofSpring Street Financial District (ID79000489)
Designated CPAugust 10, 1979

Rowan Building, also known as Title Insurance Building and Rowan Building Lofts, is a historic building located at 460 S. Spring Street and 131 W. 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California. It is a contributing property in the National Register of Historic Places-listed Spring Street Financial District.

History

Rowan Building was designed by Parkinson and Bergstrom for Robert Rowan (developer) and built in 1910. Upon completion, it was the largest office building in Los Angeles.

Rowan Building's occupancy began to drop in the 1970s. In 1979, the Spring Street Financial District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Rowan Building listed as a contributing property in the district.

Developer Tom Gilmore bought Rowan Building in 2000 and Downtown Properties bought it in 2004. The building was converted to residential between 2006 and 2008 at a cost of $50 million ($77.6 million in 2025). It contains 206 units as well as ground floor storefronts.

Architecture and design

Rowan Building is eleven stories and made with stone, brick, and 3,000 short tons (2,700,000 kg) of steel. The United States Department of the Interior describe the building as having a Commercial Style design, while others describe the design as Beaux Arts. The building features cornice, a stone and terra cotta facade, and contains more than 2000 windows.

Inside, the building contains a marble-clad lobby, hallways, and stairways. The elevator doors feature an Art Deco design with nickel and silver.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sitton, Tom (2008). "GC 1323 - Historic Sites Surveys" (PDF). Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
  2. 1 2 "Rowan Building Lofts". downtownla.com. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Spring Street Financial District". National Park Service. August 10, 1979.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Guzmán, Richard (February 25, 2008). "The Return of the Rowan". The Real Deal.
  5. 1 2 3 "Millions in Skyscrapers: Staggering Sum Going into Metropolitan Blocks; Downtown Sky Line Daily Grows More Imposing". Los Angeles Times. April 15, 1911.
  6. ↑ Michelson, Alan. "Rowan Building, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA (1911-1912)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved October 26, 2026.