UNUSUAL L.A. LANDMARKS

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission rejected a request to designate a Studio City carwash-gas station-restaurant a cultural monument, saying it has no architectural significance.

Although this application for monument status did not succeed, Los Angeles does have a number of seemingly offbeat official landmarks. In the last 27 years, officials have declared 440 houses, structures, oddities and other locations as historic-cultural monuments. Of those, 90% are the usual buildings or residences that come to mind when we think of landmarks. The remaining 10% include more unusual items. Here is a sampler: ROCKS Eagle Rock, at northern terminus of Figueroa Street, Eagle Rock: Noted by Spanish explorers and resembling the figure of an eagle in flight. Stoney Point Outcroppings, North Chatsworth: East of Topanga Canyon Boulevard; considered one of the most picturesque areas in Los Angeles. TREES Avocado Trees, 4400 block of Avocado Street, Los Feliz: Eight 100-year-old trees that were part of a vast grove. Coral Trees, San Vicente Boulevard, Brentwood: Examples of the official tree of the city of Los Angeles. Deodar Trees, Granada Hills: A total of 144 trees planted in 1932 and native to the Himalayas; valued for their size and beauty. Moreton Bay Fig Tree, National Boulevard at Military Avenue, West L.A.: Planted in 1875 and described as “the greatest of Australian avenue trees.” Oak Tree, Louise Avenue south of Ventura Boulevard, Encino: Judged to be more than 1,000 years old. Palm Trees and Median Strip, Highland Avenue: Strip built and trees planted in 1928 by residents at their own expense. MAN-MADE WONDERS Chatsworth Reservoir Kiln Site: One of the locations where bricks and tiles were made for the San Fernando Mission. Gabrielino Indian Site, Fern Dell area of Griffith Park: At mouth of Fern Dell Canyon, the location of a village of the Gabrielinos, who were native to the area. Gas Station, Sunset Boulevard near Barrington Avenue: Mission-style station built in 1938, designated as being important culturally as well as architecturally because, according to the application by residents, “it is customary to see your neighbors at the gas station.” Granite-Block Paving, Bruno Street, downtown: A short, industrial street built in 1902 and the last surviving one in Los Angeles with the original paving of hand-hewn granite block. Mission Wells and Settling Basin, Sylmar: Natural wells in swamplands that were one of the vital factors in the decision by Franciscan padres to locate the mission two to three miles west of the wells in 1797. Tower of Wooden Pallets, 15357 Magnolia Blvd., Van Nuys: A tower of approximately 2,000 wooden pallets, discarded by a brewery and constructed by Daniel Van Meter in 1951 in his back yard. Two Stone Gates, Beachwood, Westshire and Belden drives, Hollywood: Built by European stonemasons in the early 1920s as the entrance to Hollywoodland subdivision. Venice Canal System: Created by Abbot Kinney and opened in 1905, with arched bridges and imported gondolas from Italy. Towers of Simon Rodia (Watts Towers), 1765 E. 107th St.: Internationally acclaimed; built by Italian immigrant Rodia between 1921 and 1954. William Stromberg Clock, 6439 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood: Street clock from 1927, associated with one of the boulevard’s oldest retailers. Source: Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department