From the Archives: Know Your City No. 7 - Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home

The courtyard of the Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home appeared as entry No. 7 in the “Know Your City” photography series. This 250-image series appeared in the Los Angeles Times in 1955 and 1956.

This photo of the home appeared in the Nov. 24, 1955, Los Angeles Times. The original caption reported:

KNOW YOUR CITY, NO.7-- A man's home may be his castle. But no men in this castle. Just for a stopper, this place of stone was built with copper. Strangely enough, those who live here worry about pay checks. Answer on Page 34, Part ll

ANSWER: The impressive structure in the photo is the Mary Andrews Clark Memorial, a residence for working girls at 306 Loma Drive, at the corner of W 3rd St. Remember? It was built as a "living memorial" to his mother by Sen. (William) Clark, the Montana "copper king."

In 1976, the City of Los Angeles declared the Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home to be Historic-Cultural Monument #158.

From 1913 to 1987, the chateau housed the Mary Andrews Clark YMCA. Damaged by the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, the building was closed.

In 1995, the restored Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home reopened as housing for low-income single workers.

For more, check out an Oct. 5, 1992, story by Cecilia Rasmussen on the Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home.

I’ve added this recent panorama image below. I could not match the above photo as the courtyard is overgrown.