Victorian Residences on Bunker Hill

In 1867, a wealthy developer, Prudent Beaudry, purchased a majority of the hill's land. Because of the hill's excellent views of the Los Angeles Basin and the then-attractive Los Angeles River, he knew that it would make for an opulent subdivision. He developed the peak of Bunker Hill with lavish two-story Victorian houses that became famous as homes for the upper-class, educated residents of Los Angeles.Angels Flight, dubbed "The World's Shortest Railway", took residents from the top of the hill to the bottom of the 33% grade and thus to the main business district. Much like today's Bunker Hill, the land of the hill was zoned for dense uses, and was therefore always a very busy area. Let's take a view to some of those glamorous victorian homes, all of them gone and vanished.

The Miller home on Bunker Hill on the southwest corner of 2nd Street and Bunker Hill Avenue. It was located across from the Berke mansion and was built in 1890.

The Llewelyn Bixby home at 138 North Hill Street, which later became the Harmonia Apartments.

The Llewelyn Bixby home at 138 North Hill Street, which later became the Harmonia Apartments.

Rev. Edward T. Hildreth's home on Bunker Hill at 357 South Hope Street. Built in 1891, it occupied the northwest corner of the intersection, later the southeast corner of Security Pacific Plaza.

Exterior corner front view of the two-story Victorian Gothic style home of Miss Almira Parker Hershey on the northwest corner of 4th Street and South Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill in Los Angeles.

The home of Fred Baker located on the southeast corner of Fort Moore Place and Broadway.

The Bunker Hill residence of Frank A. Gibson at 520 Court Street. His son, Hugh Gibson, also lived here and later became the U. S. Ambassador to Switzerland.

Houses located on Fort Moore Hill at 426 North Broadway. The Milo Baker residence is on the left. The Hilliker house was the last residence to be built on the hill, according to the Los Angeles Times of April 1, 1934, Roto. section, page 2. Milo Baker was president of Baker Iron Works and he built his house prior to 1889. The Newsom brothers contributed as architects but their extent is not known.

This victorian house was located at 321 S Bunker Hill Avenue. It was owned by Lady Macdonald. The building had some excentrities, such an elevator in it.