A.G. Bartlett Building, Beaux-Arts skyscraper in Spring Street Financial District, Los Angeles, United States.
The A.G. Bartlett Building is a Beaux-Arts skyscraper in the Spring Street Financial District of downtown Los Angeles that rises fourteen stories. The structure features classical architectural elements with ornamental stonework and decorative facade details, and now houses residential loft condominiums and retail spaces.
Designed by John B. Parkinson and Edwin Bergstrom in the Beaux-Arts style, the building was completed in 1911 as the first of several Union Oil Buildings and the company's first permanent presence in Los Angeles. It stood as the city's tallest building for five years, until 1916.
The building's name honours A.G. Bartlett, and its first tenant was the Union Oil Co., the company's first permanent Los Angeles office. Many smaller oil firms rented space here, including George Franklin Getty's Minnesota Oil Company, which stayed 15 years; his son J. Paul Getty joined him there. Since 2002 the former offices hold 130 loft condominiums with ground-floor shops.
The building is located near public transportation and sits within a busy area with restaurants and shops nearby. Its position allows visitors to view the facade from the street and explore the surrounding historic buildings in the district.
The building once served as offices for oil industry magnates including George Franklin Getty and his son J. Paul Getty, who would later assemble one of the world's largest art collections. This connection to the oil business shaped the commercial character of the district during that era.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,426 contributors worldwide.