Chaspeak Apartments at 512 W. 2nd Street [between Grand & Olive], Los Angeles, 1940s

I am sure that Dad would have loved to have seen this pictures.  Breaks my heart a little to see these without his eyes and comments on them. 

The Chaspeak Apartments at 512 W. 2nd street would have been my favorite building in L.A. had I lived there in the 40s. It was the inspiration for Arturo Bandini's rooming house in the 2006 film adaptation of "Ask the Dust." It is just creepy enough to be interesting. It was the home of a slightly mad spinster Josephine Hutchinson in the "Somewhere in the Night, 1946." Find more details at Water & Power.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The Chaspeak Apartments at 512 West Second Street became a familiar presence in Hollywood films. The building appeared in Somewhere in the Night, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and later in The Days of Wine and Roses. Its steep setting and layered architecture made it a natural backdrop for stories set in Los Angeles’ older neighborhoods.

By the mid-20th century, buildings like these reflected the changing character of Bunker Hill. Once home to wealthy residents, the area had become a dense working neighborhood filled with apartment houses and rooming establishments. Residents included laborers, retirees, and recent arrivals, giving the district a lived-in, textured quality that filmmakers often sought to capture. 

1950, * A closer view of the Chaspeak Apartments highlights the square bays, twin towers, and rounded entrance arch. Photographer Arnold Hylen can be seen walking in the foreground.

Thanks to the great Jack Feldman for these photos and their captions.  1950 – A closer look at the Chesapeake or Chaspeak? Apartments at 512 West 2nd Street.

Its twin towers are arched entrance made it one of Bunker Hill's most recognizable buildings.