L.A.’s film history is so pervasive that you can find it in the most unusual places – sometimes while just picking up a prescription.
One CVS location in East Los Angeles boasts a very special history. This particular pharmacy location is actually a historically protected movie palace, featuring ornate and decorative Spanish-style detailing.
So what’s with the Churrigueresque architecture?
Long before its aisles were stocked with vitamins, the building was the Golden Gate Theatre.
Built in 1927, the theatre was designed by architects William and Clifford A. Balch in the Spanish style of Churrigueresque, a 17th and 18th-century Baroque architectural style known to be extremely lavish and intricate. The movie palace once sat over 1,500 people.
The theatre ran for almost sixty years until it closed its doors in 1986. It had a short stint as a church from 1986 to 1988, then closed once again. The building sat vacant from then on until 2012, when CVS took up the occupancy.
Despite it being occupied by the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S., the building’s intricate ornamentation still remains untouched today due to the city’s historic landmark protections.
In the years since, the building has been dubbed the « Gothic CVS » by Angelenos. If only we could watch an A24 movie in there…
📍 5176 E Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90022
The article features words from Ian Stokes.
