Flashback Fridays: Jensen’s Recreation Center Sign
Photo by Echo Park Now
The Jensen’s Recreation Center building has always been a favorite Echo Park monument of mine. A historic cultural monument since 1998, the 86-year-old building has undergone quite a few changes inside.
The old bowling alley at Jensen's. Flickr photo via Mary-Austin & Scott
The building was built by German immigrant Henry Christian Jensen in 1924 and designed by architect E.E.B. Meinardus. Originally, it was a bowling alley with a pool hall at street level with 46 apartments on the other two floors. The Echo Park Historical Society website describes the space as catering to mostly males throughout the 1930s and ’40s. Even though the storefronts might not look exactly the same as the original structure, thankfully the Beaux Arts and Italianate inspired ornamentation that wraps around the outside of the building still exists.
The bowling alley is no longer there, but the sign featuring a bowling figure remains on the roof of the building. The 28 feet wide x 17 feet tall sign has 1300 red, green and white incandescent lightbulbs. An interesting fact: even though neon was a more popular application for signs in the 1920s (especially this size!), this one maintains the incandescent light bulbs.
Relighting of the sign. Photo from Paul Furlong
In 1997, after 50 years of neglect and the sign unlit, it was restored and relit through a cultural affairs grant. We’re not exactly sure how long the sign was lighting up the Rec Center roof, but we do know it was fixed and relit again in 2005. However, that lasted only one month, and the sign has been dark ever since.
Lately there’s been some great headway to relight the sign. The Echo Park Historical Society received $5,000 from an LA County Historic Preservation Society grant. Echo Park residents, fans of history, and Echo Park Improvement Association members have also privately donated to fix and maintain the sign as well. And just this week, the Greater Elysian Echo Park Neighborhood Council approved the allocation of $2,500 to the Historical Society for the restoration of the sign.
Hopefully we’ll see the sign relit (and maintained) some day soon!
If you’d like to donate to the Echo Park Historical Society for the restoration and upkeep of the sign, click here for the EPHS website.
My family members all the time say that I am killing my time here at net,
however I know I am getting experience daily by reading
such fastidious articles or reviews.
Helpful information. Fortunate me I found your website by accident, and I’m shocked why this accident did not happened
in advance! I bookmarked it.
I think this is among the most significant info for me. And i am glad reading your article.
But wanna remark on some general things, The site style is
wonderful, the articles is really great : D.
Good job, cheers
My brother recommended I may like this blog.
He used to be entirely right. This post actually made my day.
You cann’t consider just how so much time I had spent
for this information! Thank you!
Awesome post. I am a regular visitor of your site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Awesome write-up. I am a regular visitor of your site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome write-up. I’m a normal visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
Hey there. I discovered your blog by way of Google even as searching for a similar subject, your site came up. It appears to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome post. I’m a normal visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Right here is the right web site for anyone who really wants to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a subject that’s been written about for decades. Great stuff, just excellent.
Awesome write-up. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and web stuff and this is actually annoying. A good site with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hey there. I found your blog by way of Google even as searching for a similar topic, your website came up. It looks great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hello there. I discovered your blog by means of Google at the same time as searching for a related subject, your site came up. It seems great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome post. I’m a normal visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good site with exciting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hello there. I discovered your website via Google whilst searching for a similar matter, your website came up. It appears to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is really annoying. A good site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good blog with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hi there. I discovered your website by the use of Google even as looking for a comparable topic, your website got here up. It seems to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Awesome write-up. I’m a normal visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Hi there. I discovered your site via Google whilst searching for a similar subject, your website came up. It looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Awesome write-up. I am a normal visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hi there. I found your site by the use of Google while searching for a similar subject, your website got here up. It seems to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hi there. I discovered your site via Google whilst searching for a similar topic, your site came up. It appears to be good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hi! I understand this is kind of off-topic however
I needed to ask. Does building a well-established website like yours take a lot
of work? I am brand new to writing a blog but I do write in my diary every day.
I’d like to start a blog so I can easily share my own experience and
feelings online. Please let me know if you have
any suggestions or tips for new aspiring bloggers. Thankyou!
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is actually irritating. A good site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome post. I am a regular visitor of your site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and web stuff and this is really irritating. A good website with exciting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hi there. I discovered your web site via Google while searching for a comparable matter, your web site got here up. It seems to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hey there. I found your web site by the use of Google whilst looking for a related topic, your web site got here up. It seems great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really annoying. A good website with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good website with exciting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hi there. I found your web site by the use of Google even as looking for a comparable topic, your site got here up. It seems great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome post. I am a regular visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a long time.
Hey there. I discovered your website by the use of Google at the same time as looking for a related matter, your website got here up. It seems great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hey there. I discovered your website via Google at the same time as searching for a related subject, your web site got here up. It appears great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hello there. I discovered your web site by the use of Google whilst looking for a comparable subject, your website got here up. It looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hey there. I discovered your site by the use of Google whilst searching for a comparable matter, your web site got here up. It appears good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally,
it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually annoying. A good blog with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is actually irritating. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?