Jefferson Park is a
neighborhood
A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...
in the
South Los Angeles region of the City of
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. Located within the
West Adams district, there are fourteen
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.
History
The Historic-Cul ...
in the neighborhood, and in 1987, the 1923
Spanish Colonial Revival
The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish architecture in general. Thes ...
Jefferson Branch Library was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. A portion of the neighborhood is a designated
Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ).
History
In the early 1800s, the area that would become Jefferson Park was partly within the
Rancho Las Cienegas and partly within the common lands surrounding the pueblo.
The area remained farmland into the 1900s. (One of the original farmhouses, the Starr Dairy Farmhouse, still remains in the community.)
By 1903, there were
trolley cars running down Jefferson and Adams Boulevard. With easy access to downtown, Jefferson Park became a desirable place to build a home.
Developed from 1905 to 1920, Jefferson Park grew to approximately 2500 homes spread over 50 square blocks.
Centered along Jefferson Boulevard, the neighborhood is home to Craftsman bungalows, brick warehouses, colorful wall murals and small storefronts.

After the 1948
Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
ruling that banned
racial covenants on property -
Shelley v. Kraemer
''Shelley v. Kraemer'', 334 U.S. 1 (1948), is a landmark United States Supreme Court case that held that racially restrictive housing covenants (deed restrictions) cannot legally be enforced.
The case arose after an African-American family purch ...
- many of Jefferson Park's white residents
left the neighborhood, in turn being replaced by upper-middle and upper-class
African-Americans
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
.
Jefferson Park also saw an influx of
Creoles of color
The Creoles of color are a multiracial ethnic group of Louisiana Creoles that developed in the former French and Spanish colonies of Louisiana (especially in New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, and Northwestern Florida, in what is now the Unite ...
in the post-
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
period. The resulting area was dubbed "Little New Orleans" and contained a number of Creole-owned businesses such as the Big Loaf Bakery and Harold and Belle’s, an upscale
Creole restaurant.
In September 1998, the Jefferson Park Gateway Monument was unveiled at the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard.
According to then-councilman
Nate Holden
Nathan Nathaniel Holden (June 19, 1929 – May 7, 2025) was an American politician from Los Angeles County. He served for four years in the California State Senate and 16 years on the Los Angeles City Council.
Biography
Upbringing and family
N ...
, the project was a sign of the ongoing revitalization of the area.
In 2005, the Star Dairy Farmhouse was condemned by the city as a nuisance. Built in 1887, it had fallen into disrepair. After years of restoration, in 2014 it received a preservation award from the Los Angeles Conservancy. The Conservancy stated: "The farmhouse is now the oldest remaining house in the
West Adams neighborhood of Jefferson Park, and the last link to the area’s agricultural history."
In 2014, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that "once-struggling neighborhoods"like Jefferson Park were now experiencing soaring home prices as young professionals were purchasing the
American Craftsman
American Craftsman is an American domestic architectural style, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which included interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts, beginning in the last years of the 19th century. ...
homes in the community and new shops and restaurants were opening up.
Geography

According to the city of Los Angeles and the ''Los Angeles Times'', Jefferson Park is bounded by
Adams Boulevard
Adams may refer to:
* For persons, see Adams (surname)
Places United States
*Adams, California
*Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California
* Adams, Decatur County, Indiana
*Adams, Kentucky
*Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...
on the north, Exposition Boulevard on the south,
Crenshaw Boulevard
Crenshaw Boulevard is a north–south thoroughfare that runs through Crenshaw and other neighborhoods along a route in the west-central part of Los Angeles, California, United States.
The street extends between Wilshire Boulevard in Mid-W ...
on the west and
Western Avenue on the east.
[''The Thomas Guide,'' 2006, pages 633 and 673] Jefferson Park is bounded by
West Adams,
West Adams Terrace,
Adams-Normandie,
Crenshaw,
University Park,
Leimert Park
Leimert Park (; ) is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.
Developed in the 1920s as a mainly residential community, it features Spanish Colonial Revival homes and tree-lined streets. The Life Magazine/Leim ...
, and
Exposition Park neighborhoods, as well as the greater
USC campus.
It was designated an official city neighborhood in 1988,
with then-mayor
Tom Bradley attending the event.
Neighborhood signs are installed along Jefferson Boulevard and Exposition Boulevard.
Historic Preservation Overlay Zone

The Jefferson Park
Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) was adopted by the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the Legislature, lawmaking body for the Government of Los Angeles, city government of Los Angeles, California, the second largest city in the United States. It has 15 members who each represent the 15 city council ...
in 2011. The preservation plan offers guidelines for both commercial and residential structures in the community.
The HPOZ does not cover the entire Jefferson Park neighborhood.
The HPOZ is bounded by Adams Boulevard on the north, 7th Avenue on the west, Exposition Boulevard on the south (from Crenshaw Boulevard to Arlington Avenue), and Jefferson Boulevard on the south (from Arlington Avenue to Western Avenue). Street signs in the area have an additional sign to indicate that the street is part of the HPOZ area.
Population
2000
A total of 23,130 people lived in the neighborhood's 1.42 square miles, according to the 2000 U.S. census—averaging 16,300 people per square mile, among the highest
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
in the city as a whole. The median age was 31, about the same as the rest of the city.
[
Within the neighborhood, ]African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
s made up 46.8% of the population, with Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...
44.9%, Asian 2.9%, non-Hispanic Whites
White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view.
De ...
2.7% and others 2.7%. Mexico and El Salvador were the most common places of birth for the 32.7% of the residents who were born abroad, considered an average percentage of foreign-born when compared with the city or county as a whole.[
In 2000, there were 1,365 families headed by single parents, or 26.6%, a rate that was high for the county and the city.][
]
2008
The median household income in 2008 dollars was $32,654. The average household size of 2.8 people was about the same as the rest of the city. Renters occupied 69.5% of the housing units, and homeowners occupied the rest.[
Jefferson Park residents aged 25 and older holding a four-year degree amounted to 11.8% of the population in 2000, considered low when compared with the city and the county as a whole; the percentage of residents aged 25 and older with a high school diploma was also considered low.][
]
2022
According to USC's 'Neighborhood Data for Social Change', the median household income in 2022 was $58,440. Residential structures occupy 90.26% of the neighborhood, while commercial structures only occupy 4.04% of the area. 30.39% of the population are home-owners, while 69.61% are renters. 2.02% are veterans.
Historic-Cultural Monuments
* Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2230 W. Jefferson Blvd. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 229 on June 11, 1980
* Walker Mansion, 3300 W Adams Boulevard. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 419 on March 3, 1989
* Wells-Halliday Mansion, 2146 W. Adams Blvd. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 458 on November 3, 1989
* Briggs Residence, 3734 W Adams Boulevard. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 477 on January 30, 1990
* Guasti Villa/Busby Berkeley Estate, 3500 W Adams Boulevard. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 478 on January 30, 1990
* Dr. Grandville MacGowan Home, 3726 W. Adams Blvd. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 479 on January 30, 1990
* Lycurgus Lindsay Mansion, 3424 W. Adams Blvd. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 496 on May 30, 1990
* Korean Independence Memorial Building, 1368 W. Jefferson Blvd. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 548 on October 2, 1991
* Denker Estate, 3820 W. Adams Blvd. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 591 on March 8, 1994
* Betty Hill House, 1655 W. 37th Pl. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 791 on April 13, 2005
* Joseph L. Starr Farmhouse, 2801 S. Arlington Ave. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 865 on April 11, 2007. Built in 1887, it received a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award in 2014.
* Glen Lukens Home and Studio. Designed by pioneering mid-century Modernist Raphael Soriano for ceramicist Glen Lukens
Glen William Lukens (1887–1967) was an American ceramicist, glassmaker, and jewelry designer born in Missouri. He is best known for his innovative work with glazes and his contributions to modernist jewelry. Lukens helped pave the way for ceram ...
. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 866 on April 11, 2007
* Hauerwaas Kusayanagi Residence, 3741 W 27th Street Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 990 on October 27, 2010
* Paul Revere Williams home, 1271 W 35th Street. Designated Historic-Cultural Monument 1253 on February 16, 2022.

Landmarks and attractions
* Trinity Baptist Church, 2040 W. Jefferson Boulevard. Originally located at 36th and Normandie, it moved to its present location in 1948. The master plan for the church was designed by noted African-American architect Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to:
Authors
* Paul Williams (Crawdaddy) (1948–2013), American music and science fiction journalist; founder of ''Crawdaddy'' and the Philip K. Dick Society
* Paul Williams (Irish journalist) (born 1964), Irish journalis ...
.
* Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2230 West Jefferson Boulevard. Established in 1904, is one of the oldest African-American Presbyterian churches in California.
Parks and Libraries
* Leslie N. Shaw Park, 2250 West Jefferson Boulevard.[
* Jefferson-Vassie D. Wright Memorial Branch Library, 2211 W. Jefferson Boulevard. ]
Los Angeles Public Library, Jefferson Branch In 1987, the Jefferson branch library was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.[The ]
Education
LAUSD
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a State school, public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the List ...
has three schools within the Jefferson Park boundaries:[
* Mid City Magnet - 3150 West Adams Boulevard
* Celerity Nascent Charter - 3417 West Jefferson Boulevard
* Sixth Avenue Elementary - 3109 Sixth Avenue
]
Transportation
* The Metro E Line has two stations in Jefferson Park, both along Jefferson Boulevard: Expo/Crenshaw station and Expo/Western station. As of October 7, 2022, the Expo/Crenshaw station serves as a transfer point between the E Line and the Metro K Line.
* Metro Local
The Los Angeles Metro Bus is the transit bus service in Los Angeles County, California, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Metro Bus operates in the Los Angeles Basin, the San Fernando Valley, and th ...
bus routes 14, 35, 37, 38, 207 and 209 also servers Jefferson Park.
Notable people
* Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893 – October 26, 1952) was an African-American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the f ...
, actress, the first African-American to win an Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
, 2173 W. 31st Street.
* Eric Dolphy
Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain ...
, 1593 W 36th Street
* Paul Revere Williams, 1271 W 35th Street
* Betty Hill
References
External links
*
*
‘Bungalowland’ Train lines and kit houses made Jefferson Park the textbook streetcar suburb
" Curbed 24 Jan 2020 by Hadley Meares
Historic Jefferson Park community site
LA City Jefferson Park HPOZ
Jefferson Park Historic Resources Survey Report
Jefferson Park Historic Neighborhood Profile at The Los Angeles Conservancy
Huell Howser video from 2003 about Jefferson Park in his "Our Neighborhoods" series, hosted by Chapman University, home of the Huell Howser archive.
{{Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zones
Neighborhoods in Los Angeles
South Los Angeles