The Anna Zacsek Compound – The History of Sunset Boulevard

The 2nd installment in the documentary series, “The History of Sunset Boulevard” covers the Anna Zacsek Compound, some of the oldest buildings on Sunset Boulevard, soon to be demolished to make way for the controversial Sunset Flats development. 


It is also linked to at www.myhistoricla.org as part of the SurveyLA effort to document the History of Echo Park. Please register at www.myhistoricla.org so you can vote on The Anna Zacsek Compound and other potential historic resources in Echo Park in order to call citywide attention to the unique history of Echo Park.

Some of the oldest buildings along all of Sunset Boulevard will soon be demolished to make way for a mixed used condominium development. 

One of the buildings was the childhood home of Anna Zacsek, silent film actress with DW Griffith and later a civil rights lawyer in the trial of Pedro Gonzalez and the Sleepy Lagoon Murders. 

The tiny shingled cottage next to the Anna Zacsek cottage might be the oldest building on all of Sunset Boulevard. 

In October of 2011, the Office of Historic Resources and the Cultural Heritage Commission determined that the Anna Zacsek Cottage was not worthy of consideration as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument by a vote of 3-2.

Please register at www.myhistoricla.org to vote for “The Anna Zacsek Compound” and let the City of Los Angeles and the Office of Historic Resources know about Anna Zacsek and the History of Echo Park.  

The Anna Zacsek Compound is only the beginning of the demolition of the oldest stretch of Sunset Boulevard.  The rest of our historic business district along Sunset Boulevard will be next before the wrecking ball unless we do something about it.  Soon. 

Follow the Echo Park Historical Society on Twitter:  @EchoParkHistory

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