Pico House at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument has the distinction of being the first grand hotel to grace the city of Los Angeles. It was commissioned by Pio de Jesus Pico, the last governor of California under Mexican rule. Pico House is an impressive, grand, imperious building at the center of Main Street. It occupies the site of the adobe house of Jose Antonio Carrillo which was razed to make way for this magnificent edifice. This building designed by architect Ezra F Kysor was the first three-storey building in LA and his brief was to build “the finest hotel in Los Angeles.” Designed in Italian style with signature deep-set round arched windows and doors, Pico House is built around a central courtyard that had a circular cast iron fountain at its center. Records say the fountain gurgled while caged birds chirped in the courtyard! The name Pico House in large letters is painted on the pediments. The hotel opened in 1870 and was considered to be the last word in luxury. Boasting 82 rooms and 21 parlours, it cost almost $50,000 to build and the furnishings are estimated to have added another $10,000 to that cost! This was financed rather unwisely as it turned out, by Pio and his brother Andres by selling most of their vast landholdings in the San Fernando Valley. Walnut furniture, rosewood décor in the bridal suite, chandeliers in the parlour, velvet carpets, hot water tanks even for the bathrooms on the first and second floors – this hotel had it all. The building even had a dumb waiter for lifting baggage to the higher floors. Coaches could actually drive into the building’s central courtyard to unload. Guests included local luminaries such as the Avila, Sepulveda and Lugo families. Tragically, the hotel’s heydays were short lived – the infamous Chinese Massacre of 1871, just a year after the hotel opened certainly did not help business. Despite expensive refurbishing in 1875, Pico was forced to put up the hotel as collateral for loans taken and eventually lost the hotel by foreclosure in 1880. He also lost his mansion in Whittier and in 1894, died a poor, sad and broken man. From 1880 onwards, Pico House had a series of owners and for some years starting 1892, was known as the National Hotel. Rented in 1897 by two Italians, G Pagliano and G Borniatico, Pico House was eventually bought by Pagliano in 1930 – his family sold it to the State of California in 1953. The building which had become dilapidated was renovated and restored to its former glory and is once again the most magnificent building in El Pueblo and a California Historical Landmark. Pico House has since featured in commercials of BMW, Honda, JC Penney and Target! Pico House lives on and continues to be sought after for special events and for commercial use.

As it was closed this Thursday afternoon when I came by on the way to the Mexican American museum..it is well worth a visit even just to view the extravagant architecture of yesteryear..On another prior visit, there was an art exposition there. I am thinking it is only open during special events, but i am not sure