916 East Adams Boulevard

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  • Built in 1902 on Lot 11 of Grider & Dow's Adams Street Tract by Frank F. Pierson, a salesman at Edward C. Draper's grocery store at 2603 Central Avenue
  • Frank Pierson and his family, recently arrived in Los Angeles from Oshkosh, had been living at 937 East 21st Street, which was sold to a buyer from Prescott, Arizona, in March 1902; on March 20, the Los Angeles Times reported that Pierson had begun building a seven-room, $2,000 house at 916 East Adams on a lot he had recently purchased. The house was ready in time for the Fourth of July, when the Piersons gave a party, with "refreshments, music and fireworks galore," according to the Herald 10 days later. On December 28, 1902, the Herald reported that Frank Pierson's parents, Felix and Julia, had arrived in Los Angeles to take up permanent residence; Frank had been issued a permit for their new house, at 917 East Adams directly across the street from 916, in August. A grocer himself, Felix Pierson was retiring from the family trade. For some reason, Frank and his family vacated 916 by early 1904, renting it first to John Linden, who was in a real estate partnership with Lucas Lump; the Frank Piersons were relocating for a time to Ocean Park, with the Felix Piersons remaining at 917. After Linden left 916, a different occupant of the house was listed in each city directory until 1914, though the house was retained by Frank Pierson until at least 1909. It seems that while he was investing what was apparently his father's capital in Los Angeles real estate, he remained in the grocery business
  • On October 8, 1908, the Department of Buildings issued Frank Pierson a permit for a second dwelling at the rear of the lot occupied by 916 East Adams. This became 916½ East Adams. On the permit, Pierson is listed as its designer and contractor; he was now living at 1458 West 37th Place
  • Still with a day job as a grocery salesman, Frank Pierson moved his family to Pasadena in 1909. With his father and mother remaining at 917 East Adams, the family appears to have retained 916 and 916½ as rental properties. Felix Pierson remained at 917 until 1916 before moving down to 838 West 54th Street. He died in 1918. It may be that Frank then retained all three East Adams addresses as rentals for several more years; in any case, 916 East Adams was rented from 1914 until 1921 to streetcar conductor William H. Ehlers. Ehlers and his wife Mary had three daughters and a son; in September 1916 Grace Ehlers was married at the Bethel Baptist Church, just around the corner from 916 at Central Avenue and East 26th Street. Her sister Nina, having just reached her 22nd birthday, was driving downtown in December 1917 when her brakes failed. She ran into a crowded lunch wagon at the corner of Main and 11th streets, doing considerable damage
  • Moving into 916 East Adams by 1922 was Ellis Breyde (pronounced and frequently found as "Brady" in records), described over the years as a pants presser, a clothes cleaner, and a street peddler of fruit. Breyde's family would remain at 916 for 17 years; while he may have started by renting the house, he was the owner of it by 1930. Ellis and his wife Rachael had three sons; their youngest child, Esther, born in 1917, died on September 23, 1926, after being struck by a car driven by a 16-year-old boy. The accident happened at 27th Street and Griffith Avenue, around the corner from 916, while she was walking to the 28th Street School  
  • Ellis Breyde died May 16, 1936. Rachael and her youngest son Joseph would remain at 916 East Adams until 1939
  • Under whose ownership is unclear, but after 1939 and through the war years 916 East Adams became rental property; occupying the main house by April 1940 was Polish-born cobbler Alex Winagura and his family. Winogura's shop was nearby at 2808 Central Avenue. By 1942, the Winaguras were living at 1131 East Adams
  • 916 East Adams was purchased by caterer Lucy Trice in 1944, who appears to have remained until her death on March 27, 1958. On December 2, 1954, Mrs. Trice was issued a permit by the Department of Building and Safety to add a garage to the property
  • For many years from 1958, 916 East Adams was rented only, it seems, intermittently. By 1987, it had become the property of Antonino Bahena. On August 7, 2002, the Department of Building and Safety issued Antonino and Gumecinda Bahena a permit for a roof replacement. The Bahena family was still in possession of the property as of early 2020
Illustration: Private Collection