The Haas Building

The Haas Building is located at 219 West 7th Street, at the corner of Broadway and Seventh Street, in Historic Downtown Los Angeles, California. The building was originally owned by Abraham Haas of San Francisco; president of Haas, Baruch,CXL & PWL'S. The structure was made to be one of the finest and most modern buildings of the time. The building was constructed in the year 1915, built with the latest steel frame and absolutely fireproof. Architectural firm Morgan, Walls & Clements designed this 12-story terra cotta business structure attractively facing the street with a frontage of 55 feet (17 m) on Broadway by 150 feet (46 m) on Seventh. The building was 50 by 75 feet (23 m) on the ground floor as well as the basement. The Haas Building was completed early 1915.

The interior woodwork was made in solid mahogany; the corridors were floored with marble with seven-foot marble wainscoting. The floor, walls and ceiling of the lobby were also made with marble. Including the three high-speed elevators that were installed, fixtures and interiors were said to have cost approximately $100,000.

The building had been given a complete makeover in the 1970s, with the classic exterior lost to brown metal panels. While much of the exterior brick and detail work was removed, the pieces around the entryway survived, though they were heavily damaged.