Municipal Warehouse No. 1 - Rooftop Operations

Rooftop Operations

Because of its commanding view of the harbor, the roof of the warehouse has long been the site of various operations. Starting in the early 1920s, the Marine Exchange operated on its roof, providing lookout reports on ships entering and leaving the port. In 1925, the Radio Corporation of America located its harbor receiving station to the top of the massive warehouse. A new four-room lookout station for use by the Marine Exchange was built in 1928 atop the warehouse. The new station had a large circular window giving telescopes a commanding view of the harbor and ocean, and also included a neon red beacon which shed a red glow over the building at night. In 1939, the Los Angeles Times described the Exchange as "a world all its own up there on Warehouse No. 1." In eight-hour shifts, three men manned the Exchange, climbing seven flights of stairs to reach the lookout station. The Times described the station as follows: "In one room with big windows commanding every approach from the sea, there is a large telescope on wheels. It can be pointed in any direction with the touch of a finger. At a little desk looking out over the channel and the harbor sits one of the three men who who are on duty as lookouts ..." During World War II, as blackout rules were applied along the coast, the Marine Exchange ceased operations but resumed its lookout operations atop the warehouse in late 1945. In 1964, a new 26 x 32-foot (9.8 m) perch was built atop the warehouse for use by the Marine Exchange. The roof was also the site of a weather observation and signal facility for many years.