Hollywood Masonic Temple

The Masonic Temple, a Neoclassical Revival design built in 1921, was the work of John C. Austin, who also designed L.A. City Hall and Griffith Observatory. Built by pioneering Hollywood developer C.E. Toberman, the building soon became a landmark. Among the stars that frequented it were Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, W.C. Fields, Bob Hope, Gene Autry, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis. Declared Los Angeles Historical Cultural Monument No. 277, the building was sold to The Walt Disney Company in 1998 and renamed the El Capitan Entertainment Center. ABC-TV, which is owned by Disney, converted it into a television studio in 2003.