Commercial Exchange Building
historic place
The Commercial Exchange Building in Los Angeles, California, was completed in 1924. Designed by architects Walker & Eisen, this thirteen-story structure was built in the Renaissance Revival style. It originally served as an office building, housing the Owl Drug Company headquarters, offices for Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs' publishing company, and numerous dentists. A notable event in its history occurred in 1935. To facilitate the widening of Olive Street, a five-foot-wide portion was removed from the center of the building. The remaining sections were then rejoined by the Kress House Moving Company, a complex operation that cost $60,000. After thriving through the mid-20th century, the building stood largely vacant in the early 2000s. In 2017, it underwent adaptive reuse and reopened as the Freehand LA hotel. The Commercial Exchange Building is recognized as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. This site matters historically for its unique architectural adaptation and its role in the development of downtown Los Angeles.