Watts Station, Los Angeles
historic place
The Watts Station, a historic place in Los Angeles County, was built in 1904. It was one of the first buildings erected in the Watts community. For over 50 years, this single-story, wood-frame structure served as a major stop for the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Car" service, connecting Los Angeles and Long Beach. It also functioned as a key junction for lines extending to San Pedro and Santa Ana. In 1965, during the Watts Riots, the station remained intact while many surrounding businesses on 103rd Street burned. This survival made the Watts Station a symbol of continuity for the community. It was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in December 1965 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. After a $700,000 restoration in the 1980s, the station reopened in 1989, housing a small museum of Watts history and a customer service office. Today, it stands adjacent to a modern Metro A Line station, preserving its historical role in Watts' development and transportation.