The Street Seen: 1921 to 1929 Main St (Anderson)

1921 to 1929 Main Street @ Bay St

Jun 05, 2026

In 1923, a 1-story, multi-tenant retail building is constructed on the northeast corner of Main and Bay St. The building has many tenants over the years, but since 1936, there is a liquor store tenant on the prominent corner.

Construction

Henry T. Anderson1 and his wife, Viola D. Anderson,2 are living on the property at 211 Bay St.3 In 1923,4 Anderson removes a small real estate office building5 from the property on the northeast corner of Main and Bay St6 and builds a 1-story, multi-tenant retail store.

Santa Monica contractor J.L. Schimmer is the design builder for the $11,800 building.7

1921 to 1929 Main St and 205 Bay St (Aerial 2025)

Tenants

The multi-tenant building has addresses 1921 Main St, 1923 Main St, 1925 Main St, 1927 Main St, 1929 Main St, and 205 Bay St. As with now, there is a high turnover of tenants. Here are some of the longer-term tenants up to 1960.8

1921 Main St

[1925 to 1928] Printing shop.
[1931 to 1936] Clothing cleaner.

1923 Main St

[1925 to 1927] Automobile batteries.
[1947 to 1960] Albert Goldman dry goods.

1925 Main St

[1925 to 1936] Restaurant/cafe.

1927 Main St

[1925 to 1936] Barber shop.
[1946 to 1954] Restaurant/cafe.
[1974] Star Liquor expands into the 1927 Main St space, and closes the Main St store front.
[2005 to 2021] Murals by Chase9 on the front (Main St) wall.

1929 Main St

[1925 to 1934] A.K. Silvernale10 Seaside Pharmacy No. 2.
[1933] Prohibition ends and the space becomes a liquor store.
[1936 to 1942] L.W. McCaughey11 Main Street Liquor Store.
[1945 to 1949] A member of the General Liquor Stores chain of 23 neighborhood stores in Los Angeles.
[1952 to now] Star Liquor.
Mural by Chase.12

205 Bay St

[1925 to 1926] Restaurant/cafe.

Henry Taylor Anderson (1878 – 1942). Born in England, Anderson comes (age 25) to the US in 1903. His occupation is listed as “jewelry window display decorator.”

Viola Diana Sanchez Anderson (1887 – 1950).

Between 1909 and 1913, a duplex is built at 211/213 Bay St on the rear of the property. The duplex is demolished sometime between 1975 and 1980, and replaced by a parking lot. 211 Bay St is the legal address of the property

1921 to 1929 Main Street and 211 Bay St (Aerial 1928)

Built in 1925, the Henderson Motor building at 1915 to 1917 Main St is converted into the Ocean Park Arena in 1927.

1921 to 1929 Main Street and 211 Bay St(Sanborn 1950)

The Ocean Park Arena burns down in 1937, leaving a lot that still remains vacant.

1921 to 1929 Main Street and 211 Bay St (Aerial 1960)

1923 marks the peak year of a boom in population and economic growth in greater Los Angeles, accompanied by a building renaissance on Main Street - including 2000 Main, 2001 Main, 2015 Main, 2503 Main, 2701 Main, 2821 Main, and 2907 Main.

In 1921, Linus Perry Sheldon (1885 - 1956) builds a small ($100) real estate office on the property. In 1923, Anderson moves the building to Vernon Ave near Lincoln Blvd in Venice.

The 87-ft by 120-ft Main St and Bay St property is comprised of Lots 6 & 7 of Weid & Haverstick’s Subdivision of Block 5 of the South Santa Monica Tract of 1887.

1921 to 1929 Main Street - Los Angeles County Assessor’s Map

This modest but durable commercial building is a typical Schimmer product. The Renaissance/Mediterranean Revival style building details - Spanish clay-tile accents on the brick parapets, pressed brick front walls with white glazed brick trim, recessed entry, and tall storefront windows - are characteristic of retail buildings that appeared across Southern California during the 1910s and 1920s.