The Street Seen: Weiman Apartments
3025 2nd Street @ Marine
The 1912 Weiman Apartments on the North East Corner of 2nd St and Marine.
R. Piepenstock (who works from his home at 2905 2nd St.) designs and builds the Weiman Apartments in 1912 for Henry Weiman (1870 – 1944).1 In 1913, Weiman sells the apartments to Redlands real estate investor Charles F. Hinckle (1845 – 1914).2 William J. German (1870–1952),3 the real estate broker who represents Hinckle on purchase, lives in and manages the Weiman Apartments, until his death in 1952.
The apartments are extensively renovated in 1953, and a series of ownerships follows. In recent times, the apartments sell for $0.68 MM in 2000; $1.48 MM in 2003; and $2.15 MM in 2005.
The stucco on wood frame Weiman Apartments are 3 separate buildings with one entrance on 2nd St (3025 2nd), and two entrances on Marine St (233 Marine & 237 Marine). Two buildings are 3 stories over basement, and the third building is 2 stories over basement. There are a total of 14 rent-controlled units with a total floor area of 7,911 square feet (sq-ft) on a 50 ft x 90 ft (4,487 sq-ft) lot - Los Angeles County Assessor APN 4287-024-031.
The site is Santa Monica zoned Ocean Park Low-Density Residential (OP2) with a maximum of 2 stories and required setbacks from the property line.
Henry Weiman (1870 – 1944). Born in Germany (his father is Henry Oesterweimann), the family comes to Nebraska. In 1891, he marries widow Katie Tolle Meyer (1864 – 1930), and their two daughters Margarete Weiman Fehrenkamp (1894 – 1974) and Gertrude Katherine Weiman Lund (1898 – 1990) are born in Nebraska. His father dies in 1906, and the Weimans come to CA and live at 2634 3rd St in Ocean Park.
In 1909, Weiman builds a 3-story building at 846 Ocean Front (just north of Marine St). In 1911, Weiman buys an apartment building at 31 Rose Ave, and after renovating it, sells it in 1912. Weiman then builds the apartments at 2nd & Marine. Weiman sells the apartments to Charles F. Hinckle in 1913. The Weimans move to 423 S Electric Ave in Alhambra, where Weiman is listed in the 1930 census as a poultry farmer.
Charles Frederick Hinckle (1845 – 1914). Born in Philadelphia, lawyer Hinckle comes to Redlands in 1909 with his wife to look after their two grandchildren (see William Hinckle below). He buys a large 3-story house at 20 W Palm with 2 acres of oranges for $16,000. In June 1913, Hinckle buys the St Cathryn Apartments (725 Bixel in Los Angeles) for $75,000 (the payment includes 180 acres of orange groves). In July 1913, Hinckle buys the Weiman Apartments (2nd & Marine OP) for $60,000 (the payment includes 20 acres of orange groves). Hinckle marries Catherine Errickson Chambers (1849–1934) in 1875, and of the 4 surviving children:
William Hinckle (1878–1915) is general manager of Riverside orange packing Pacific Packing Co. In 1903, Wiliam marries Florence Marion Lowry (1884 - 19??) in New York City. In 1908, Hinckle kidnaps his two children (Margaret Hinckle (1904 - 1974) and William Hinckle (1905 - 1961)) from his wife’s Ocean Park summer cottage and two weeks later is divorced (John Doe is mentioned as a co-respondent - Florence marries Orson T. Johnson in 1909) - causing a considerable stir in Riverside social circles. William dies in Tucson from tuberculosis at age 38.
Charles Frederick Hinckle Jr (1880–1905) former chief engineer at the Schenectady Iron Works kills himself with cyanide in Los Angeles at age 25.
Margaret Errickson Hinckle (1882–1900) dies at age 18.
James Hervey Hinckle (1883–1904) shoots himself in Riverside at age 21.
William James German (1870–1952). Born in Pennsylvania, in 1899 the real estate broker marries Elizabeth Ruth Haley (1870–1942). German comes to Santa Monica in 1911. He represents Charles F. Hinckle on the purchase of the Cathryn Apartments and the Weiman Apartments. German (and his wife, son Dr. William John German (1899–1981), and sister-in-law Rose M. Haley) live in and manage the Weiman Apartments until his death in 1952.