The residence at 5821 Friends Avenue was built in 1939 by Maxfield I. and Lillian Church, as listed in the Whittier City Directory. Maxfield was a lawyer.
This residence is an excellent example of Art Deco architectural style, which was an early Modernism movement first introduced in Paris and featured prominently at the city's 1925 Exposition internationale des arts decoratifs et industriels moderns--a World's fair from which the movement derived its name. Unlike other Modernist movements, which completely avoided ornamental reference to earlier periods, Art Deco combined updated interpretations of ancient Egyptian, Mayan, Aztec, Greek, and Roman ornamentation, which can be attributed to the era's numerous archaeological discoveries, with elements from emerging abstract design movements, like cubism and futurism. The style emphasizes simple geometric forms and repetition. Art Deco was featured on many commerical and industrial buildings in Whittier, but also a few residential buildings such as this one.
Local designation date is July 7, 2015. It is designated as landmark #66. As of the date of local designation there was no Mills Act Agreement connected to this property.
SOURCES: The information on this page is correct to the best of our knowledge. It has been obtained from the original local designation documents and edits from the Whittier Historic Neighborhood Association. It may also include ongoing current ownership input.
revised 8/16/16