C.E. Toberman Co./Bank of America Building
Believe it or not, the building at Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave. was originally a four-story building. Built in 1914, the ground floor served as the offices for the C.E. Toberman Co., one of Hollywood’s most prolific builders, with apartments above. In the mid-1920s, Federal Trust & Savings Bank took over the ground floor, followed by the Bank of Italy in 1928. In 1930, Bank of Italy became Bank of America and in 1935 B of A had the architectural firm of Morgan, Walls & Clements remodel the building into a one-story Beaux Arts styled building. Bank of America still occupied the building when it was included as a contributing property to the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium moved into the building in 1992.
Hollywood, Los Angeles County
Photographer: John Bare