Santa Monica History Spotlight: Miles Playhouse

January 31, 2019 11:55 AM
by Robyn Carmichael

The History Spotlight focuses on the landmarks, residents and stories that have shaped Santa Monica into what it is today. Content is being produced in partnership with the Santa Monica Landmarks CommissionSanta Monica History Museum and the Santa Monica Daily Press.

The article below originally appeared in the Santa Monica Daily Press on January 28, 2019, authored by Lily Richman.


MILES PLAYHOUSE
1130 Lincoln Blvd.
Built 1929, Designated 1975

Designed by architect John Byers, Miles Playhouse, built in 1929, is the centerpiece of Reed (formerly Lincoln) Park.

Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, it is constructed with stone tile and stucco sheathing, and is capped by a tiled front gable roof. Pilasters and cornice surround the ornate elevated entry. In his last will and testament, former City Councilman J. Euclid Miles bequeathed to the City $25,000 to erect a public recreation hall as a memorial to his wife, Mary, “dedicated to the young men and women of the City.”

Ever since, the community has continuously used this building for a diverse and vibrant array of programming. John Byers, who once taught Romance languages at Santa Monica High School, became one of the City’s foremost architects, designed numerous homes and buildings in the early decades of the 20th century.

Authored By

Robyn Carmichael
Marketing and Communications Assistant