Hazard's Pavilion

Hazard's Pavilion was a major nineteenth-century auditorium in Los Angeles, California, located at the intersection of Fifth and Olive Streets. Although it is identified in the supplied subject data as a brand, historically it was a physical venue rather than a commercial product brand or financial-services business. Its significance came from the breadth of events it accommodated and from its role in the early development of Los Angeles as a regional center for culture, public speaking, religion, fairs, and sport. The site had originally been acquired by showman George "Roundhouse" Lehman, who intended to build a large theater complex there. Lehman became financially insolvent before completing that plan, and the property was sold to Henry T. Hazard, then the Los Angeles city attorney and later mayor. Hazard commissioned the construction of a substantial wooden auditorium designed by Kysor, Morgan & Walls. Completed in 1887 at a reported cost of $25,000, the building was among the largest structures of its kind in Los Angeles. It had a clapboard exterior, two prominent front towers, and seating reported at approximately 4,000, although some accounts gave a substantially higher possible capacity based on the division of the building into galleries. The Pavilion opened in April 1887 with a civic flower festival. Its programming quickly expanded. A month later it hosted the National Opera Company, whose production involved hundreds of singers, dancers, and musicians. The building also became a regular setting for religious assemblies, political meetings, lectures, conventions, fairs, concerts, operas, balls, and sporting events. Evangelist Dwight L. Moody spoke there during a series of religious meetings in 1888. Public figures associated with appearances at the venue included Booker T. Washington, William Jennings Bryan, and Carrie Nation. Italian opera star Enrico Caruso also performed there. Hazard's Pavilion became particularly important in the history of Los Angeles boxing. Between 1901 and 1904, promoter Tom McCarey staged early shows there, helping establish the city as a significant boxing market. The venue hosted bouts and exhibitions involving numerous prominent fighters. Jim Jeffries fought Joe Goddard there in 1898 in his only fully recorded bout in his hometown. Jack Johnson appeared in eight main events promoted by McCarey between 1902 and 1904, before becoming the first African-American world heavyweight champion. James J. Corbett held an exhibition at the Pavilion in 1892 with Jim Daly, later in the same year winning the world heavyweight title from John L. Sullivan. Other fighters associated with the venue included Bob Fitzsimmons, Kid McCoy, Joe Walcott, Sam McVey, Joe Bernstein, and several other notable boxers. In late 1904, the Temple Baptist Church leased the building and renamed it Temple Auditorium. The change ended its availability for professional boxing and compelled McCarey to seek another location. Hazard's Pavilion was demolished in 1906 to make way for a new Temple Auditorium designed by Charles F. Whittlesey with civil engineers John B. Leonard and C. R. Harris. That successor structure, opened in November 1906, later operated under names including Clune's Auditorium and Philharmonic Auditorium. The later auditorium hosted silent films, the world premiere of The Birth of a Nation, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It was remodeled in 1938, remained associated with the orchestra for decades, and was demolished in 1985. Thus, Hazard's Pavilion itself ended in 1906, but its site continued through successive venue identities and remained part of Los Angeles's civic and cultural history.

Hazard's Pavilion emerged from an unrealized theater project at the intersection of Fifth and Olive Streets in Los Angeles. Showman George "Roundhouse" Lehman had acquired the land and planned a large entertainment center, but financial failure prevented him from completing the project. The property was subsequently sold to Henry T. Hazard, a prominent Los Angeles public official who later became mayor. Hazard commissioned Kysor, Morgan & Walls to design the replacement auditorium. The wooden building was completed in 1887 at a reported cost of $25,000. Its clapboard exterior and two front towers made it a conspicuous downtown landmark. It was described as the largest building of its type in Los Angeles at the time. Seating accounts vary, with approximately 4,000 commonly reported and larger figures attributed to the building's two-gallery arrangement. The Pavilion opened in April 1887 with a flower festival. Its next major event was a National Opera Company presentation involving approximately 300 singers, ballet dancers, and musicians. The venue's flexible scale allowed it to host an unusually broad mixture of activities, including conventions, political assemblies, lectures, religious meetings, fairs, concerts, operas, balls, and sports. Dwight L. Moody preached there in 1888, and the building also hosted appearances by Booker T. Washington, William Jennings Bryan, Carrie Nation, and Enrico Caruso. Boxing became one of the venue's most consequential uses. Tom McCarey staged early promotions there from 1901 through 1904, helping make Los Angeles a recognized boxing center. The Pavilion was associated with appearances by Jim Jeffries, Jack Johnson, James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Kid McCoy, Joe Walcott, Sam McVey, and numerous other fighters. Corbett's 1892 exhibition with Jim Daly preceded his later title victory over John L. Sullivan. Jeffries fought Joe Goddard at the Pavilion in 1898, while Johnson headlined eight McCarey cards between 1902 and 1904. The building's original identity ended when the Temple Baptist Church leased it in late 1904 and renamed it Temple Auditorium. Because the church's use displaced professional boxing, McCarey had to find a separate location for his shows. In 1906, Hazard's Pavilion was demolished. A new Temple Auditorium designed by Charles F. Whittlesey, John B. Leonard, and C. R. Harris opened on the site in November of that year. The successor building later became known as Clune's Auditorium and then Philharmonic Auditorium. It hosted silent films, including the world premiere of The Birth of a Nation, and became the Los Angeles Philharmonic's home from 1920 until the opening of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1963. After a 1938 modernization by Claud Beelman, the Philharmonic Auditorium continued until its demolition in 1985. The succession of venues on the site extended the area's cultural importance well beyond the life of the original Pavilion.

1. 1906Original building demolished

   Hazard's Pavilion is demolished to make way for a new Temple Auditorium.

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2. 1904Renamed Temple Auditorium

   The Temple Baptist Church leases the building and changes its name to Temple Auditorium.

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3. 1901Tom McCarey begins boxing promotions

   McCarey starts staging major boxing shows at the Pavilion, strengthening the city's position in the sport.

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4. 1898Jim Jeffries fights at the Pavilion

   Jim Jeffries fights Joe Goddard in his only fully recorded bout in Los Angeles.

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5. 1892James J. Corbett exhibition

   James J. Corbett fights an exhibition bout with sparring partner Jim Daly at the Pavilion.

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6. 1888Dwight L. Moody appearances

   The auditorium hosts a series of religious meetings featuring evangelist Dwight L. Moody.

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7. 1887Hazard's Pavilion is completed

   The large wooden auditorium designed by Kysor, Morgan & Walls is completed at the Fifth and Olive Streets site in Los Angeles.

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8. 1887Public opening

   The Pavilion opens with a civic flower festival and soon hosts a major National Opera Company presentation.

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A multipurpose landmark auditorium serving as one of the largest public gathering spaces in late nineteenth-century Los Angeles.

• 1904Conversion to a church-operated auditoriumStrategy

  The Temple Baptist Church leased the Pavilion during a period when many churches opposed professional boxing.

  What changed. The building was renamed Temple Auditorium and its programming shifted away from the boxing events promoted by Tom McCarey.

  Aftermath. McCarey was forced to seek another venue, and the original Pavilion was demolished in 1906 for a successor auditorium.

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• 1906Hazard's Pavilion is demolished

  The original wooden auditorium was removed to permit construction of a new Temple Auditorium on the site.

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• 1904Venue renamed Temple Auditorium

  The Temple Baptist Church leased the building and changed its name to Temple Auditorium, ending the venue's use for the professional boxing program associated with Tom McCarey.

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• 1901Hazard's Pavilion becomes an important boxing venue

  Tom McCarey's boxing promotions at the Pavilion helped establish Los Angeles as a significant location for professional boxing, with appearances by leading fighters of the period.

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• 1887Hazard's Pavilion opens in Los Angeles

  The newly constructed auditorium opened with a civic flower festival and soon expanded its schedule to include opera, religious gatherings, lectures, and other public events.

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1. Hazard's Pavilion