Everything Changes

Roxbury Memorial Park Recreation Center, Beverly Hills

I'd heard that the City of Beverly Hills was going to remodel the Recreation Center at Roxbury Memorial Park.


Roxbury Park was built around 1927-28 in the bean fields that bordered Tenth St. and Roxbury Drive. Tenth Street was what Olympic Boulevard was called before the 1932 Olympics. Also, before the 1932 Olympics, Tenth Street stopped at 20th Century Fox Studios and picked up on the other side as Country Club Drive. Later, 20th added a bridge over Olympic Boulevard to their north lot (now Century City). After 1941 the park was renamed Roxbury Memorial Park to honor Beverly Hills residents who died in battle.


The only history I could find about the park relates to the lawn bowling portion of the park and an overview of all Beverly Hills parks. Here are some really nice photos of what the park looks like today.

Roof Overhang at the Rec Center

The plan to remodel the Rec Center includes adding classrooms, offices, a multi-use large room, updated kitchen facilities, a gymnasium and more. They will be changing the existing building (1958) quite a bit.


I spent my youth at Roxbury Park. We lived on Bedford Drive, one block over. It was like our backyard. We had picnics and birthday parties there. We played and climbed trees at the Park. When I was older I played tennis on its courts and took tap dancing at the Rec Center. I've always loved the clean, modern architecture of the Rec Center. I wonder who designed it? Does anyone know?

Mid-1960's Planter Benches in the Courtyard of the Rec Center

Larry and I stopped by the Rec Center over the weekend to snap a few shots before they tear the place apart. Sigh.

Ken and Ellen Bloom, Roxbury Park, 1955
(before the current Rec Center was built!)

UPDATE 12/2/11: The fantastic, Mr. Chris Nichols found an article about the opening of the Rec Center, including the names of the architects and construction company! Thanks so much Chris!!