The Richfield Oil Tower, completed in 1929, was an iconic skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles, rising 372 feet and symbolizing the city’s booming oil industry. Designed in a striking Art Deco style by architect Stiles O. Clements, the building featured bold black and gold terracotta tiles, with a crown of neon lights that glowed like an oil derrick, a fitting tribute to its oil company roots. For decades, it stood as a landmark, representing innovation and the optimism of LA's rapid growth. However, by the 1960s, as the city modernized, the Richfield Tower was considered outdated, and despite public outcry, it was demolished in 1969 to make way for a more functional (though less celebrated) office complex. Today, the Richfield Oil Tower remains a lost piece of Los Angeles' architectural heritage, remembered for its distinctive design and connection to the city’s industrial past.
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Chapters:
00:00 LA’s Lost Richfield Oil Tower
00:54 How LA became a significant population center
02:34 The Rise of LA’s Oil Industry
04:48 Construction of the Richfield Oil Tower
05:53 A tour of the LA Richfield Oil Tower
07:20 Why The Richfield Tower had a massive radio tower on top
08:49 The Downfall of The Richfield Oil Tower
10:23 What Remains of the Richfield Oil Tower
IT’S HISTORY - Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
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» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Ryan Socash
Editor - Caroline Borgia
Host - Ryan Socash
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