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Sources for Los Angeles Demolished Its Black-and-Gold Oil Tower

Published Sep 13, 2026

Sources Used

  1. Richfield Oil Corporation Building, 555 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

    Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service / 1968 / Primary; federal architectural survey with photographs, measured drawings, and historical data

    The building's architects, completion date, materials, integrated artwork, significance, demolition start, documentation scope, and image provenance.

    Accessed 2026-09-12

  2. Richfield Oil Company Office Building, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA

    Pacific Coast Architecture Database, University of Washington / 2026 / Secondary; university architectural database

    The address, cost, interior amenities, colors, tower dimensions, design roles, corporate merger context, and preservation response.

    Accessed 2026-09-12

  3. Council File 23-1151: 555 South Flower Street / Richfield Building / Historic-Cultural Monument

    City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk / 2023-10-18 / Primary; municipal historical and preservation record

    The tower's black-and-gold appearance, its demolition for modern corporate towers, public reaction, and its place in Los Angeles preservation history.

    Accessed 2026-09-12

  4. Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement: L.A. Modernism, 1919-1980

    City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning, Office of Historic Resources / 2021 / Primary-context; municipal historic context statement

    Richfield Tower's architectural context within Los Angeles modernism and the city's early preservation movement.

    Accessed 2026-09-12

  5. Early City Views (1925+) Part 6

    Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Water and Power Associates / Undated / Secondary; local photographic history collection

    The relationship between the demolished Richfield site and the later ARCO Plaza, now City National Plaza.

    Accessed 2026-09-12

  6. Exterior, General View from North, Looking Down Flower Street

    Marvin Rand / 1968 / Image source; Historic American Buildings Survey photograph

    The tower's appearance shortly before demolition and the federal survey's rights information.

    Accessed 2026-09-12

Image Sources

  1. General exterior view of Richfield Tower from the north, looking down Flower Street shortly before demolition.

    Marvin Rand for the Historic American Buildings Survey / 1968 / No known restrictions on publication; the image was made for the U.S. Government's Historic American Buildings Survey.

    Permission contact: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division for higher-resolution reproductions or rights questions.

    Original file: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ca/ca0200/ca0250/photos/012401pv.jpg