George Alandson Hart (1870-1929) named this street in 1900 on a tract he owned with Alexander R. Fraser, but whereas Fraser went on to practically own Ocean Park, Hart would focus his attentions on a Los Angeles landmark. Leaving his native Ohio at the age of 18, Hart joined his widowed father Henry at a DTLA hotel called the Natick House and took the position of bellhop. His little brother Dwight followed suit the following year. Henry Hart bought the Natick House in 1890 but passed away just two years later, leaving George and Dwight to run things. And run things they did – so well that they had the money in 1903 to purchase a second DTLA hotel called the Rosslyn. The brothers then constructed the “new million dollar” Hotel Rosslyn in 1914 and added an annex in 1923. The Rosslyn buildings, with their famous rooftop signage (including giant hearts for “Hart”), still stand today. George Hart married Ida Belden in 1894 and they adopted a son, Robert, around 1915. The three lived in Mid-City’s exclusive Fremont Place. Back here in Santa Monica, Ocean Park Blvd. was originally called Dwight Avenue for Dwight Hart, who served in the CA State Senate from 1919 to 1923.
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