St. Vibiana's Cathedral 114 E. Second St., Downtown Built in 1876, the former Cathedral of St. Vibiana is one of Los Angeles' few remaining 19th-century structures. Its Baroque-inspired Italian façade contrasted with the handsome 83-foot bell tower at the rear of the property. St. Vibiana's Cathedral was the subject of a major preservation battle in the mid-1990s, when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles began to illegally demolish the building, starting with the bell tower. The Conservancy pursued two successful lawsuits to stop the demolition, ultimately finding a buyer for the property when the Archdiocese abandoned it to build a new cathedral nearby. Developer Tom Gilmore bought the property and has carefully adapted it for use as a vibrant performance and event venue. Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #17 Photo by Julius Shulman. Copyright J. Paul Getty Trust/Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at The Getty Research Institute.