Situated on a plot, almost 40 by 80 feet, the six-pillar structure of 16 different types of imported Italian marble is 75 feet tall and topped by a dome with hand-set mosaic tiles depicting Moses holding the Ten Commandments, stands the Al Jolson Memorial.
The monument, designed by Paul R. Williams, was constructed in 1951 and sits atop a 120-foot, five-tier cascading water feature. Nearby is Carl Romanella’s bronze statue of the singer on one knee in his famous Jazz Singer pose.
Built on the crest of a hill and designed as a deceptively simple building, the multi-story main mausoleum appears somber, respectful, and restrained to visitors. Entering the open circular vestibule, one can follow several paths that lead to spectacular spaces incorporating Paul R. Williams' love of natural light, circles, elegant curves, and elliptical elements. The mausoleum’s pristine, white outer walls hold organically connected interior rooms designed to encourage contemplation, reflection, and awe.
Architect Paul R. Williams (1894-1980) was the first African-American member and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a member of Los Angeles’s first Planning Commission. From the 1920s through the 1970s, he enjoyed worldwide success, designing more than 3,000 buildings—from private homes to public buildings.
In 1939, Williams won an AIA Award of Merit for his design of the elegant MCA building in Beverly Hills at the intersection of Burton Way and Crescent Drive. He also designed the interiors of the original Saks Fifth Avenue building in Beverly Hills. Among his clients were Frank Sinatra, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Julie London, Barbara Stanwyck, and Anthony Quinn.
Williams's body of work also includes the 28th Street YMCA, where Williams incorporated likenesses of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington in the facade, the Second Baptist Church, the Botany Building and Franz Hall at UCLA, and the flying saucer-shaped Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport.
