It was built in 1927-1928[2][3] at a cost of $100,000 ($1.81 million in 2024)[4] and its original tenants included Mary Helen Tea Room, Sunshine of Hollywood, Kepners hair salon, and offices for Weyl.

[7] The building was then purchased by Edgar Bergen, who broadcast The Charlie McCarthy Show from it intermittently for the next seven years.

[9] Fred C. Thomson building features Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and is considered an excellent and intact example of the style.

Elements of the style featured in the building include smooth stucco wall cladding, multi-lite wood casement windows, and a hipped red-tiled roof.

Additional distinguishing features of the building include an interior courtyard, ornamental wall cutouts, arched window openings, and decorative wrought iron.