This sign that now reads "Hollywood", was originally built to read "Hollywood Land" (See the Hollywood Land link). It was built in 1923, as a publicity stunt to promote the sales of homes in a suburban area by the same name along Beachwood Canyon.
The original letters were 30 ft. wide and 50 ft. tall, and were lighted with low wattage light bulbs. There were 4,000 light bulbs all together. The total cost of this original sign was around $21,000.
Around 1939, maintenance of the sign was discontinued. Late in the year of 1944, the M.H. Sherman Company, the developers of the Hollywood Lands, turned over about 455 acres of land to the city of Los Angeles. This property ajoined to Griffith Park, and also included the sign.
In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce entered into a contract with the department of Recreation and Parks to repair and rebuild the sign. They were also to remove the "land", so that it would just spell "HOLLYWOOD". The cost would be close to or over $4,000. After this rebuilding was finished, the sign was declared Los Angeles Cultural/Historical Monument #111 in 1973, by the Cultural Heritage Board of the city of Los Angeles.
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