Think about your favorite building in Greater Los Angeles. Chances are, it’s one of the fantastic historic places that help make the region unique. 

The Los Angeles Conservancy works every day – as we have since 1978 – to make sure these places survive and thrive for future generations.

A private, member-based nonprofit, the L.A. Conservancy was formed in 1978 as part of the effort to prevent demolition of the stunning Los Angeles Central Library. 

What started as a handful of concerned citizens now has more than 4,500 member households, hundreds of volunteers, and a full-time staff of nearly twenty. We have the largest membership of any local preservation organization in the U.S.

The Conservancy is based in downtown Los Angeles but works throughout L.A. County, which spans 88 cities plus the County’s unincorporated areas.

We work through education and advocacy to raise awareness of historic places, prevent their needless demolition, empower people to save the places they love, and foster strong preservation laws and incentives. See What We Do for more information about our wide range of efforts and initiatives.

Why Preserve Historic Places?

As people rely more on technology and virtual connections, and as cookie-cutter development makes cities look more and more alike, we have a growing need for authenticity, character, and distinction. We don’t want our communities to look like everyone else’s.

Historic buildings, structures, landscapes, and neighborhoods help fill this critical need. They tell great stories, give us a sense of place, help us learn who we are and what we value as a culture, and embody our shared history. 

The L.A. Conservancy has a vision of Los Angeles as a place that values our past and considers it an essential part of our present and future. 

If you share that vision, please explore this website to learn more about historic places and communities, our important issues, our great events, and how you can become a member!