The industrial city of Commerce adopted a historic preservation ordinance in 1982 that allows for the designation of local landmarks and historic districts.  However, the City has not been active in the use of the ordinance and has designated only a handful of landmarks many years ago.  These include the Citadel/former Samson Tire Factory. The […]

El Segundo established a historic preservation ordinance in 1993, which allows for the designation of individual landmarks.  The ordinance does not establish the ability to designate historic districts, and the designation of individual landmarks requires owner consent.  However, the City has not been active in the use of its historic preservation ordinance, and has not […]

Huntington Park has a rich history and many significant resources. The city adopted a historic preservation ordinance in 2006, Huntington Park’s centennial, after carefully studying effective ordinances in other cities. One of the ordinance’s most notable provisions is the ability to designate significant public or semi-public interior spaces and signage, in addition to landmarks and […]

Irwindale established a historic preservation ordinance in 2009, which allows for the designation of individual landmarks. The ordinance does not establish the ability to designate historic landmarks, and the designation of individual landmarks requires owner consent. Irwindale has not yet conducted a citywide survey of historic resources.  The “Cultural & Historic Resources” section in the City’s […]

Learn the backstory of L.A.'s iconic Union Station. This extraordinary Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco monument was built to serve as the gateway to Los Angeles – a role which, in many ways, it continues to play today. It continues to serve tens of thousands of commuters daily.

Following a year and a half of preparation, the City of Manhattan Beach passed a new historic preservation ordinance on February 16, 2016, marking a major milestone for preservation in this 3.9-square-mile city in the South Bay. To reflect this major progress, the Conservancy has assigned Manhattan Beach a new grade of “C-” (up from […]

Learn the backstory of L.A.'s iconic Union Station. This extraordinary Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco monument was built to serve as the gateway to Los Angeles – a role which, in many ways, it continues to play today. It continues to serve tens of thousands of commuters daily.

I remember the Miramar Fairmont Hotel, one block away from the ocean. This is a landmark, a lovely old hotel on the site of the former Miramar House, and the old fig tree from the 1880s is still there and Senator Jones’ famous photographs. My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Miramar […]

A new three-week summer intensive for high school students

Montebello does not currently have a historic preservation ordinance. A limited survey of structures on Whittier Boulevard was completed in 1989 in response to a proposed street widening project, though the City has not conducted any citywide survey of historic resources.