About Us

The Downey Conservancy is the community-based organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the preservation of the culturally and historically significant resources of the City of Downey. Founded in 2010, the Conservancy is a no-fee membership 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The Downey Conservancy is working to:

• Conduct a historic resource survey of the City of Downey
• Maintain public awareness of landmarks by celebrating their designation
• Conduct tours of historic and other cultural sites in Downey
• Hold public forums and events on related topics
• Sponsor scholarships, contests, and events which would focus on Downey's history

Mailing Address

PO Box 626
Downey, California
90241  

Thank you very much for contacting the Downey Conservancy. If you would like to support our efforts, please click the 'donate' button below. We appreciate your support towards our work in the Downey community!

Have conservation questions? Below are some helpful guides to protecting your community.

By Category:

Please click on the name of the guide you would like to see. 

Benefits of Heritage Conservation

• Environmental Benefits of Historic Preservation
• Building Community Through Historic Resources

Architectural Styles

• Identifying Architectural Character

Elements of Design

• Protecting Historic Signage
• Changing and Protecting Awnings
• Insulating Wood Windows
• Insulating Aluminum or Steel Windows

How to Conduct Work on a Historic Property

• Researching the History of a Property
• The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties 
• Adding to a Historic Property
• Maintaining the Exterior of a Building
• Rehabilitating a Historic Storefront
• Rehabilitating Interiors of Historic Buildings
• Conducting a Seismic Retrofit

Designating a Historic Property as a Landmark

• Levels of Historic Designation in the United States
• The California Register
• California Points of Historical Interest
• The National Register of Historic Places

Advocating for Historic Resources

• The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

Thank you for choosing to support the Downey Conservancy.

As a 501(c)(3) organization, all donations made to the Downey Conservancy are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 

What have your donations allowed us to do?

• Host scholarship-based essay competitions for children in local public schools
• Assemble Downey History Week and lead walking tours of downtown Downey
• Organize events in partnership with the Downey Museum of Art

If you prefer to mail a donation, please send a check to:

The Downey Conservancy
P.O. Box 626
Downey, California 90241

Our members are what make us great. 

The Downey Conservancy invites you to join our community-based all volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the architecturally and historically/culturally significant properties in our City. There is no cost in joining. Your application for membership is an expression of your interest in preserving Downey’s heritage through advocacy, and supports the Conservancy’s programs and projects. Your membership ensures your receipt of the Conservancy’s newsletter and timely notice of programs and projects, providing opportunities to participate.

The members of the Downey Conservancy are dedicated individuals who have an investment in seeing their community prosper. We are honored to lend a helping hand in making this vision a reality. The Downey Conservancy does not have a membership fee, but suggests a donation of any amount when joining. 

To become a member of the organization, please fill out the following form and hit the 'submit' button. 

Thank you so much for becoming a member of the Downey Conservancy! To contribute as a new member, please donate here:

Historic Resource Survey

The Downey Conservancy is working to conserve culturally significant resources in the City of Downey by having the City conduct a historic resource survey.

This survey would identify any buildings, structures, or entire neighborhoods that have historical value. The surveyors would evaluate any historic resources using standards put in place by the California Office of Historic Preservation and National Parks Service. This effort will result in a directory of any historic resources in Downey, and a creation of a map of Downey landmarks to be updated as new designations are made.  For more info please see link http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28351

The Molly Pitcher Estates Nomination

Molly Pitcher is a unique sub-variety of Ranch style architecture. Ranch homes are common in Downey, and were extremely popular after World War II. The emphasis on the automobile and predominance of front-facing garages came into fashion and has since dominated the design of residential architecture. 

Downey's Molly Pitcher Estates were created in the hayday of automotive history and have continued to be a neighborhood calling back to this point in Downey's culture. The Conservancy is working to ensure they are recognized for their architectural contribution, as well as protected for generations of Downey residents to come.

Acknowlegment

The Downey Conservancy will encourage public awareness of historic resources and emphasize their importance in the community by celebrating new resources designated at historic landmarks at the local, state, or federal level. This will involve public announcements of new designations and the acknowledgment of the teams behind achieving these great successes.

The Conservancy will also celebrate significant anniversaries of Downey businesses and important local sites which developed strong local reputations and affiliations, and in some cases hold historic landmark status.

Know of a place with historic value? Tell us about it!

The City of Downey currently does not allow local historic landmarks...but the Downey Conservancy is always on the lookout for important places to protect, and buildings that are eligible to be California State Landmarks and Nationally-Registered Landmarks.

If you have a place you'd like to bring to our attention, please fill out the form below:

Properties you suggest can be houses, apartment buildings, private or public buildings, civic buildings, neighborhoods, parks, or other designed places within Downey city limits.

Usually places receive historic designation because they are:

• Are a great example of a type of architectural design (e.g. Craftsman, Victorian, Mid-Century Modern/Eichler, etc.)
• Are the work of a master architect (e.g. Greene & Greene, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra)
• Affiliated with a historic event or person important to city, state, or national history (e.g. the Rives Mansion)
• Have played an important role in the development of a neighborhood appreciated for its cultural background (e.g. Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights)