The Downey Conservancy

05/30/2026

On Old River School Road in Downey, CA, stands an original single family home, built in 1910. The home consists of a 1316 sq ft of living area. The property comprises 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. It's always a nice to see a home from the early 1900’s maintaining its original architectural design.

05/30/2026

Downey, California
Restored and colored version of the original rendering for JC Penny’s at Stonewood Shopping Center.
Architect Maxwell Starkman A. I. A. & Associates
Late 1960’s

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

One of Downey's most architecturally significant and exquisitely preserved residences, having been meticulously maintained by its last known owner, Colman Domingo.

Circa 1964, this magnificent Mid-Century Modern pool estate, crafted by renowned architect Jules Salkin, AIA, boasts exceptional provenance and has been recently showcased in Architectural Digest, solidifying its status as the neighborhood's crown jewel.

The property's notable connection to LAX's historic and vibrant tunnel of colorful mosaic love, featuring hundreds of thousands of hand-set glass mosaic tiles installed in 1961, further enhances its allure. These 300-to-500-foot pedestrian hallways, originally designed by artist Janet Bennett to represent the American landscape's color gradients from coast to coast, are a testament to the era's innovative design. Of the seven original tiled tunnels, three remain accessible to the public, primarily connecting terminals to baggage claim and Customs areas in Terminals 4, 5, and 7.

The Design & History of the LAX Mosaic Tiles: The Concept was to transform long, sterile walkways into immersive experiences during the Jet Age. The Palette transitions to represent the United States, with blue for oceans, green for mountains, sand for deserts, brown for plains, and deep red or navy in the center signifying the Midwest. The Artists, Charles Kratka and Janet Bennett, along with tile artisan Alfonso Pardiñas, brought this vision to life. These vibrant tile walls, capturing the retro-futuristic style of the 1960s, have been featured prominently in films and television shows. Notably, the primary suite's distinctive colorful bath tile was created using genuine remnants of Charles Kratka's mosaic tunnels at LAX.

Photos by: Reflections Downey

05/16/2026

This home is located on Orizaba Ave, Downey, CA 90242.

Public records and real estate sources agree that the property contains three units and sits on a parcel nearly half an acre in size, making it considerably larger than many surrounding residential lots. Because the property was built in 1914, it predates most of the suburban development that transformed Downey in the 1940s and 1950s. Between the 3 properties, there are 8 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

In 1914, Downey was still largely an agricultural community known dairy farms, orange groves, walnut orchards
and small ranch properties

A multifamily property from this era is unusual and suggests the site may have evolved from an early farmhouse or rental compound that served agricultural workers or extended families.

Architect is unknown; likely builder-designed. A rare surviving pre-World War I residence from Downey’s agricultural era.

This home is an excellent example of the modest but enduring houses that helped define early Downey before suburban development transformed the city.

05/14/2026

Thank you to Steve Lange at Spectrum News 1 for featuring Downey's two iconic Googie landmarks, McDonald's and Harvey's/Johnie's/Bob's Big Boy Broiler, in this episode of "The SoCal Scene"!
Huge thanks to all who have worked so hard through the years to preserve them!!

https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/california/socal-scene-episode/2026/05/12/socal-scene-full-episode-mcdonalds-cabrillo-aquarium-sierra-club?cid=app_share

Hit the trails with the Sierra Club

05/01/2026

04/23/2026

Please join us this evening at the Downey Historical Society meeting!

Gerald Blackburn, aerospace pioneer & storyteller, presents "A Cosmic Aerospace Road Trip Through Southern California".

Gerald Blackburn was an engineer and a Project Manager with the Boeing Space and Communications Corporation. He was responsible for directing the Advanced Standards and Practices efforts in the Systems Safety and Product Assurance Department at the Huntington Beach Facility. Mr. Blackburn was in the Aerospace Industry for over 40 years and retired in 2003. His career spanned the entire manned space program from the X-15 at North American Aviation to the Apollo, Saturn SII, Space Shuttle and International Space Station Programs.
During his career on Apollo, he worked in quality assurance and as a materials engineer. Thirty-five years were spent at the Downey North American/NASA site the home of the Apollo and Space Shuttle spacecrafts.
He is an educator as well as a business leader. His proactive leadership in business and education partnerships is widely known. Gerald has taught at the California State University in Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and Cerritos College. He has been an active member of several business and education advisory boards and served on the California State Department of Education Advisory Committee for Career Technology Education.
Gerald authored the book "Downey's Aerospace History".
He is founder and CEO of Tinkers Corner LLC a STEM education resource company. He is a member of the advisory Board of Directors for the City of Downey Columbia Memorial Space Center. He is a former President of the Aerospace Legacy Foundation in California developing historical preservation and outreach projects.

6:00 pm
Barbara J. Riley Center
7810 Quill Dr., Downey
It is sure to be an educational and entertaining experience!!

04/22/2026

Thank you, SELA Sun, for covering this important Downey story and including information about the history of the building, its noted architects Pereira & Luckman, and our perspective on its preservation.
Pereira & Luckman did not typically design "stand alone restaurants". Their firm specialized in "master planning" and massive institutional projects like airports, office hubs, and film studios. They even designed Building 1 and the Atomics International nuclear research wing at Downey's North American Aviation/Rockwell plant during the early 50's.
However, their work does include one of the most famous Googie-style "restaurants" in history, the LAX Theme Building (Encounter Restaurant)
This is their most iconic contribution to "restaurant" architecture. While the building is a piece of infrastructure for Los Angeles International Airport, it was designed specifically to house a high-end dining room suspended in the center of the parabolic arches. The Stonewood Restaurant is a rare example of their standalone restaurant structure. The building was designed with a distinct mid-century flair that has allowed it to survive several iterations over the decades. Though it later became Las Piramides/The Pyramids and eventually the Acapulco Restaurant, the core structure has remained a testament to the Pereira & Luckman's 1950's commercial aesthetic, a truly unique and significant work.

DOWNEY, CA — The Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina near Stonewood Center appears to have closed, with signage at the site indicating it is “Permanently Closed,” user reports on Yelp noting the location has shut down, and the Downey restaurant no longer listed among active locations on the company....

04/22/2026

The Downey Patriot featured Downey’s Acapulco Restaurant back in 2016 as the restaurant was finishing its remodeling. The article depicts wonderful details and photographs of this unique restaurant as it continued to evolve from its original decor.

Acapulco Restaurant in Downey, California has been a well loved and popular staple in the community since 1956 when it was known as “The Stonewood Restaurant” and later operated as “Piramides Restaurant”. The current “Acapulco Restaurant” started up in 1989. Acapulco Restaurant closed its doors this month without fanfare.

The original restaurant was designed by architects Pereira & Luckman. This original landmark structure was designed by the same architecture firm that designed the LAX Theme Building.

DOWNEY -- After extensive remodeling, the Acapulco restaurant at Stonewood Center unveiled its fresh, new look at a grand re-opening last week.  The restaurant features a new cantina, dining room, two outdoor patios, and an updated main entrance next to the indoor-outdoor bar.