Downey Conservancy raising funds to recognize city's oldest home

Photo by Alex Dominguez

DOWNEY - The Downey Conservancy, with the support of the Downey Historical Society, has embarked on a fund-raising campaign to gain California state recognition for Downey’s oldest existing home.

The home, located at 9497 Foster Road, was part of the Golden Gate Ranch. According to Larry Latimer of the Downey Historical Society, Edward W. Lewis moved from Nebraska, and settled in Downey in order to start a new life.

His sons, Joe and Bill, bought 50 acres near Woodruff Avenue and Foster Bridge Road, where they farmed sugar beets and Klondike strawberries.  Another son, Ed C. Lewis, bought 25 acres on Foster Road and Ardis Street, where he raised alfalfa, sugar beets, corn and walnuts.  This land became the Golden Gate Ranch.  

According to its owner, the home which remains on that property to this day was built in 1871.

The Downey Conservancy hopes to nominate the Golden Gate Ranch for designation as a California Historical Landmark, a program of the California State Parks’ Office of Historic Preservation.  In order to be eligible for designation as a Landmark, a resource must meet at least one of the following criteria:

■ The first, last, only, or most significant of its type in the state or within a large geographic region (Northern, Central, or Southern California), 

■ Associated with an individual or group having a profound influence on the history of California, 

■ A prototype of, or an outstanding example of, a period, style, architectural movement or construction or is one of the more notable works or the best surviving work in a region of a pioneer architect, designer or master builder.

The Conservancy welcomes the community’s support of this important project. To learn more about this effort and how you can be a part of it, visit gofundme.com/save-the-oldest-home-in-downey-ca