Historians rededicate ‘Buttonhole’ at Stonewood Mall

Anna and David Tseklenis unveil the new Button Hole plaque on the northern perimeter of Stonewood Center as Kathy Perez looks on. (PHOTO BY GABRIEL ENAMORADO)

DOWNEY – The years-long mission of one of Downey’s first historians finally came to fruition on Wednesday with the rededication of a plaque marking “The Button Hole.”

Located at the intersection of Cecilia Street and Clancey Avenue, “The Button Hole” is a pedestrian entrance built into the wall separating the Stonewood mall from the street. It was put in place at the request of Wallace C. Button.

According to Downey Conservancy President Kathy Perez, Button – who lived on Clancy - enjoyed walking the area when it was still open field and farm land.

“Mr. Button would cross and take his walk,” said Perez. “When the mall was built in 1958, he requested that when they put the wall up that they leave this gap so he could continue his routine, and his request was granted.”

Upon Button’s death in 1969, friends and loved ones dedicated a plaque at the wall in his honor, officially deeming the space as “The Button Hole.”

However, the plaque was stolen sometime around 2016-17.

Conservancy co-founder Harold Tseklenis made it his goal to correct the theft.

“When it came to the attention of Harold Tseklenis, who had been Mr. Button’s friend, he said ‘No, this can’t be,’” said Perez. “Harold took it upon himself to replace it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to do that; he passed in 2019.”

Still, the Conservancy picked up where Tseklenis left off.

“Since then, we decided, being that Harold was a dear friend of ours, on our board, co-founder of the Conservancy, that we would take up the job of doing this,” said Perez.

Members of the Conservancy were joined by Mayor Claudia Frometa, Councilman Hector Sosa, and members of the Tseklenis family.

Son David Tseklenis was appreciative to the Conservancy and the community as a whole, saying he was “completely surprised by all of this.”

“Dad recognized this really as a little piece of history that brings people together in the community,” said Tseklenis. “The idea of preserving this spot is something that dad believed in, and this really represents the broader idea of preserving Downey’s history.

“For people to share that, members of the community especially who care about this sort of thing, Dad would’ve appreciated it; not because of any honor, primarily because it would bring people together for a common cause.”