Letter to the Editor: Make the Parley Johnson estate accessible

Dear Editor:

The residents of Downey have a gem in their midst they may not be aware of. I’m talking about the Assistance League of Downey, located where Rives Avenue intersects Florence, on the north side of the city.

With its many rooms, visible from the outside, its out-buildings in back and its gardens in front (and a parking lot), it puts one in mind of a well-preserved hacienda from the Mission Era. And that is what makes it so appealing.

It would be hard to resist getting to see this veritable historical site on the inside. But that’s the problem. It was built by a Downey pioneer, about a hundred years ago, for his wife, who lived long in it, and, as his heiress, donated the building to the Assistance League, accessible only to members.

Occasionally The Patriot has run an announcement that the Assistance League is open for viewing (selected portions) for a donation/fee. I would be willing to pay, say, $5 or $10, for touring the entire site, but such an open house no longer seems forthcoming, which is too bad.

I could see a middle-school teacher taking his or her class on a local field trip to experience this valuable piece of culture -- learning about the colonial adobe architecture and how the layout, including the out buildings, may have included, besides an outdoor kitchen, a candlemaker’s studio and a blacksmith’s shop, among other features.

Yes, this location is that engaging to interested parties -- young people and historical societies, for instance. It’s a shame that Downey and all of Southern California aren’t allowed to see it, except from a distance.

In walking past the back of this walled-off “neverland,” you soon realize how special it is, like nothing else in our city. Only a caretaker’s car in the evening is a sign of any life around -- no residents are sleeping in its many bedrooms or socializing in its salon.

The place remains a frustrating question mark to quizzical passers-by, a learning experience that is lost to the outside world, except for the exceptional few who, hopefully, don’t take it for granted.

John DeLaney
Downey