150-year-old Los Angeles house saved by moving it opens hidden rooms for one night
The historic 1876 Perry House in Los Angeles, which was saved from demolition and relocated in 1975, opened its second floor to the public for the first time in decades. The event celebrated the mansion's 150th anniversary and its role in the city's architectural history.
Why it matters
The preservation of the Perry House serves as a case study for urban heritage conservation and the importance of maintaining historical landmarks in rapidly developing cities.
The Perry House, also known as the William Hayes Perry House or Mount Pleasant House, was built in 1876. After years of decline and vandalism, the house was threatened with demolition. In 1975, it was moved to Heritage Square at 3800 Homer Street, Montecito Heights. On Saturday, September 12, as the Perry Mansion observed its 150th anniversary, it opened its normally closed second floor to visitors for the first time in decades! The anniversary celebration at Heritage Square Museum marked a rare chance to step inside rooms frozen in time, the kind of access that restoration-focused museums typically guard for research and preservation work.Perry House was more than a homeThe Perry House was built during an era when such details still mattered. The mansion was built for William Hayes Perry, a prominent Los Angeles businessman and lumberyard owner whose work helped shape the growing city around him.
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