Description
A small collection of materials from and about the Heritage House Museum in Compton, California. Materials include correspondence,
ledgers, and paper from the Auxiliary; programs, booklets, and correspondence about the museum itself; and ephemera and journals
from the 19th century donated to the museum from citizens of Compton.
Background
The Heritage House was built in 1869 by A.R. Loomis and later became the property of the Gaines family. The house stood on
Lemon Street (later Main Street, then Compton Boulevard) until the 1950s, when the land was acquired by the city to be used
for a new fire station. By this time, the house had been deemed the oldest house in Compton, and the newspaper roused community
support to protect it from being demolished. The City of Compton provided a site onto which the house would be moved, an area
in the city center next to City Hall, the Police Station, and the Post Office. A large volunteer base donated money, labor,
and materials for moving the house, as well as the restoration and renovation required to make it into a museum. Members of
the community also donated items to be displayed in the museum, many actually used in Compton during the 1860s and 1870s.
The museum officially opened to the public on April 14, 1958. An auxiliary, sponsored by the Native Daughters of the Golden
West, was formed in the following months, and was responsible for the care and upkeep of the museum. In 1959, a year from
the opening day, the Heritage House was named California State Landmark No. 664. This was the first state landmark given in
the community.
Restrictions
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.