Fourth Generation Owners Want to Save Historic Value : Ranch Has More Than Money Can Buy

"We decided philosophically it would be wrong to do a raw land approach that would destroy the historical buildings. We felt there was more historical significance to the farm than just the home. The owners want a guarantee that the ranch will not be bulldozed for a modern shopping center and believe commercial development should enhance the historic value of the six-acre property."

"The city had offered to save the house--which is on the National Register of Historic Places--by either incorporating it into the project or moving it elsewhere. The city's plan, though, made no provision for other structures on the farm. In June, the Scantleburys nixed the sale, insisting that money was not the crucial issue."

Bob and Margaret Scantlebury own a six-acre historic ranch in Norwalk built in 1878 that the city attempted to purchase for commercial development. The city's redevelopment plan included selling part of the property to a developer for shopping center expansion and building senior apartments, offering to preserve only the Victorian house by relocating or incorporating it. The Scantleburys rejected the lucrative offer, asserting that the farm's historical significance extends beyond the main house to include farming implements, blacksmith shop, and redwood barns. They oppose demolition for modern development and believe any commercial use should enhance rather than destroy the property's historic character and share it with the public.

Read at Los Angeles Times