Charles Phoenix’s Slide of the Week: Angeles Abbey, Compton, CA, 1955
By Charles Phoenix - Saturday April 19th 2008 |
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Three palms on one side, two on the other and an almost-centered flagless flagpole compliment one of Southern California’s least known architectural treasures.
According to the legend the builder of the Angeles Abbey Memorial Park sent two architects to India in 1922 for inspiration. Two years later this Byzantine-Moorish-Spanish hybrid style Castle-esque mausoleum, was standing in stark contrast in the middle of a patchwork quilt homes and of small farms in one of Los Angeles’ oldest suburban cities.
I discovered this amazing place quite by chance one day about a decade or so ago when I got a bee in my bonnet to go check out my mother’s childhood home in Compton. After driving back and forth a few times in front of the ‘ol house and being reminded of some of my earliest childhood memories I decided to drive around the neighborhood. Two short blocks later I found this. I was shocked! I drove around the tombstone decorated grounds a bit but was too chicken to get out and go inside.
A couple of months later I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer so decided to go back and this time go in. Walking inside felt like walking into a European Cathedral. Spectacular old world style hand painted motifs repeating on walls, wood beams, and balconies were peeling from age. Stained glass windows colorized the late afternoon sunbeams that illuminated the one thousand crypts. In a dusty room upstairs urns filled floor to ceiling glass front cabinets. Another room housed babies and children.
And as if one castle in Compton isn’t enough there is another one behind it. The second little tower that you see sticking up on the right is actually on the slightly smaller sister mausoleum behind this one. It was built in the late ’20s.
Discovering architectural treasures and oddities is always a joy to behold. But finding them in places where they are least expected is even better. Angeles Abbey is located at 1515 E. Compton Blvd. Compton, CA 90221-3499. Call first to make sure they are open: (310) 631-1141.
Here’s to The Angeles Abbey, treasures in unexpected places, and YOU!
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Thanks Charles for the Pix and story of the Angeles Abbey. Us native Angelenos who grew up south of Wilshire sometimes get a little tired now ‘n’ again of LA’s identity being tragically narrowed down to the West side, Hollywood, Silverlake and the Valley.
There are endless treasure troves of amazing architecture, rich local folklore and incredible LA history in neighborhoods and communities like Compton throughout South Central and South West LA. Yep, those places where some of the city’s most beautiful and historically significant artifacts are “least expected” to call home.
Thanks again.
Best,
Derrick Mathis
Hello Charles…Interesting to see someone like you who enjoyed the amazing Angeles Abbey…As a teenager my girlfriend and I would stop by the Abbey when walking home from school and have a look around inside..it was beautiful and yes one does get a feeling of Europe..even as a young teenager you felt the wonder of it…I have always loved Art so the attraction to the inside stayw with me to this day…
As a child growing up just a few blocks east of the abbey in the early 1970s, i remember how fascinated i was by the mysterious domed buildings. I have never been inside, but i hope it survives the recent vandalism and neglect so that this hub city architectual gem can be enjoyed for years to come
I have to tell you, I lived next door to the Abbey. My dad owned the florist shop that now (I believe) belongs to a foot doctor. I lived next door from the age of 3 until 17 when we moved to Lakewood. Both sets of my grandparents, my parents, and an aunt and uncle are all intered there in the F building. The Abbey was our playground. We loved the grounds. It was so beautiful in the 50′s and 60′s. We left in 1963, but dad kept the flower shop until the late 70′s.
When he sold the building to the doctor. When we buried my parents the building was vandalized, filthy, and horribly depressing. When we buried dad in 1991, mom said that we were not to ever visit there once she was gone. Some of my siblings have been back, but I have not. My brothers tell us not to go. It is so sad that the cemetaries in California often go into disrepair, and are often vandalized. Cemetaries in Compton have not fared well at all. I am broken hearted that the Abbey is in the condition it is in. If you only could have seen it way back when. We delivered flowers to it daily, took family photos there and loved the grounds.
Hi Donna….I was born and raised in compton and lived near downtown…what a wonderful childhood I had..a town we will never know again…we left in 1969 my senior year at Dominquez HS…I loved the Abbey and its European flare…it was so mystical and because of my love of Art it was that more special….I visited it a few months back and it is so sad to see how much repair it needs…I am so happy I have the memories of it as it stood magestically back when…:0)
You are right. It was an absolutely wonderful place to grow up. I graduated from Dominguez in 1964. My Compton in Jan 1928. Dad owned a flower shop on Long Beach Blvd. just south of Compton Blvd. Then he bought the property next to the Abbey in 1949. there were no fences around it at that time. they put up some fences in the 60′s. But by then, we had stopped playing there. Most all my aunts, uncles on both sides of the family came to Compton to get away from the Idaho weather. We loved that town. It was extremely hard to leave.
that was supposed to say that my folks came to Compton in Jan 1928
Got it..Do you know a Pam Grimm?…I think she went to Dominquez around that time also…Things really started to change right after we left Compton…the whole town has been demolished for one big parking lot …plaza after plaza…
Do you have a recent photo? All my family is there. We were shocked when we were there five years ago. It was terrible. Have they made any progress in cleaning it up?
Bob…Last summer I was in Compton with my sis just looking around and I took some shots of the Abbey…run down..windows broken a mess inside…by looking thru windows…I’ll try to post ..if not maybe I could send to you via email?
Hi Priscilla When I was last there for my Mom’ interment I was told that Angeles Abbey was in receivership and had been taken over by a new owner. I could see some improvements but not much!
It really hurts me that something like that could happen and the Abbey fall in such disrepair. I considered moving my family but found it difficult because it was their wishes to be there. Could you try and post your pictures. I have a problem posting my email address for all to see. I hope you can understand.
Thank You
well I can’t copy…don’t know how to post here.can someone tell how?..
Hi Priscilla
I don’t know how you would post the pictures to the Abbey web site.
So if it’s not to much trouble for you I opened a Hotmail email account.
This is my email address: [email protected]
Thank You,
Bob