Now and Then House in Downey

[molee]

An out-of-town friend of mine wants to come in and visit the "Now and Then" cover house in Downey. I heard that it has been or will be demolished. Does anyone know the status? (Is the house still there?).

Mo Lee

[smoothie2]

As far as I know it was torn down a some months ago unfortunately.

[Rick Henry]

There were two houses on the property. The main house is still there. That's the one you see on the Now and Then album cover. The second house has been leveled and rebuilt. From what I've heard it looks somewhat like a tower with large gold pillars and has changed the look of the property quite a bit. You may not recognize the original home because of this.

I wouldn't be surprised if the main house is eventually rebuilt also. The new owners are not fans of Carpenters and don't really care about the sentimentality of the home.

If the house is rebuilt it will be somewhat sad... but at the same point what once lived there and happened there is in the past and we have the great music which was birthed there and several photos of the home. Sometimes it's just time to move on. Moving on and rebuilding is not a bad thing... anyway it's not like it's Graceland or anything like that. It's a tract home in the middle of middle class America.

Mo Lee... I say you go see the home before it does go away... but don't knock on the door of the residents who do live there... as that will only prompt them to tear it down even faster and afterall they deserve their privacy.

By the way Mo Lee... Welcome to the forum. It's nice to have you here!

[wisejester7]

The last I heard, the main house was still standing.

Rick's warning remains in force ... DON'T DISTURB THE OWNERS!! That is the message they send out loud and clear.
The neighbors, on the other hand, seem to hold fond memories of the Carpenters (from what I've read).

[molee]

I guess my friend and I better go visit the house before it is gone. I think that Karen and Richard living in a tract home in middle class America (even in the height of their popularity). says alot about who they were. I hope the current owners do not tear the house down. It's a standing statement of who the Carpenters were...regular people like us in many ways.

No need to worry, I would NOT dream of disturbing the current owners.

Mo Lee

[timo]

Here is a bit of news, concerning the house from about a year ago, I happened to stumble upon just recently on the UK music magazine NME's site.
Nothing new to what has been said here before
www.nme.com/news/carpenters/34462

[Rick Henry]

Jan 23, 2009 2:00:04 GMT -5 timo said:

Here is a bit of news, concerning the house from about a year ago, I happened to stumble upon just recently on the UK music magazine NME's site.
Nothing new to what has been said here before
www.nme.com/news/carpenters/34462

When word hit that the house may be demolished it was in quite a few news articles around the world. Even the L.A. Times and my local Orange County Register did their articles on the home.

[kc1950]

Is that the same house where she passed away? If it is - I think it doesn't matter if it stays up or not in my opinion -