While the Heritage Square Museum and Gardens have long been considered a historic landmark by locals, the 10-acre property finally recieved the official designation by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday, Dec. 16, the The EastsiderLA reports.

From the Eastsider:

... the City Council’s action designates the entire museum grounds, a narrow strip of land leased from the city, a historic landmark. The museum applied for landmark status earlier this year in part to get around building and safety codes that would have required it to construct  a parking lot in the middle of museum grounds as part of a new drug store exhibit.

According to a report from the city's Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC), the open air musuem at 3800 Homer St. that was established in 1969 earned the historic nod for capturing the historic essence of the Northeast Los Angeles.

From the CHC report:

1) The property "embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction" as an example of an open air house museum.

2.) The property reflects "the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community" for its association with the historic preservation movement in Los Angeles.