The Ararat Home Story

Ararat Home was founded in 1949 by a visionary group of Armenian-Americans who recognized the need for a facility to care for elderly Armenians in Los Angeles.

Upon the purchase of a large, two-story house at 3730 West 27^th Street in the West Adams district of Los Angeles in 1951, the Home welcomed its first seven residents. Over the next four decades, the facility underwent three major building additions eventually reaching a maximum occupancy of 80 residents.

During these years, the need for a skilled nursing unit became apparent. In 1980, Ararat Home purchased an existing 42-bed facility in Eagle Rock. Within a few months, Ararat Convalescent Hospital was established and fully occupied.

The growing demands of an aging population prompted the Board of Trustees to seek a property suitable for a larger, more modern Home. The result was the purchase in 1981 of a 10.5-acre plot of undeveloped land in Mission Hills. The enormous task of raising funds and building a campus was undertaken by several dedicated individuals.

Through the persistent efforts of these devoted supporters and the generosity of numerous benefactors and donors, the new Ararat Home complex opened in 1992. Nestled in the hills of San Fernando Valley, the campus was designed as a serene retirement community with curving pathways and beautifully landscaped grounds complemented by adobe-colored walls and tiled roofs reminiscent of early Californian architecture.

The campus was constructed in several phases over the years. The first phase was completed in 1992 and included the three-story, 65-unit Assisted Living Facility as well as the George Deukmejian Center. The second phase, completed in 1993, was the 99-bed Nursing Facility. The third phase was the chapel and museum complex, which was completed in 1994. In order to meet increasing demand within the community for different levels of care, building expansions in 1997 and 2014 added 97 beds and 58 beds, respectively, to the Nursing Facility and 44 units to the Assisted Living Facility in 2018.

With the purchase in 2019 of 13 additional acres of land in Mission Hills, Ararat Home is currently working to build an extension campus that will provide various levels of care. And, with the 2023 acquisition of a senior living community in Glendale, the Home established Ararat Gardens & Post Acute, thus reaching a greater segment of the community it was founded to serve.

From its modest beginnings as a “home for the aged” in south-central Los Angeles, Ararat Home has grown into a dynamic organization providing a home for over 500 residents and serving as a multi-purpose community center in the north end of San Fernando Valley. Ararat Home’s mission has been sustained and expanded since its founding through the invaluable service and generous support of employees, volunteers and members of the community.

Milestones in Ararat Home’s Journey

• 1949 – Group of Armenian-Americans established Los Angeles Home for Armenian Aged
• 1951 – Property purchased in West Adams district of Los Angeles for $12,000
• 1955 – Ceremonial “Burning of the Mortgage”
• 1969 – Organization adopted official name of Ararat Home of Los Angeles
• 1980 – 42-bed facility purchased in Eagle Rock; Ararat Convalescent Hospital established
• 1981 – 10.5-acre property purchased in Mission Hills for $715,000
• 1990 – Initial property in West Adams district sold
• 1992 – First phase of construction completed on Mission Hills campus: 130-bed Ararat Board & Care Facility and George Deukmejian Center
• 1993 – 99-bed Ararat Nursing Facility constructed
• 1994 – Sheen Memorial Chapel and Ararat-Eskijian Museum constructed
• 1997 – 97-bed addition to Nursing Facility completed
• 1999 – 50^th anniversary celebrated
• 2001 – Rockhaven Sanitarium in Montrose purchased
• 2006 – Board & Care Facility upgraded to Assisted Living Facility
• 2008 – Rockhaven Sanitarium sold
• 2014 – 58-bed Avakian Wing addition to Nursing Facility completed
• 2015 – Convalescent Hospital celebrated 35^th anniversary
• 2018 – Three-story, 44-room Surabyan Wing addition to Assisted Living Facility completed
• 2019 – 13-acre property purchased adjacent to Mission Hills campus for $12.5 million
• 2019 – 70^th anniversary celebrated
• 2023 – Life plan community purchased in Glendale; Ararat Gardens and Ararat Post Acute established

Ararat Home Founders