Camarillo Ranch House

Infobox_nrhp | name =Camarillo Ranch House
nrhp_type =

---

caption = Camarillo Ranch House
location= 201 Camarillo Ranch Rd., Camarillo, California
lat_degrees = 34
lat_minutes = 13
lat_seconds = 5
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 119
long_minutes = 1
long_seconds = 2
long_direction = W
locmapin = California
area =
built =1892
architect= Anlauf, Herman; Ward, Franklin
architecture= Queen Anne, Other
added = February 20, 2003
governing_body = Local
refnum=03000039cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Camarillo Ranch House, also known as Rancho Calleguas and Adolfo Camarillo House, is a Queen Anne-style Victorian house in Camarillo, California. Built in 1892, the 6,000-square-foot house was designed by architects Herman Anlauf and Franklin Ward. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The house is currently operated by the Rancho Camarillo Foundation and is open to the public for docent-led tours on Saturdays and Sundays. It is also available to be rented for weddings and other special events.

Camarillo family

Juan and Martina Camarillo

Juan and Martina Camarillo were married in 1840 and moved to Ventura, California in 1854, becoming the fourth European family in the town.cite news|title=Ventura County: Death of Mrs. Camarillo, a Pioneer|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1898-04-17] In 1876, Juan Camarillo bought the 10,000-acre Calleguas Rancho in eastern Ventura County from Jose Pedro Ruiz for $3,000 in gold. [cite news|title=Rancho Adolfo situated on historic Calleguas site|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1979-03-03] The Calleguas Rancho remained in the Camarillo family until the 1960s, eventually becoming the City of Camarillo -- named for the family.

Legal battles for control of the Rancho

Juan Camarillo died in 1880, and Martina Camarillo in 1898. In 1891, Martina had deeded the Rancho to her sons, Adolfo and Juan. Following her death, the Camarillo daughters (who were bequeathed $5 each in the will) challenged the deeds and the will. [cite news|title=Ventura County: Will of the Late Mrs. Martina H. Camarillo Filed|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1898-05-17] The "Los Angeles Times" reported that it promised to be "the greatest legal battle yet fought" in the courts of Ventura County, as the family members fought over property then valued at "a million dollars or more." [cite news|title=Ventura County: Contest Between Sisters and Brothers Over a Ranch; Ten Thousand Acres of Valuable Land Worth One Million Dollars -- Validity of Deed and Will Challenged|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1898-06-17] While the initial suit was settled within a few months, [cite news|title=Camarillo Contest Settled|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1898-10-14] the sisters filed a new legal action in 1905, alleging that the brothers had deceived their mother and that Juan had confessed his fraud to his sister and paid her $8500.cite news|title=Fierce Contest for Big Estate: Brothers and Sisters in Legal War at Ventura; Blackmail Charge of Plaintiff Against One Defendant Is Sensational Development in Suit for Division of Vast Calleguas Rancho. Million Dollars Is Involved in Case|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1905-10-05] It was also alleged that Adolfo had forced Juan to leave the country upon threats of exposure of his "private acts" that would cause disgrace and scandal. The "Los Angeles Times" followed the "spicy" case closely, noting that its charges and counter-charges "would furnish material for a sure-enough 'season's best seller.'" [cite news|title=Case May Be A Spicy One: Campo-Camarillo Rancho Case To Be Heard Tuesday; Tranferred to Santa Barbara from Ventura County -- Litigation Involves Rich Lands of the Calleguas Property -- Many Complaints and Counter-Complaints Filed|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1906-08-12] At the trial, a letter was introduced purporting to be signed by Martina Camarillo instructing Adolfo to destroy the will leaving everything to himself and his brother.cite news|title=Santa Barbara Trial Interests: Camarillo Case Promises to Be More Sensational; Action Grows Out of Disputes Over Wealthy Estates Left by the Old Spanish Land Owners|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1906-08-20] Juan testified that his sister sought to blackmail him by threatening to send him to prison for "an infamous crime," and a grandson testified that he saw Adolfo "mysteriously place a paper in Mrs. Camarillo's tin box within a few minutes after her death."

Adolfo Camarillo

Eventually, Adolfo Z. Camarillo (1864-1958) came to control the rancho and turned it into "the largest bean ranch in the world." Camarillo employed 700 workers on his ranch, and his production was so great that the "Los Angeles Times" reported in 1909 that, "through the enormous output of his ranch, [Camarillo] is, in a measure, able to set the price which the public must pay for beans."cite news|title=Personalities: Gossip of Interesting People|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1909-02-21] Adolfo Camarillo became one of the wealthiest landowners in the county, and in 1911 he was elected chairman of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. [cite news|title=Wealthy Man Is Chairman: Supervisors of Ventura County Re-organize and Name Ranch Owner as Head|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1911-01-05] He also served as a member of the State Board of Agriculture. [cite news|title=Camarillo Rites Fixed: Wife of Ventura County Pioneer Will Be Rendered Final Honor Tomorrow|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1936-07-21]

Camarillo Ranch House

Architecture and use as the center of ranch operations

In 1892, after receiving title to the Rancho from his mother in 1891, Adolfo Camarillo hired architects Herman Anlauf and Franklin Ward to build a 6,000-square-foot Queen-Anne style Victorian house. The house has two turets, a large veranda and sprawling lawns. Adolfo also planted many varieties of trees, including eucalyptus trees, around the house. The Camarillo Ranch House, as it is now known, became the center of the sprawling Rancho Calleguas for the next 70 years. From the ranch house, Adolfo oversaw the Rancho's production of lima beans, walnuts, and citrus. The house also became known for the barbecues, rodeos and fiestas held by Adolfo. [cite news|author=Jerry Berns|title=A family's history is reflected in the Adolfo Camarillo House|publisher=Los Angele Times|date=1986-11-22] Adolfo lived in the three-story Victorian mansion until shortly before his death from pneumonia in December 1958.cite news|title=Don Adolfo Camarillo, of Historic Family, Dies|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1958-12-11]

Camarillo Ranch's white Arabian stallions

From the 1920s through the 1960s, the Camarillo Ranch House was most widely known for the white Arabian parade stallions bred by Adolfo. Adolfo rode one of his white Arabians each year in the Fiesta of Santa Barbara dressed in colorful Spanish costume. Even after Adolfo died in 1958, the family continued to carry on the tradition of breeding the white Arabians and riding them in area parades. Adolfo's original sire, Sultan, was a pure white, part Arabian and Morgan stallion. Sultan reportedly produced "snow white, pink skinned foals" no matter the color of the mares with whom he was mated. In 1967, the Camarillos were still breeding the white horses on the remaining 117 acres owned by the family, and the "Los Angeles Times" published a feature story on the Camarillo horses. At that time, there were about a dozen Camarillo white Arabians remaining, and the "Times" wrote: "The Camarillo horses love a parade. Any spectator who has ever watched one dance down the street -- a brightly costumed member of the Camarillo family astride a heavily ornamented silver saddle -- can attest to the predilection."cite news|author=Sharon E. Fay|title=Camarillo White Horses Keep in Step for Historical Parade|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1967-07-30] Since the 1920s, the Camarillo horses have appeared in numerous parades and at the opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 1941. In 1950, the Camarillo horses led the Rose Parade and have been in many Rose Parades since.

ale and subdivision of the Rancho

In 1963, the family put the vast ranch property up for sale. An initial sale of 5,500 acres in 1963 fell through, [{ [cite news|title=Camarillo Ranch Sold in $23 Million Deal: Palisades Subdivideer to Develop 5,500 Acres for Homes, Business, Industry|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1963-12-22] [cite news|title=Pact Signed on Camarillo Ranch Sale: L.A. Group to Buy 4,600 Acres of Land for $20 Million|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1964-01-08] [cite news|title=Suit Filed to Regain Ranch Title: Camarillo Family Lawyer Says Buyer Faulted on Contract|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1964-03-14] but the ranch was eventually sold off and its vast ranch lands developed into the housing tracts and commercial and industrial centers of modern Camarillo. [cite news|title=$18 Million Ranch Sale Under Way: 4,600 Acres of Camarillo Property Involved in Deal|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1964-11-17] [cite news|title=Foreclosure Sale Set for Camarillo Ranch|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1968-08-18] The Camarillo family retained about 100 acres, including the old ranch house.

Recent use of the Ranch house

In 1998, the Camarillo Planning Commission approved a zoning change to allow an industrial park to be built around the Camarillo Ranch House, but conditioned the approval on the developer's donating the ranch house, barn and 4.4 acres to the city. [cite news|author=Dawn Hobbs|title=Planners OK Industrial Park on Land Near Historic Ranch House|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1998-03-05] [cite news|author=Dawn Hobbs|title=Council Approves Industrial Park Plan; Development: The project is proposed near the historic Camarillo Ranch House, which will be transferred to the city in August|publisher=Los Angeles Times (Ventura County Edition)|date=1998-04-09] The city then renovated the house and opened it to the public in 2001 as a museum and site for receptions and other functions. [cite news|author=Jennifer Knight|title=Ventura County Roundup: West; Camarillo; Demolition of Historic Ranch Buildigns Begins|publisher=Los Angeles Times (Ventura County Edition)|date=1998-10-09] cite news|author=Suzie St. John|title=The Region; A Stroll Through the Past; History: Tours of the renovated Camarillo Ranch House are designed to convey what life was like for the city's founding family|publisher=Los Angeles Times (Ventura County Edition)|date=2002-02-18] The house is operated by the nonprofit Camarillo Ranch Foundation. [cite news|author=Stacy Brown|title=Ventura County Roundup; Camarillo; New Foundation for Old Barn|publisher=Los Angeles Times (Ventura County Edition)|date=1999-09-10] The renovation cost $1.5 million and was also made possible by volunteers who donated 10,000 hours to the effort.

Camarillo Ranch House is a popular location not only for weddings and receptions but also for filming. One location manager noted that the house has the appearance of a rural setting "almost anywhere in the United States -- from Bakersfield to Nebraska." [cite news|author=Dawn Hobbs|title=Camarillo Focuses on Larger Role in Film Industry|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=1998-02-24]

ee also

* List of Registered Historic Places in Ventura County, California

References

External links

* [http://www.camarilloranch.org/docs/about.htm Camarillo Ranch Foundation web site]