Orcutt Ranch

Orcutt Ranch. Rancho Sombra del Roble. , Declared Historic Cultural Monument No. 31 by the Cultural Heritage Board, Municipal Art Department, City of Los Angeles. , panel 2: , Why are there swastikas on this historic home? , The symbol on the Orcutt Ranch house is the Native American Swastika, and is an integral feature of the residence's decorative program - as seen in the lintels above the windows and doors, on the exterior courtyard flooring, and in the patio ironwork. The swastika is one of the world's oldest known graphic symbols, predating even the ancient Egyptian Ankh. The English word swastika derives from Sanskrit "svastika," which means "well-being," "good fortune," and "luck." This symbol is found on every continent, seen in the ethnic objects and folk arts of almost every culture. During the first part of the 20th Century, the swastika and its positive associations could be commonly found in the United States, especially in the American Southwest, on cigar labels and bands, on fruit wrappers and business emblems, and even on poker chips. During World War 1, an orange swastika on a red field was the shoulder patch of the United States 45th Infantry Division. The swastika was a common symbol used in Indian hand-crafted blankets, jewelry, and crafts frequently sold by Native American artisans at railways stations or Fred Harvey Houses along the route of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. , The symbol seen at the Orcutt Residence predates the adoption of the swastika by the National Socialist Workers (Nazi) Party during the 1920s and its adoption as part of the national flag of Nazi Germany in 1935, which forged another meaning onto the ancient symbol - a reminder of human evil. The swastika became linked to the atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Holocaust, the systematic murder of six million Jews and millions of others during World War II, and, to this day, continues to be used as a symbol of intimidation and hate throughout the world. , The inclusion of the American Indian Swastika at the Orcutt Ranch is one of the many references to the folk arts and multi-cultures of the American Southwest in the design of the house. Other symbols seen here representing the distinct and diverse cultures of early California: the structure's adobe walls and its Mediterranean design based around a courtyard and fountain, the Spanish roof and ceramic relief vignette adorning the home's exterior, the ornate ironwork and detailed hand-carved woodwork, and colorful, glazed, tile panels depicting domestic scenes of American Indian, Mexican, and Spanish cultures, and the variety of garden statuary; all incorporate to create a complete architectural work. This extensively designed home recreated a period of early California for the home's owners, their family, and their many house guests.