Northam Ranch House

Northam Ranch House. . , Uphill from this marker once stood the Northam Ranch House, a pivotal landmark in the history of Huntington Beach. , Originally part of a vast Spanish land grant known as the Rancho Las Bolsas, the 1400 acres surrounding this hillcrest were purchased in 1896 by rancher and land dealer Robert J. Northam. Known as "Diamond Bob" for his expensive tastes, Northam was one of the most powerful men in the region at the turn of the twentieth century. , Using a mule team, Northam moved at least one home to the property in 1897. The final L-shaped structure combines elements of the Neoclassical and Queen Anne styles. Northam resided here for less than a decade and in 1905 the ranch passed into the hands of the Huntington Beach company, who soon took on a major role in capitalizing on the local oil boom, and later the development of the once-isolated community into a major city. , Throughout the century the Northam Ranch House, known locally as the "Mansion, "served the company as a ranch headquarters, a private residence for Company managers, and became a symbol of the Huntington Beach Company.