Near Piru in Ventura County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Del Valle Family Home
The Heart of Rancho Camulos
In 1839, Antonio Del Valle received Rancho San Francisco, a 48,000-acre Mexican land grant. Antonio's son Ygnacio inherited the land after his father's death in 1841. Ygnacio began construction on a small, four-room, single story dwelling in 1853 for the majordomo (foreman) who worked for him. Later he expanded the building to make room for his wife Ysabel and their children, who moved to the rancho in 1861 from their townhouse, located off the plaza in El Pueblo de Los Angeles.
This adobe home is an outstanding example of Spanish-Mexican vernacular architecture, traditional in both. design and construction. Tataviam Indians and Mexican laborers crafted the adobe bricks used in the home. The two-foot-thick adobe walls offered natural temperature regulation during hot summers and cool winters. The hacienda-style adobe was constructed in a "u"-shape, encircling a central courtyard. The spacious corredores (breezeways) provided shade and additional living space where family members and guests could eat meals, write letters, read, sew and visit with one another. By 1880, the grand adobe home had grown to 10,000 square feet with a total of 20 rooms.
A Hospitable Home
Socially prominent, the Del Valle family was known for their warm hospitality. Camulos fiestas were renowned for their savory barbecued meats, chili sauce, frijoles, tortillas, enchiladas, claret and fine brandy produced in the rancho's winery. The Del Valle family frequently entertained politicians, businessmen, artists and writers. Novelist Helen Hunt Jackson, who visited the home in 1882, based her novel Ramona in part on Rancho Camulos. The popularity of the book attracted legions of fans to Camulos. In 1910, director D.W. Griffith produced a silent film version of "Ramona" at the rancho, starring Mary Pickford. When the Rubels purchased the property in 1924, the Los Angeles Times nostalgically lamented that "an era in the history of California closed yesterday...the passing of the Del Valles is the passing of the old regime."
Erected by Rancho Camulos Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Hispanic Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1839.
Location. 34° 24.295′ N, 118° 45.417′ W. Marker is near Piru, California, in Ventura County. Marker can be reached from California Route 126, 2 miles east of Piru, on the right when traveling east. Located at Rancho Camulos Museum, open Sundays 1-4. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5164 E Telegraph Rd, Fillmore CA 93015, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Camulos, Ventura Co. California (within shouting distance of this marker); Governor Juan Alvarado (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rancho Camulos (about 600 feet away); Portolá Expedition (approx. 2.1 miles away); The Piru Mansion (approx. 2.4 miles away); St. Francis Dam Disaster (approx. 2.8 miles away); Fillmore Fish Hatchery (approx. 7.4 miles away); First Commercial Oil Well In California (approx. 7.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Piru.
Also see . . . Rancho Camulos Museum. (Submitted on April 17, 2023.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 116 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.