Near Piru in Ventura County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Del Valle Family Home
The Heart of Rancho Camulos
Photographed by Craig Baker, March 18, 2018
1. Del Valle Family Home Marker
Inscription.
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."
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
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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."
Location. 34° 24.295′ N, 118° 45.417′ W. Marker is near Piru, California, in Ventura County. It 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.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles, on Central Coast, and in the Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
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 588 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
