Newhall Ranch House

Newhall Ranch House. . , The Newhall Land and Farming Company's local headquarters building stood on present-day Magic Mountain amusement park property. It was built in 1893 at the direction of Henry Gregory Newhall, eldest son of town founder Henry Mayo Newhall. A smaller structure may have preceded it as early as 1865. The Newhalls owned Rancho San Francisco, a Mexican land grant encompassing the western half of the Santa Clarita Valley. The building was occupied by ranch foremen until 1973. Newhall Land donated it in 1990 to the Historical Society, which moved it to Heritage Junction with aid of City of Santa Clarita grant funds. , , original marker: , Rancho San Francisco was established by Franciscan padres late in the 18th century, where they built a sub-mission, or asistencia, at Castaic Junction in 1804. The 48,612 acres were granted to the Del Valle family 35 years later. William Wolfskill, a renowned vintner and orchard owner purchased the acreage following the 1857 earthquake. Thomas R. Bard bought the property in 1865, acting as an agent for his uncle, Col. Thomas A. Scott. He may have erected the first structure, a small house with a basement. , Henry M. Newhall bought the place at a Sheriff's sale in 1875. He had the financial backing to make improvements, but the main, two-story front portion was probably ordered by his son, Gregory in 1893. Gregory spent more time here than other family members. After his death in 1903, a younger brother, Walter Scott Newhall, visited often until he passed away in 1906. The house then became the ranch foreman's residence. It was severely damaged during the 1971 earthquake, but repaired. , With a grant from the City of Santa Clarita, the house was moved to Heritage Junction during the nights of August 14 and 15, 1990. , This two-story, stick Victorian house with gabled roof and 8' wide veranda on three sides began as a shed-like structure built over a brick cellar. The original portion now houses the kitchen and was made with hand-hammered, square nails and rough-hewn redwood. , The larger, gabled portion is also constructed of redwood, including its hand-chiseled, wooden gutters. The interior had been greatly modified, with its 14' ceilings lowered. It had three to four fireplaces, and wrought-iron registers for heat. The entire home is approximately 4,000 square feet, and is said to be haunted by several spirits of the past. , nearby plaque: , In Memoriam, Henry Mayo Newhall, early California pioneer, founder of the town of Newhall. Born: May 23, 1825 - Saugus, Massachusetts. Died: March 13, 1882 – San Francisco, California. , H.M. Newhall Memorial Park and Swimming Pool, presented to the County of Los Angeles by the Newhall family, 1949. , indoor plaque: , Henry Mayo Newhall, native of Saugus, Massachusetts. Arrived in San Francisco via canoe, muleback and the steamship "Panama" on July 6th, 1850. Gold Rush participant, businessman and auctioneer, pioneer railroad builder, early developer of California's cattle industry and agriculture; he purchased El Rancho San Francisco in 1875 which, after his death in 1882, became the Newhall Land and Farming Company. , Dedicated April 27, 1980, E Clampus Vitus Platrix Chapter No. 2.