Stagecoach Inn (California)

Last updated
Grand Union Hotel
Stagecoach Inn.jpg
Stagecoach Inn Museum, September 2008
Location51 Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park, California
Coordinates 34°10′41″N118°54′41″W / 34.17806°N 118.91139°W / 34.17806; -118.91139
Built1876
NRHP reference No. 75000495
CHISL No.659
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 30, 1975 [1]
Designated CHISL1958 [2]

The Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park, California, originally known as the Grand Union Hotel, was used as a resting area for people who traveled from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. [3] Besides a hotel and stagecoach stop, it has also been used as a post office, church, restaurant and military school. [4] It is California Historical Landmark No. 659 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It played a major role in the development of the stage line transportation network in California. [5] The hotel was also the first business venture in the Conejo Valley. [6]

Contents

Today, the inn is owned by the Conejo Recreation and Park Department and operated as a historic museum. The museum includes a rebuilt Timber School (originally built in 1889), a carriage house and blacksmith shop, nature trails, and the "Tri-Village", a small group of three houses: the pioneer house, the adobe, and the Chumash "ap". There is also a gift shop located inside the museum. A director and volunteers operate the museum, being members of the Conejo Valley Historical Society (CVHS). There is also a Jr. Docent program for children and teenagers aged 8–18. It is a dominant cultural and educational gathering place for thousands of residents and visitors to Newbury Park. [7]

The Stagecoach Inn Museum is allegedly haunted, and is considered one of California's most famous haunted places. [8]

Names and owners

The Stagecoach Inn Museum has had a variety of names and owners: [9] [10]

History

Rebuilt Chumash "ap" at the Tri-Village Complex. Chumash ap tri village stagecoach inn newbury park ca.jpg
Rebuilt Chumash "ap" at the Tri-Village Complex.

James Hammell was a carpenter in Santa Barbara who planned to construct a hotel along the stagecoach route from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. After talking to John Edwards about his plans in the late 19th century, Hammell purchased 4,200 acres of land from Edwards. Near what is now Highway 101 and Ventu Park Road is where Hammell first began constructing the hotel. [13] The Grand Union Hotel was constructed in 1876 and was originally planned as a stopover for travelers between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It was constructed using redwood brought by sea from Northern California. When it arrived in Port Hueneme, it was moved by multiteam wagons up the Conejo Grade . [11]

Conejo Hotel at Timberville, 1880s. Conejo hotel timberville newbury park 1880s.jpg
Conejo Hotel at Timberville, 1880s.
The "Historic Sycamore Tree" is a 300-year-old tree which is a designated county- and city landmark. Sycamore tree thousand oaks landmark stagecoach inn newbury park.jpg
The "Historic Sycamore Tree" is a 300-year-old tree which is a designated county- and city landmark.

One month before the hotel's grand opening, the Coast Line Stage Company changed its route, eliminating Conejo Valley, which meant an end to Hammell's prospects of a mainline stage stop. Hammell did not cancel his plans, but instead opened the hotel in August 1876 although planned for July 4th. It was publicized as a "health and pleasure resort". A countywide newspaper reported: "Shooting, fishing, bathing, and a first-rate table are among the good things on hand for visitors." [15]

Following the drought of 1877-78 James Hammell no longer owned the hotel. After passing through several owners, it was purchased in 1885 by Cecil Haigh, an Englishman. His grandson, H. Allen Hays gave the building and about four acres of land at the present location to the CVHS, who later deeded the property to the Conejo Recreation and Park District in return for a 50-year renewable lease to operate the facilities for cultural and educational purposes. In the 1960s, the hotel was threatened with demolition by the expansion of the Ventura Freeway, but it was granted Historical Landmark status and moved to its present location in 1966. On April 25, 1970, a fire destroyed the museum and its contents. The reconstructed museum was dedicated and opened on July 4, 1976; the second floor was not completed until 1980. The structure was rebuilt using the original Monterey-style architecture.

Historic designation

The Stagecoach Inn Museum was designated Ventura County Historic Landmark No. 30 in 1976 and designated California Historical Landmark No. 659 and also placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975. [16] It is City of Thousand Oaks Historical Landmark No. 1. [10] [17] [18]

Also on the museum grounds is Timber School, a reproduction of the 1889 school.

On July 13, 2004, the Thousand Oaks City Council voted unanimously to declare the 1924 Timber School on Newbury Road City Landmark No. 12. [19] [20]

Historic sycamore tree

On the museum grounds, near the Tri-Village Complex, is a historic 250+ year old sycamore tree. The tree was designated Ventura County Landmark No. 44 on June, 1978, due to its "great age, size, and formation." [17] The tree is also designated Thousand Oaks City Landmark No. 2. [21] Furthermore, General John C. Frémont passed by this tree in 1846 on his way to sign a treaty with General Andrés Pico to secure California's annexation to the U.S. [22] The Chumash Indians are said to have bent the lower branches to mark the location of underground water. [23]

Exhibits

Grand Union Hotel originally operated as a health resort. Stagecoach inn newbury park california.jpg
Grand Union Hotel originally operated as a health resort.
Sign by Nature Trail to the Tri-Village Complex. Tri village complex at stagecoach inn newbury park.jpg
Sign by Nature Trail to the Tri-Village Complex.

The museum is home to permanent exhibits such as the Carriage House, Blacksmith Shop, Anderson Exhibit Hall, Tri-Village and Timber School. [25] The Tri-Village represents three historic eras in the Conejo Valley: the Newbury Pioneer House, a Spanish Adobe and a reconstructed Chumash village. The exhibits are changing routinely. [26] [27] Temporary exhibits as of July 2018 includes Jungleland USA, vintage dresses, and fossils of the Conejo Valley. [28]

Minerals, shells, gramophones, irons, laundry tools and fossils have been on display here. [29] Chumash pictographs have also been on display here. [30]

Stagecoach Inn Museum Park

View from Angel Vista, a peak reached from the Rosewood Trail. Conejo-Grade-seen-from-Angel-Vista-Newbury-Park.jpg
View from Angel Vista, a peak reached from the Rosewood Trail.

Stagecoach Inn Museum Park sits adjacent to the Stagecoach Inn Museum, located at the corner of Lynn and Ventu Park Roads. The park was acquired by the Conejo Recreation & Park District in 1968, and later developed into a neighborhood park in 1985. A creek runs through the park on one edge. The park has a playground, picnic tables, barbecue grills and an outdoor basketball court. [40]

The Rosewood Trail to the 1,603 ft. peak Angel Vista in the Santa Monica Mountains can be reached from the park. Hikers may park at the park and access the Rosewood Trail from its trailhead immediately across Lynn Road from the Stagecoach Inn Museum Park. [41]

Conejo Valley Historical Society

The Conejo Valley Historical Society was established on October 9, 1964, as an effort to save the Stagecoach Inn from potential demolition due to expansion of the Ventura Freeway. Its members were able to save the structure and was also successful in having it declared California State Landmark No. 659. H. Allen Hays, the grandson of Cecil and Cicelie Haigh, donated the building and approximately four acres of land to the Conejo Valley Historical Society. The society deeded the site to the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD) in return for a renewable lease to operate and manage the complex for cultural and educational purposes. The society helped prepare it as a museum after the 1966 move, and the society made immediate plans for rebuilding the structure after the April 1970 fire. [42] [43]

The Conejo Valley Historical Society frequently holds meetings and events at the Stagecoach Inn Museum. [44]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Stagecoach Inn Museum". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  3. ↑ Merritt, Jackie and Brian (1993). California. MPC. Page 144. ISBN   9780861904648.
  4. ↑ O'Brien, Tricia (2017). Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village. Arcadia Publishing. Page 13. ISBN   9781439661956.
  5. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2006). Historical Tour of the Conejo Valley. Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 5. ISBN   0-9725233-4-0.
  6. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2012). Tales and Voices of the Conejo. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 9. ISBN   0-9725233-6-7.
  7. ↑ Fargo, Donna (1983). Conejo Valley Days: A Brief History of the Golden Conejo. Thousand Oaks, CA: Farland Enterprises. Page 2.
  8. ↑ "Haunting Folklore". Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  9. ↑ O'Brien, Tricia (2017). Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village. Arcadia Publishing. Page 12. ISBN   9781439661956.
  10. 1 2 3 "Stagecoach Inn Detail". Stagecoach Inn Museum.
  11. 1 2 Schroeder, Anne (2000). Branches on the Conejo: Leaving the Soil After Five Generations. Russell Dean & Company. Page 85. ISBN   9781891954993.
  12. ↑ Needham, Beth (1990). Newbury Park. Thousand Oaks, CA: Beth Needham. Page 5.
  13. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam (2002). Discovering the Story of The Conejo Valley. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 35. ISBN   0-9725233-0-8.
  14. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2006). Historical Tour of the Conejo Valley. Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 6. ISBN   0-9725233-4-0.
  15. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2012). Tales and Voices of the Conejo. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 10. ISBN   0-9725233-6-7.
  16. ↑ Maulhardt, Jeffrey Wayne (2010). Conejo Valley. Arcadia Publishing. Page 92. ISBN   9780738580395.
  17. 1 2 Begun, Ruthanne and Miriam Sprankling (2004). A Visit to the Historic Stagecoach Inn Museum. Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 12. ISBN   0-9725233-2-4.
  18. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2006). Historical Tour of the Conejo Valley. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 5. ISBN   0-9725233-4-0.
  19. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2012). Tales and Voices of the Conejo. Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 83. ISBN   0-9725233-6-7.
  20. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2006). Historical Tour of the Conejo Valley. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 7. ISBN   0-9725233-4-0.
  21. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2006). Historical Tour of the Conejo Valley. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 6. ISBN   0-9725233-4-0.
  22. ↑ California, California State Parks, State of. "Ventura". CA State Parks.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ "History - Thousand Oaks, CA". www.toaks.org.
  24. ↑ Danilov, Victor J. (2002). Museums and Historic Sites of the American West. Greenwood Press. Page 190. ISBN   9780313309083.
  25. ↑ "Permanent". Stagecoach Inn Museum.
  26. ↑ Kath, Laura and Pamela Price (2011). Fun with the Family Southern California: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 45. ISBN   9780762774753.
  27. ↑ Benson, Judy (1981). Museums of the World. University of Michigan. Page 476. ISBN   9783598101182.
  28. ↑ "Temporary". Stagecoach Inn Museum.
  29. ↑ Hudson, Kenneth (1985). The Directory of Museums & Living Displays. Springer. Page 938. ISBN   9781349070145.
  30. ↑ Sunset Books (1986). Sunset California Travel Guide. Lane Pub. Co. Page 38. ISBN   9780376061263.
  31. ↑ Begun, Ruthanne and Miriam Sprankling (2004). A Visit to the Historic Stagecoach Inn Museum. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Pages 4-7. ISBN   0-9725233-2-4.
  32. ↑ Begun, Ruthanne and Miriam Sprankling (2004). A Visit to the Historic Stagecoach Inn Museum. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 8. ISBN   0-9725233-2-4.
  33. ↑ Baker, Pam (2002). Thousand Oaks Westlake Village: A Contemporary Portrait. Community Communications, Inc. Page 55. ISBN   978-1581920611.
  34. ↑ Stone, Robert (2011). Day Hikes Around Ventura County. Day Hike Books. Pages 192-193. ISBN   9781573420624.
  35. ↑ Philipp, Cathy (1997). On the Trail - Malibu to Santa Barbara. Thousand Oaks, CA: Cathy Philip Publishing. Pages 107-108. ISBN   9780965584807.
  36. ↑ Baker, Pam (2002). Thousand Oaks Westlake Village: A Contemporary Portrait. Community Communications, Inc. Page 56. ISBN   978-1581920611.
  37. ↑ Begun, Ruthanne and Miriam Sprankling (2004). A Visit to the Historic Stagecoach Inn Museum. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Pages 9 and 11. ISBN   0-9725233-2-4.
  38. 1 2 Begun, Ruthanne and Miriam Sprankling (2004). A Visit to the Historic Stagecoach Inn Museum. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 10. ISBN   0-9725233-2-4.
  39. ↑ Begun, Ruthanne and Miriam Sprankling (2004). A Visit to the Historic Stagecoach Inn Museum. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Page 11. ISBN   0-9725233-2-4.
  40. ↑ "Conejo Recreation and Park District - Stagecoach Inn Museum Park". www.crpd.org.
  41. ↑ Stone, Robert (2011). Day Hikes Around Ventura County. Day Hike Books. Page 190. ISBN   9781573420624.
  42. ↑ Sprankling, Miriam and Ruthanne Begun (2012). Tales and Voices of the Conejo. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Pages 11-13. ISBN   0-9725233-6-7.
  43. ↑ Begun, Ruthanne and Miriam Sprankling (2004). A Visit to the Historic Stagecoach Inn Museum. Newbury Park, CA: Conejo Valley Historical Society. Pages 2-3. ISBN   0-9725233-2-4.
  44. ↑ "The Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park is Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 30".

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