Historic Sites and Points of Interest in Ventura County

Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard
Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard
Photographed 14 March 2017
 

Ventura County was historically inhabited by the Chumash people, who also settled much of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, with their presence dating back 10,000-12,000 years.

In October 1542, the expedition led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo anchored in an inlet near Point Mugu. Its members were the first Europeans to arrive in the area that would become Ventura County.

Active occupation of California by Spain began in 1769. Gaspar de Portolá led a military expedition by land from San Diego to Monterey, passing through Ventura County in August of that year.

On March 31, 1782, the Mission San Buenaventura was founded by Father Junípero Serra. It is named after Saint Bonaventure, one of the early intellectual founders of the Franciscan Order. The town that grew up around the mission, was originally and remains named San Buenaventura, although has been known as Ventura since 1891.

In 1822, California was notified of Mexico's independence from Spain. The priests and neophytes at Mission San Buenaventura swore allegiance to Mexico.

In 1847, Captain John C. Frémont led the California Battalion into San Buenaventura finding that the Europeans had fled leaving only the Indians in the mission. Frémont and the Battalion continued south to sign the Treaty of Cahuenga with General Andrés Pico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo formally transferred California to the United States in 1848.

On January 1, 1873, Ventura County split from Santa Barbara County and the city of Ventura became the county seat.

In 1887, the Southern Pacific Railroad laid tracks through San Buenaventura. For convenience in printing timetables, Southern Pacific shortened San Buenaventura to Ventura. The Post Office soon followed suit.

Oil had been known in Ventura County since before the arrival of the Europeans. Oil exploration began in earnest in 1913. At its peak, the largest oil field in the county, the Ventura Avenue oilfield, discovered in 1919 in the hills north of Ventura, was producing 90,000 barrels of oil a day.

In 2016, the United States military was the largest employer in the county with more than 16,000 employees. (Port Hueneme is California’s smallest but only deep water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco.) The County of Ventura was the next largest employer with nearly 8,000 employees located throughout the county.

Name Address City Year Authority ID Sort Address Sort Name
Anacapa Light StationAnacapa IslandAnacapa IslandNational1991001101Anacapa IslandAnacapa Light Station
Bard Memorial Hospital121 North Fir StreetVentura1902National1977000361Fir 0121Bard Memorial Hospital
Bardsdale Church1418 Bardsdale AvenueFillmore1898National1986001986Bardsdale 1418Bardsdale Church
BerylwoodBard Lane and Guadalcanal StreetNaval Base Ventura CountyNational1977000360BardBerylwood
Bottle Village4595 Cochran StreetSimi ValleyCalifornia939Cochran 4595Bottle Village
Bottle Village4595 Cochran StreetSimi ValleyNational1996001076Cochran 4595 Bottle Village
Camarillo Ranch House201 Camarillo Ranch RoadCamarillo1892National2003000039Camarillo Ranch 0201 Camarillo Ranch House
Case Study House No. 28 91 Inverness RoadThousand Oaks1966National2013000522Inverness 0091Case Study House No. 28
Colony House137 Strathearn PlaceSimi ValleyNational1978000824Strathearn 0137 Colony House
Dudley House4085 Telegraph RoadVenturaNational1977000362Telegraph 04085 Dudley House
Ebell Club of Santa Paula125 South Seventh StreetSanta Paula1917National1989000949 Street 07 0125Ebell Club of Santa Paula
Faulkner House14292 West Telegraph RoadSanta PaulaNational1991000485Telegraph 14292Faulkner House
Feraud Store2 and 12 West Main StreetVentura1903National1986000109Main 0002Feraud Store
First Baptist Church of Ventura101 South Laurel Street VenturaNational2009000466Laurel S 0101First Baptist Church of Ventura
Franz House31 North Oak StreetVentura1879National1982002282Oak 0031Franz House
Glen Tavern Hotel134 North Mill StreetSanta Paula1911National1984001225Mill 0134Glen Tavern Hotel
Gould House402 Lynn DriveVenturaNational2005001426Lynn 0402Gould House
Junípero Serra's CrossFather Serra Cross RoadVentura1782California113Father Serra CrossJunípero Serra's Cross
McCrea Ranch4500 North Moorpark RoadThousand OaksNational1997000295Moorpark 4500McCrea Ranch
Mission San Buenaventura211 East Main StreetVentura1782California310Main 0211Mission San Buenaventura
Mission San Buenaventura211 East Main StreetVentura1782National1975000496Main 0211Mission San Buenaventura
Old Mission ReservoirEastwood ParkVentura1782California114Eastwood ParkOld Mission Reservoir
Olivas Adobe4200 Olivas Park DriveVenturaCalifornia115Olivas Park 4200Olivas Adobe
Olivas Adobe4200 Olivas Park DriveVenturaNational1979000570Olivas Park 4200Olivas Adobe
Oxnard Historic DistrictF and G Streets Between Palm and 5th StreetsOxnardNational1999000109 Street FOxnard Historic District
Oxnard Public Library424 South C StreetOxnard1906National1971000210 Street C 0424Oxnard Public Library
Portolá Expedition 1400 Block of Harvard BoulevardSanta PaulaCalifornia727Harvard 1400Portolá Expedition
Pratt House1330 Foothill RoadOjai1909National2000001227Foothill 1330Pratt House
Rancho Camulos5164 East Telegraph RoadPiru 1839California553Telegraph 5164 East Rancho Camulos
Rancho Camulos5164 East Telegraph RoadPiru 1839National1996001137Telegraph 5164 East Rancho Camulos
SaintThomas Aquinas Chapel130 West Ojai AvenueOjaiNational1995000785Ojai 0130SaintThomas Aquinas Chapel
San Buenaventura Aqueduct234 Canada Larga RoadVenturaCalifornia114.1Canada Larga 0234San Buenaventura Aqueduct
San Buenaventura Aqueduct234 Canada Larga RoadVenturaNational1975000497Canada Larga 0234San Buenaventura Aqueduct
Simi Adobe137 Strathearn PlaceSimi ValleyCalifornia979Strathearn 0137 Simi Adobe
Simi Adobe137 Strathearn PlaceSimi ValleyNational1978000825Strathearn 0137 Simi Adobe
Stage Coach Inn51 South Ventu Park RoadNewbury ParkNational1975000495Ventu Park S 0051Stage Coach Inn
Stagecoach Inn51 South Ventu Park RoadNewbury Park California659Ventu Park S 0051Stagecoach Inn
Sycamore TreeHighway 126 at Hall RoadSanta PaulaCalifornia756Highway 126Sycamore Tree
Union Oil Company1003 East Main StreetSanta Paula1890California996Main 1003Union Oil Company
Union Oil Company1003 East Main StreetSanta Paula1890National1986002619Main 1003Union Oil Company
Ventura County Courthouse501 Poli StreetVenturaCalifornia847Poli 0501Ventura County Courthouse
Ventura County Courthouse501 Poli StreetVenturaNational1971000211Poli 0501Ventura County Courthouse
Ventura Theatre26 South ChestnutVenturaNational1986003523Chestnut 0026Ventura Theatre
Warring Park750 Orchard StreetPiru California624Orchard 0750Warring Park
Women's Improvement Club239 East Scott StreetPort Hueneme1915National1989001150Scott 0239Women's Improvement Club
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