The rancho period in Ventura County followed the secularization of the Spanish Missions in 1834. By 1837, seven ranches were granted to citizens of the area by the Mexican government.

In 1837, the Mexican government granted the ten thousand acre Rancho Calleguas to Jose Pedro Ruiz, a soldier and native of Spain.

In 1878, Juan Camarillo purchased the rancho from the Ruiz family. Camarillo had been born in Mexico City in 1812. At the age of twenty-two years, he and his wife joined the Hijar-Padres colonization expedition from San Bias, Mexico to Alta California. Rancho Calleguas became Rancho Camarillo.

Juan Camarillo's son, Adolpho, subsequently inherited the property. In 1892, he built the Queen Anne house where he lived until his death in 1958.

The property historically featured numerous buildings that supported the ranch functions including a mule barn, a stable, a pair of twin donkey barns, a bunkhouse, a blacksmith shop, a slaughter house, worker housing, and storage buildings, all east of the residence, and a large barn north of the residence. To accommodate rezoning and subsequent development, most of the original ranch buildings, and associated landscape features, were demolished in 1999. The mule barn and stable were relocated at this time.

The property is now owned by the City of Camarillo and managed and operated by the Camarillo Ranch Foundation. The house was restored in 1999-2000 by the City of Camarillo and a new landscape scheme was introduced in 2001.

Source: Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in the year 2003.