California Historical Landmarks in Los Angeles County facts for kids
Welcome to a special guide about some amazing historical places in Los Angeles County, California! These spots are called California Historical Landmarks. They are important because they tell us stories about the past, from ancient times to more recent history.
You can find all sorts of cool places, like old homes, famous natural spots, and even sites where big events happened. Each landmark helps us understand how Los Angeles County grew and changed over hundreds of years. Let's explore some of these fantastic locations!
Contents
Historic Homes and Buildings
Los Angeles County is home to many old buildings that show us how people lived long ago.
Adamson House
The Adamson House in Malibu is a beautiful old home right by the beach. It was built in 1929 and is famous for its amazing tile work. It's a great example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.
Adobe de Palomares
In Pomona, you can find the Ygnacio Palomares Adobe. This historic adobe house was built in 1840. It shows what life was like on a large ranch in early California.
Avila Adobe
The Avila Adobe is the oldest house in Los Angeles! It was built in 1818 and is part of the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument. Walking through it feels like stepping back in time.
Pio Pico State Historic Park
Visit Pio Pico State Historic Park in Whittier to see the home of Pío Pico. He was the last Mexican governor of California. His house, called Casa De Governor Pio Pico, is a key part of California's history.
Cecil B. DeMille Studio Barn
In Hollywood, there's the Lasky-DeMille Barn. This barn was the first studio for the famous movie director Cecil B. DeMille. It's where Hollywood's movie magic truly began!
Dominguez Ranch House
The Dominguez Rancho Adobe in Compton is a very important ranch house. It was built in 1826 and played a big role in the history of Southern California.
Hugo Reid Adobe
The Hugo Reid Adobe is located within the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia. This adobe house was built by Hugo Reid, a Scottish man who married a Native American woman and became a Mexican citizen.
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Lummis Home
The Lummis House in Los Angeles is a unique home built by Charles Lummis. He was a writer and photographer who helped preserve California's history. He built his home from natural materials he found.
Old Mill
The Old Mill or El Molino Viejo in San Marino is one of the oldest commercial buildings in California. It was built in 1816 as a grist mill for Mission San Gabriel.
Pico House
The Pico House is another important building in the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument in Los Angeles. It was a fancy hotel built by Pío Pico in 1870.
Plummer House
In Calabasas, you can find the Plummer House, which is considered the oldest house in Hollywood. It has a long and interesting history.
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Watts Towers
The Watts Towers in Los Angeles are a collection of 17 sculptures built by Simon Rodia. He spent 33 years building them by himself using steel and broken glass, tile, and pottery. They are truly unique!
Important Missions and Religious Sites
Missions were very important in early California history.
Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España in Mission Hills was founded in 1797. It's one of the 21 Spanish missions in California.
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in San Gabriel was founded in 1771. It was the fourth Spanish mission built in California and played a big role in the region's development.
Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles
This church, also known as La Placita Parish, is in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1814 and is one of the oldest churches in the city.
Natural Wonders and Parks
Los Angeles County also has landmarks that celebrate its natural beauty and important outdoor spaces.
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest covers a huge area in Los Angeles County, California. It's a beautiful place for hiking, camping, and enjoying nature. It was one of the first national forests in the United States.
Centinela Springs
Centinela Springs in Inglewood is a natural spring that was a vital water source for early settlers and Native Americans. It's a reminder of how important water was for life in this dry region.
Hancock Park
Hancock Park in Los Angeles is famous for the La Brea Tar Pits. These natural tar pits have trapped animals for thousands of years, preserving their bones for scientists to study. It's like a natural time capsule!
Point Dume
Point Dume in Malibu is a beautiful headland with cliffs, beaches, and tide pools. It's a great spot for enjoying the California coast and seeing marine life.
Sites of Important Events
Some landmarks mark places where significant events in history took place.
Campo de Cahuenga
Campo de Cahuenga in North Hollywood is where the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed in 1847. This treaty ended the Mexican-American War in California.
First United States Air Meet
In Carson, you can find the site of the First United States Air Meet. This exciting event happened in 1910 and showed off early airplanes, amazing crowds with daring flights.
La Mesa Battlefield
The La Mesa Battlefield in Vernon is where the last battle of the Mexican-American War in California was fought in 1847.
Pioneer Oil Refinery
The Pioneer Oil Refinery in Santa Clarita is the site of California's first successful commercial oil refinery. It began operating in 1876 and was a big step for the oil industry.
St. Francis Dam Disaster Site
The St. Francis Dam in Santa Clarita was a large concrete dam that failed catastrophically in 1928. The disaster caused a massive flood and is a reminder of the importance of engineering safety.
Temporary detention camps for Japanese Americans
During World War II, two sites in Los Angeles County, one in Pomona and another in Arcadia, served as temporary assembly centers. These places were set up quickly to house Japanese Americans who were moved from their homes during the war. They represent a difficult time in American history.
Other Unique Landmarks
Beach Boys Historic Landmark
For music fans, the Beach Boys Historic Landmark in Hawthorne is a must-see. It's the site of the childhood home of the Beach Boys, where they started making their famous surf rock music.
Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass
Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass in Santa Clarita is an old road carved through a mountain pass. It was used by stagecoaches and wagons in the 1800s, making travel easier through the mountains.
Christmas Tree Lane
In Altadena, Christmas Tree Lane is a beautiful mile-long street lined with deodar cedar trees. Every Christmas, these trees are decorated with thousands of lights, creating a magical display that has been a tradition for over 100 years.
Long Beach Marine Stadium
The Long Beach Marine Stadium in Long Beach was built for the 1932 Summer Olympics. It's a special place for water sports and has hosted many rowing and boating events.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles is a famous stadium that has hosted two Olympic Games (1932 and 1984) and is set to host a third in 2028. It's a huge part of sports history!
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Oak of the Golden Dream
The Oak of the Golden Dream in Newhall marks the site of California's first gold discovery in 1842, six years before the famous Gold Rush.
Well, Alamitos #1
In Signal Hill, the Well, Alamitos #1 is the site of the first major oil discovery in the Signal Hill oil field on June 23, 1921. This discovery led to a huge oil boom in the area.
Well, CSO 4
The Well, CSO 4 in Stevenson Ranch is part of the Pico Canyon Oilfield, which was one of the earliest and most productive oil fields in California.
Images for kids
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Site of the Bella Union Hotel.
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Brand Park, also known as Memory Garden.
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Casa Adobe De San Rafael.
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Casa De San Pedro.
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Catalina Adobe.
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Chatsworth Calera.
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Drum Barracks.
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E.J. Baldwin's Queen Anne Cottage.
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Ennis House.
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Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility.
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First home of Pomona College.
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First Jewish site in Los Angeles.
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Freeman House.
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Gamble House.
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Glendora Bougainvillea.
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Governor Stoneman Adobe, Los Robles.
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Grave of George Caralambo.
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Griffith Ranch.
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Harold Lloyd Estate.
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Hay Tree.
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Henry Gage Mansion.
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Hugo Reid Adobe.
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Jose Dolores Sepulveda Adobe.
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Lang Southern Pacific Station.
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Liberty Hill site.
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Llano del Rio.
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Los Angeles Plaza.
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Los Encinos State Historic Park.
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Lugo Adobe.
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Lyons Station Stagecoach Stop.
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Manhattan Beach pier.
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Mentryville.
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Merced Theatre.
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Mirror Building.
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Mission Vieja.
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The Mojave Road.
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Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center.
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Old Plaza Firehouse.
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Old Salt Lake.
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Old Santa Monica Forestry Station.
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Old Short Cut.
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Old Trapper's Lodge.
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Old Whaling Station.
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Original building of the University of Southern California.
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Pacific Asia Museum.
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Paradox Hybrid Walnut Tree.
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Pasadena Playhouse.
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Point Dume.
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Pomona Water Powerplant.
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Port of Los Angeles Long Wharf in Santa Monica.
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Portolá Trail Campsite 1.
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Portolá Trail Campsite 2.
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Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site.
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Rancho San Francisco.
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Rio San Gabriel Battlefield.
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Rómulo Pico Adobe.
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St. Vincent's Place.
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San Fernando Cemetery.
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Santa Fe Trail Historical Park.
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Savannah Memorial Park.
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Serra Springs.
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Site of Home of Diego Sepúlveda.
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Site of the Los Angeles Star.
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SS Catalina.
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Timm's Point and Landing.
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Tuna Club of Avalon.
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Western Hotel.
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Workman Home and Family Cemetery.
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