City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and Districts facts for kids

Mission San Buenaventura, around 1900

The City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and Districts are special places in Ventura, California that have been chosen for their important history. These include old buildings, interesting sites, and even whole neighborhoods. They help us remember the past and understand how Ventura grew over time.

The first six places were named Ventura Historic Landmarks (VHL) in February 1974. These included the Olivas Adobe, a very old house, and the Ventura City Hall. Other early landmarks were the Mission San Buenaventura and its tall Norfolk pine trees. By April 2018, Ventura had named 111 historic landmarks and five special historic districts. These districts are areas with many historic buildings close together.

You can see where these landmarks and districts are on a map! Just click "OpenStreetMap" or "Google Maps" in the box you see on the right side of this page.

Ventura's Historic Landmarks

Ventura has many cool historic spots. Here are some of the most interesting ones:

VHL No.	Name	Image	What it is	When it became historic	Cool Facts
1	Olivas Adobe		4200 Olivas Park Drive	February 11, 1974	This old adobe house was built in 1837. It's now a museum where you can learn about life long ago.
2	Ortega Adobe		215 W. Main St.	February 11, 1974	Built in 1857, this adobe used roof tiles from the Mission after an earthquake. It was the first home of the Ortega chili company!
3	Father Serra statue		501 Poli St.	February 11, 1974	A statue of Junípero Serra stands in front of City Hall. The first one was made of concrete, but a bronze one replaced it in 1989.
4	Ventura City Hall		501 Poli St.	February 11, 1974	This beautiful building was a courthouse built in 1912. It became Ventura's City Hall in 1972. Look for the cool copper dome!
5	Grant Park cross site		Ferro Drive	February 11, 1974	A cross has stood here in Grant Park for many years. Some say the first one was put up in 1782.
6	Mission Plaza archeological site		100 Block E. Main St.	February 11, 1974	This is an old digging site next to the Mission. The Albinger Museum is also part of this area.
7	Conklin residence		608 E. Thompson Blvd.	May 6, 1974	This house was built in 1877 in the Cape Cod style. It's part of another historic area called the Mitchell Block.
8	Mission Norfolk Pines		211 E. Main St.	July 1, 1974	These tall Norfolk Island pine trees were planted in the 1880s next to the Mission. They are lit up during Christmas!
10	Mission San Buenaventura		211 E. Main St.	July 1, 1974	This was the ninth Spanish mission built in California. Father Junípero Serra started it in 1782.
11	Plaza Park Moreton Bay Fig Tree		Corner of Chestnut and Santa Clara Streets	July 1, 1974	This huge Moreton Bay fig tree was planted in 1874. It's 68 feet tall with branches spreading 130 feet wide!
12	Mission Plaza Moreton Bay Fig Tree		100 block E. Main St.	July 1, 1974	Another large Moreton Bay fig tree, also planted around 1874. It's part of the historic Mission district.
17	First Baptist Church of Ventura		101 S. Laurel St.	December 1, 1975	This church was built in 1931 with a unique Mayan Revival style. It's now the Ventura Center for Spiritual Living.
19	Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital		121 N. Fir St.	March 8, 1976	Opened as a hospital in 1902, this building has a Mission Revival design. It's now an office building.
20	Ventura Pier		Harbor Blvd. east of California St.	March 29, 1976	The first wooden pier here was built in 1872. It was once the longest wooden pier in California!
21	Emmanuel Franz House		31 N. Oak St.	March 29, 1976	This house was built in 1879 in the Italianate style.
24	Ventura Theatre		26 S. Chestnut St.	October 4, 1976	This movie theater was built in 1928. Now, it's a popular place for live music concerts.
29	Post Office murals		675 E. Santa Clara St.	October 24, 1977	These murals were painted in 1936-1937 as part of a government art project.
32	Peirano Store		204 E. Main St.	January 16, 1978	This red brick building from 1877 is Ventura's oldest surviving brick structure. The Peirano family ran a grocery store here for over 100 years.
35	Feraud General Merchandise Store		2 W. Main St.	July 17, 1978	This building started as a bakery and grocery store in 1903. It's now a bar and lounge.
44	Dudley House		197 N. Ashwood Ave.	January 21, 1980	This Victorian farmhouse was built in 1892. It's now used for events.
58	San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct		East end of Vince and Lewis Streets	August 2, 1982	This seven-mile long aqueduct was built starting in 1792. It brought water to the Mission and local farms.
80	Pierpont Inn		550 Sanjon Rd.	February 1, 1993	This inn was built in 1910 in the American Craftsman style. It was made for people traveling by car.
85	San Buenaventura Mission Lavanderia		204-208 E. Main St. (underneath)	November 14, 1994	These are the old remains of the Mission's laundry area. They were found in 1991 under other buildings!
86	Erle Stanley Gardner Office		21 S. California St.	February 6, 1995	This was the law office of Erle Stanley Gardner. He was the famous author who wrote the "Perry Mason" books!
88	WWII artillery emplacements		Near Ventura River Mouth	September 1998	These old artillery sites were built in 1942. They were made to protect the coast after a Japanese submarine attacked nearby.
91	China Alley Historic Area		200 Block E. Main Street	Perpendicular to Figueroa Street between Main and Santa Clara Streets	This area was the center of Chinese community and businesses starting in the 1880s.
99	Elks Ventura Lodge No. 1430		11 S. Ash St.	May 5, 2008	This building was built in 1928 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It was home to the Elks club for many years and is now Hotel San Buena.

Ventura's Historic Districts

Historic districts are special areas that have many historic buildings. They help protect the unique look and feel of a neighborhood.

Name	Image	What it is	Cool Facts
Mission Historic District		Santa Clara St. (south), Ventura Ave. (west), Poli St. (north), Palm Street (east)	This is the oldest part of downtown Ventura, right around the Mission San Buenaventura. It has more than ten historic landmarks!
Mitchell Block Historic District		Plaza Park/Houses at 608, 620, 632, 644, 658, 670, 682 and 692 Thompson Boulevard	This district includes Plaza Park and old homes across from it. It's known as the only block of old houses downtown that hasn't changed much.
Selwyn Shaw Historic District		Buena Vista St. (north), Ann St. (west), Hemlock St. (east), Poli St. (south)	This city block has three historic landmarks, including the Selwyn Shaw House.
Simpson Tract Historic District	Upload image	Sheridan Way (west), Ventura Avenue (east), W. Prospect St. (south), W. Simpson St. (north)	This district has 182 homes built from 1925 to 1930. They provided homes for workers during Ventura's oil boom.
Ivy Lawn Cemetery Historic District		5400 Valentine Rd.	This cemetery became a historic district in 2013. It's important for its architecture and because many important people are buried there.

Other Important Historic Places

Old Mission Reservoir

Ventura has other historic spots that have received special recognition:

• Old Mission Reservoir: This was part of the water system for Mission San Buenaventura. It was a settling tank for water and can be found in Eastwood Park.
• Santa Gertrudis Asistencia (Chapel) Monument: This monument marks the spot of a chapel built in 1809. The original remains were moved in 1968 to build a freeway.
• Five Trees: These are five blue gum eucalyptus trees on a hilltop overlooking Ventura. They were planted in 1898. Though many have been cut down or replaced over the years, they remain a local landmark.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ventura County, California
• California Historical Landmarks in Ventura County, California