Griffith Ranch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Griffith Ranch |
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1915 Film Birth of a Nation shot on the Griffith Ranch
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| Location | 12685 Foothill Blvd, San Fernando, Ca |
| Built | 1912 |
| Designated | Dec. 02, 1959 |
| Reference no. | 716 |
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The Griffith Ranch was once owned by D. W. Griffith, a very important person in the early days of movies. He was known as a pioneer of silent motion pictures. This means he helped create many of the ways movies are made even today, long before sound was added to films.
David Wark Griffith bought this ranch in 1912. People say that many famous movies were filmed here. Some of these films include The Birth of a Nation (1915), Broken Blossoms (1919), Way Down East (1920), and Orphans of the Storm (1921). It's important to know that while these films are famous, it's not always certain if they were actually filmed at the ranch.
Over his career, Griffith made around 500 movies! He did film some of them right on his ranch. His very last movie was called The Struggle, made in 1931. Before Griffith owned it, the land for the ranch was part of the San Fernando Mission.
The Griffith Ranch is recognized as a special place. It was named a California Historical Landmark (number 716) on December 2, 1959. This means it's an important historical site in California. In 1948, the ranch was sold to a builder named Fritz B. Burns. He decided to keep the name "Griffith Ranch" to honor the great silent film pioneer. You can find the ranch near the Interstate 210 and California State Route 118 freeways. It is located in San Fernando, California, at the northern end of the San Fernando Valley.
What the Historical Marker Says
A special marker stands at the site of the Griffith Ranch. It tells visitors about the history of this important place. The marker reads:
- NO. 716 GRIFFITH RANCH - This ranch was originally part of the San Fernando Mission lands. David Wark Griffith, a respected pioneer of silent movies, bought it in 1912. The ranch was used as a setting for many exciting western films, including one called Custer's Last Stand. It also inspired the famous movie, The Birth of a Nation. In 1948, Fritz B. Burns bought the ranch. He kept the Griffith name to remember the great film pioneer.
