List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in the San Fernando Valley facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Los Angeles is a city full of amazing history, and some of its most special places are called Historic-Cultural Monuments (HCMs). These are buildings, sites, or even trees that are important because of their history, art, or culture. Think of them as official treasures that the city wants to protect and remember!

This list focuses on the HCMs found in the San Fernando Valley and the nearby Crescenta Valley. There are more than 70 of these special spots in these areas. Some of them are also recognized by the state of California or even the whole country as California Historical Landmarks or places on the National Register of Historic Places.

Discovering the Valley's Historic Treasures
Some Notable Historic-Cultural Monuments
Other Important Historic Sites
See also
- Lists of L.A. Historic-Cultural Monuments
- Other

Discovering the Valley's Historic Treasures

The Second Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascades near Sylmar, California

The Historic-Cultural Monuments in the San Fernando Valley are spread out all over the place! You can find them from Chatsworth in the northwest to Studio City in the southeast. They also stretch from the city of Calabasas in the southwest to Tujunga and La Crescenta in the northeast.

When Los Angeles first started choosing these special monuments in 1962, the very first two chosen were in the San Fernando/Crescenta Valleys! They were HCM #1, the Leonis Adobe, and HCM #2, Bolton Hall.

The oldest building in the Valley is the Convento Building at the Mission San Fernando Rey de España. It was built a long, long time ago, between 1808 and 1822. Other places connected to the Mission San Fernando include a kiln (a type of oven) in Chatsworth used to make bricks and tiles for the mission, and the wells and settling basin in Sylmar that supplied water to the mission. The Pioneer Cemetery is also important, as it's where both Mission Indians and early Valley settlers are buried.

Besides the Mission, two old adobe (mud-brick) buildings are among the oldest in the Valley: the Rómulo Pico Adobe, built in 1834, and the Leonis Adobe, built in the 1840s.

Many of these monuments are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important to the history of the entire United States. Some examples include the Leonis Adobe, Bolton Hall, Rómulo Pico Adobe, the Convento Building, and Campo de Cahuenga.

Churches and other places of worship are also on the list, like the Chatsworth Community Church (from 1903), Faith Bible Church in Northridge (from 1917), and the Saint Saviour's Chapel in Studio City. The David Familian Chapel of Temple Adat Ari El in North Hollywood was the Valley's first Jewish synagogue.

Even trees can be monuments! The city has honored a 1,000-year-old oak tree in Encino (which was sadly removed in 1996), 114 Himalayan Deodar trees along White Oak in Granada Hills, and 76 olive trees along Lassen Street in Chatsworth. There are also 300 pepper trees lining Canoga Avenue in Woodland Hills. These trees tell a story about how the Valley grew and changed over time.

Some Notable Historic-Cultural Monuments

Here are a few examples of the many interesting Historic-Cultural Monuments in the San Fernando Valley:

Leonis Adobe (HCM #1)

Leonis Adobe, 2008

This beautiful adobe house was built in the 1840s. It was home to Miguel Leonis, a very important person in early Los Angeles history. Today, it's a museum where you can learn about life in the old days. It's located in Calabasas, near Woodland Hills.

Bolton Hall (HCM #2)

Bolton Hall, 2008 photo

Built in 1913, Bolton Hall is a community building made from local stones and materials. It was part of a special community in Tujunga that had a unique vision for living together. The City of Los Angeles now owns it, and it's open to the public.

Rómulo Pico Adobe (HCM #7)

Rómulo Pico Adobe, 2008

This two-story adobe house was built in 1834 and is the oldest home in the San Fernando Valley! It's now run by the San Fernando Valley Historical Society in Mission Hills.

Mission San Fernando Rey de España (HCM #23)

Convento Building, Mission San Fernando Rey

This Spanish mission was built in the late 1700s. The Convento Building, shown in the picture, was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1971. It's the 17th California Mission and a very important historical site in Mission Hills.

Encino Oak Tree (HCM #24)

Encino Oak Tree stump

This amazing oak tree in Encino was thought to be 1,000 years old! Sadly, the tree was damaged and removed in 1997, but its memory lives on as a monument.

Campo de Cahuenga (HCM #29)

Campo de Cahuenga

This site in Studio City is where the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed on January 13, 1847. This treaty officially ended the Mexican-American War in California.

114 Deodar Trees (HCM #41)

Cedrus deodara trees along White Oak Ave

These beautiful Cedrus deodara trees, originally from the Himalayas, were planted in 1932 in Granada Hills. They line White Oak Avenue and are a lovely natural monument.

76 Mature Olive Trees (HCM #49)

Olive trees in Chatsworth

These olive trees were planted in the late 1800s and line both sides of Lassen Street in Chatsworth. They are a living reminder of the Valley's agricultural past.

Old Stage Coach Trail Property (HCM #92)

Old Stagecoach Trail

This historic trail in Chatsworth dates back to the 1860s. It was once a stagecoach road that connected the San Fernando Valley to other areas like Simi Valley and Ventura, crossing the Santa Susana Pass.

Minnie Hill Palmer House (HCM #133)

Minnie Hill Palmer House, Chatsworth

This charming cottage was built in 1913 in Chatsworth. It's a great example of the homes built by the first settlers, called homesteaders, in the San Fernando Valley.

Chatsworth Reservoir Kiln Site (HCM #141)

Chatsworth Reservoir Kiln Site

Known as La Calera, this site in West Hills has the remains of a kiln. This kiln was used to make bricks and tiles for the San Fernando Mission a long time ago. It's fenced off, so you can't visit it directly.

Faith Bible Church (HCM #152)

Faith Bible Church Northridge

Built in 1917, this was the very first church in Northridge. It was originally called the Norwegian Lutheran Church and has a beautiful Gothic style.

Valley Municipal Building (Van Nuys City Hall) (HCM #202)

Valley Municipal Building

This important building in Van Nuys was constructed in 1932. It's designed in the Art Deco style and is one of the most recognized landmarks in the Valley.

Amelia Earhart Branch (North Hollywood Branch Library) (HCM #302)

North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Branch Library

This library in North Hollywood was built in 1929 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It's named after the famous aviator Amelia Earhart, who lived in North Hollywood.

El Portal Theater (HCM #573)

El Portal Theater, North Hollywood

Located in North Hollywood, this theater, office, and retail building was completed in 1926. It's a great example of Spanish Renaissance Revival architecture.

San Fernando Pioneer Memorial Cemetery (HCM #586)

San Fernando Pioneer Memorial Cemetery, Sylmar

This cemetery in Sylmar is the second oldest in the San Fernando Valley. It's the resting place for early pioneers, Civil War veterans, and Mission Indians.

Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society Sanctuary ("The Onion") (HCM #975)

Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society Sanctuary

Built in 1964 in North Hills, this modern-style church sanctuary is nicknamed "The Onion" because of its unique shape. It was designed by a student of the famous architect Richard Neutra.

Idle Hour Café (HCM #977)

Idle Hour Cafe North Hollywood

Constructed in 1941 in North Hollywood, this building is shaped like a giant barrel! It's one of the last remaining examples of "Programmatic design" from the early 20th century, where buildings were shaped like the things they sold.

Other Important Historic Sites

Besides the Historic-Cultural Monuments, there are other special places in the Valley recognized by the state and nation:

Los Encinos State Historic Park

Garnier Building at Rancho Los Encinos

This park in Encino was once a ranch. Franciscan padres (priests) used it as their base when they were exploring the valley before they built Mission San Fernando in 1797.

Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation & Museum

Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine

Located in North Hollywood, this is a memorial to the brave pioneers of aviation. It's a special place to remember those who helped us take to the skies.

Brand Park (Memory Garden)

Brand Park Fountain, Mission Hills

These beautiful gardens in Mission Hills were once part of the Mission San Fernando. Now, they are a public park where people can relax and enjoy nature.

Phil's Diner

This classic diner was built in the 1920s. It was moved and reopened in 2008 in North Hollywood, right across from the El Portal Theater. It's a fun example of old-school American diners.

Masonic Temple (North Hollywood, California)

Masonic Temple, North Hollywood, CA

This unique building in North Hollywood is a Masonic Temple. It was designed by architect Robert Stacy-Judd and has a cool Mayan-style look.

Griffith Ranch

This ranch, located in Sylmar and San Fernando, was bought by the famous filmmaker D.W. Griffith in 1912. Many classic Western movies, including The Birth of a Nation, were filmed here! You can find a historic marker at Foothill Blvd. and Vaughn St.