Los Alamos Ranch House facts for kids
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Los Alamos Ranch House
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1968 Park Service photo
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Los Alamos, California |
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| Area | 800 acres (320 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000148 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
The Los Alamos Ranch House is a very old adobe house located near Los Alamos in northern Santa Barbara County, California. This house was built around 1840. It was the main building of a large property called Rancho Los Alamos.
The ranch house is one of the best examples of homes built during California's Mexican period. This was a time when California was part of Mexico. Because of its history, the building was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
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What is the Los Alamos Ranch House Like?
The Los Alamos Ranch House is found on the south side of California State Route 135. It is about 3 miles (5 km) west of the town of Los Alamos. This house has only one story. It was built using adobe bricks made right there.
The area around the house still looks much like it did in 1840. The house has very thick walls. Most of its windows and doors are the original ones. A gabled roof covers the building. Inside, you can see wooden plank floors and ceilings. There are also wooden doors with panels. These features show how American styles started to mix with Mexican building traditions.
History of the Los Alamos Ranch House
The story of Rancho Los Alamos began in 1839. The Mexican government gave this large piece of land to José Antonio de la Guerra. His father was a famous leader named José de la Guerra y Noriega. He was the Commandant of the Presidio of Santa Barbara.
How the Rancho Was Built
This land grant was nearly 49,000 acres (19,800 ha) big. Many such grants were given out by the Mexican government in the 1830s. The Los Alamos Ranch House itself was built by Chumash natives. They lived on the rancho and helped build the house. In return, they received goods and food.
The ranch house was an important stop for travelers. It was on the main road between Santa Barbara and Monterey. This old road is now known as Route 135.
Changes Over Time
After California became a state, José Antonio de la Guerra tried to keep his land. However, he faced many problems. The price of beef went down, there was a long drought, and then floods. Because of these issues, he could not keep the rancho.
In 1876, three men bought a large part of the land. Their names were Thomas Bell, John S. Bell, and James Shaw. They bought 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) from Rancho Los Alamos. They also bought land from a nearby property called Rancho La Laguna. From this land, they created the town site of Los Alamos.
The area became successful in farming. But in the 1930s, the railroad stopped coming to Los Alamos. This caused the area to decline for a while. Today, the Los Alamos Ranch House is on a much smaller property. It is privately owned.
