Minnie Hill Palmer House facts for kids
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Minnie Hill Palmer House
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Minnie Hill Palmer House, September 2008
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 10385 Shadow Oak Drive, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California |
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| Built | 1911 |
| Architect | Hill, Lovell; Johnson, Willard |
| Architectural style | Stick-Eastlake American Craftsman-Bungalow |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000480 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 4, 1979 |
The Minnie Hill Palmer House, also known as The Homestead Acre, is a special historic home. It is the only original homestead cottage left in the San Fernando Valley. A homestead is a piece of land given to settlers by the government to build a home and farm.
This house is a type of building called a Stick-Eastlake style American Craftsman-Bungalow. These styles were popular long ago. The house is made of redwood and sits on a 1.3-acre piece of land. You can find it in Chatsworth Park South, which is in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles, California.
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What is the History of the Palmer House?
How Did the Hill Family Settle Here?
The story of the Palmer House begins in 1886. A family named James David and Rhonda Jane Hill moved to this area. They used a law called the Homestead Act. This law allowed people to claim land if they promised to live on it and improve it.
The Hills first settled on 110 acres of land. Later, they bought another 120 acres. This made their ranch much bigger, totaling 230 acres. Today, only a small part of that land, about 1.3 acres, has been saved as a historic site.
Who Was Minnie Hill Palmer?
Minnie Hill was born on the ranch in late 1886. She was the Hills' seventh child. Between 1911 and 1913, her family built the house you see today. The older homestead building was taken down to make way for this new one.
Minnie married Alfred Palmer in 1908. They moved away for a while, even farming in Montana. But in 1920, Minnie and Alfred came back to the Chatsworth homestead. Minnie's mother was sick, and they wanted to help.
Minnie's brother, Lovell Hill, helped run the homestead. He also had a business selling dynamite from the property. After their mother passed away, Lovell inherited the property. Later, Minnie inherited it when Lovell died.
How Did Minnie Palmer Live at the Homestead?
Minnie's husband died in the 1940s. In 1956, she sold the ranch to the City of Los Angeles. The city wanted to build a golf course and a rifle range. Minnie made a special deal: she could live on the remaining homestead land for the rest of her life. She would not have to pay rent or taxes.
Minnie Palmer lived in the cottage until she was 90 years old. She lived in an old-fashioned way, like a pioneer. She grew her own vegetables and canned fruits. Every morning, she used an old handplow to work in her garden. This garden was right next to the golf course! She often had to pick out golf balls along with weeds.
Minnie loved to grow her own food. She would can about 300 jars of jelly each year to give as Christmas gifts. She remembered that gophers and coyotes were always a problem on the ranch. In 1970, big fires swept through the area. Minnie refused to leave her home. She worked with firefighters to save the old homestead.
Minnie enjoyed one modern thing: television soap operas. She watched them every day from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. after working in her garden. A reporter visited her in 1968. Minnie stopped the interview at 11 a.m. She said she would not talk to anyone or answer the phone during her shows.
In 1976, Minnie had a stroke. She spent her last years in a care facility. Minnie Palmer passed away in March 1981 at the age of 94.
Who Owns and Operates the Palmer House Today?
The Homestead Acre and Palmer House are kept just as they were in 1911. This is when the house was built. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks owns the property. The Chatsworth Historical Society helps take care of it. They want it to be a reminder of the pioneers who settled the San Fernando Valley.
The city takes care of the outside of the building. The Chatsworth Historical Society takes care of the inside. In early 2008, the park was closed because of lead found in the soil. But it reopened in April 2008 after being declared safe.
The Chatsworth Historical Society offers tours of the cottage. You can arrange a tour for groups of 10 or more people. They also have open tours on the first Sunday of each month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Many of the trees and flowers on the property were planted by Minnie Hill Palmer and her family.
The Palmer House is a popular place for weddings and parties. It is also rented out for filming movies.
Why is the Palmer House a Historic Site?
The Hill Palmer House was named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM #133) in 1974. Members of the city's Cultural Heritage Commission decided it was important. They felt Minnie Palmer's life at the property was very meaningful. Her family and the house played a big part in the area's history.
The house was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is the very last homestead remaining in the San Fernando Valley.
See also
