Stagecoach Inn (California) facts for kids
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Grand Union Hotel
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Stagecoach Inn, September 2008
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| Location | 51 Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park, California |
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| Built | 1876 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000495 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1975 |
The Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park, California, also known as the Grand Union Hotel, was a popular resting spot for travelers. People journeying from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, California would stop here. Over the years, it has been many things: a hotel, a stagecoach stop, a post office, a church, a restaurant, and even a military school!
It's a very important place, recognized as California Historical Landmark no. 659 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It helped build the stagecoach travel system in California and was the very first business in the Conejo Valley.
Today, the inn is owned by the Conejo Recreation and Park Department. It operates as a historic museum. The museum includes a copy of Timber School (built in 1889), a carriage house, and a blacksmith shop. There's also a nature trail and the 'Tri-Village'. The Tri-Village is a small group of three houses: a pioneer house, an adobe, and a Chumash 'ap. You can also find a gift shop inside the museum.
Volunteers help run the museum, which is managed by the Conejo Valley Historical Society. There's even a Jr. Docent program for kids and teens aged 8–18. The Stagecoach Inn is a key cultural and educational spot for many people in Newbury Park.
Some people say the Stagecoach Inn is haunted. It is considered one of California's most famous haunted places.
The Stagecoach Inn is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 1-4 pm, in Newbury Park, CA.
Contents
History of the Stagecoach Inn
The Stagecoach Inn was built in 1876 by James Hammell. He was a carpenter from Santa Barbara. Hammell wanted to build a hotel along the main stagecoach route. This route connected Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.
He bought 900 acres of land for his hotel. The hotel was built near what is now Highway 101 and Ventu Park Road. It was made from redwood trees from Northern California. The wood traveled by sea to Port Hueneme, California. From there, it was brought up the steep Conejo Grade by wagons.
The hotel was meant to be a stop for travelers. But just before it opened, the Coast Line Stage Company changed its routes. They no longer went through Conejo Valley. This meant Hammell's hotel wouldn't be a main stage stop.
Even so, Hammell opened the hotel on July 4, 1876. He advertised it as a "health and pleasure resort." A local newspaper said visitors could enjoy "Shooting, fishing, bathing, and a first-rate table."
After a dry period in 1877-78, James Hammell no longer owned the hotel. It had several owners over the years. In 1885, an Englishman named Cecil Haigh bought it.
In the 1960s, the hotel was almost torn down. This was because the Ventura Freeway was expanding. But it was saved and given "Historical Landmark" status. It was moved to its current spot in 1965.
On April 25, 1970, a fire completely destroyed the museum. But it was rebuilt using its original Monterey style. The new museum opened on July 4, 1976. The second floor was finished in 1980.
Important Designations
The Stagecoach Inn is a very important historical site. It was named Ventura County Historic Landmark No. 30 in 1965. In 1976, it became California Historical Landmark No. 659. It was also added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is also City of Thousand Oaks Historical Landmark No. 1.
On the museum grounds, you can also find a copy of the Timber School. This school was originally built in 1889. On July 13, 2004, the Thousand Oaks City Council made the Timber School a City Landmark.
Historic Sycamore Tree
Near the Tri-Village Complex, there is a very old sycamore tree. It is over 250 years old! This tree was named Ventura County Landmark No. 44 in 1978. It was recognized for its "great age, size, and formation." It is also Thousand Oaks City Landmark No. 2.
This tree has been used for many things. It was a polling place, a resting spot, a post office, and even an outdoor church. In 1846, General John C. Frémont passed by this tree. He was on his way to sign a treaty to make California part of the U.S. The Chumash Indians are believed to have bent its lower branches. This was to mark where underground water could be found.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Stagecoach Inn museum has many interesting exhibits. These include the Carriage House, Blacksmith Shop, Anderson Exhibit Hall, Tri-Village, and the Timber School.
- Stagecoach Inn: This is the main part of the museum. It's a rebuilt version of the 1876 hotel. You can see items from local history, American history, and the Victorian era. Upstairs, you'll find rooms set up as they might have looked when the hotel was open. There's also a gift shop on the main floor.
- Anderson Exhibit Hall: This hall is in the basement of the hotel. It has displays of Chumash artifacts. You can also see items about local nature and old discoveries. This exhibit also shows fossils, a butterfly collection, and rock and mineral displays.
- Nature Trail: This is a half-mile (0.8 km) path. It starts behind the hotel and ends at the Tri-Village. It follows a stream through an oak tree forest. You can see many native plants along the way. Signs explain the local plants and history. The trail leads to the Tri-Village Complex, an outdoor oven, a restored carriage house, a windmill, and old farm equipment.
- Tri-Village Complex: This area shows three important time periods in the Conejo Valley. A rebuilt Chumash house, called an 'ap, shows Native-American life. An adobe house represents Mexican vaqueros. A copy of Egbert Starr Newbury's 1874 house shows early European settlers. The Tri-Village is also home to the over 250-year-old Sycamore tree.
- Timber School: This is a copy of the school built in 1889. The original school was near Newbury and Kelley Roads.
- Carriage House and Blacksmith Shop: Here you'll find a carriage house, a windmill, and an old blacksmith shop. The Carriage House has many real 19th-century stagecoaches. It also displays old tools and farm equipment.
The museum grounds also have a beautiful botanical garden. It's called The Heritage Rose Garden. It has over 35 types of old roses, some from 1752. A path made of memorial bricks winds through the gardens.
Stagecoach Inn Park
Stagecoach Inn Park is right next to the Stagecoach Inn. It's located at the corner of Lynn and Ventu Park Roads. The Conejo Recreation and Park District bought this 4.9-acre park in 1968. It was later turned into a neighborhood park in 1985.
A creek runs along one side of the park. There's also a 425-year-old Sycamore tree here. The park has a playground, public restrooms, picnic tables, and barbecue grills. There's also an outdoor basketball court.
You can reach the Rosewood Trail from the park. This trail leads to Angel Vista, a 1,603-foot peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. Hikers can park at the Stagecoach Inn Park. The Rosewood Trailhead is right across Lynn Road.
Conejo Valley Historical Society
The Conejo Valley Historical Society started on October 9, 1964. Their main goal was to save the Stagecoach Inn. It was in danger of being torn down because of the Ventura Freeway expansion. The society's members successfully saved the building. They also helped it become California State Landmark No. 659.
Allen Hays, whose family used to own the inn, gave the Stagecoach Inn and four acres of land to the society. The society then gave the land to the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD). In return, they got a long-term lease to run the Stagecoach Inn as a cultural and educational center.
The society helped get the inn ready as a museum after it was moved in 1965. When the fire destroyed the museum in April 1970, the society immediately planned to rebuild it. The Conejo Valley Historical Society often holds meetings and events at the Stagecoach Inn.
