Los Encinos SHP

Los Encinos State Historic Park, at the corner of Balboa and Ventura Blvd. in Encino, California, was the hub of Rancho El Encino. Located in the San Fernando Valley, this California rancho includes the original nine-room de la Ossa Adobe, the two-story limestone Garnier building, a blacksmith shop, a natural spring, and a pond.

The natural spring provided a year-round source of water for the ancient village of Siutcanga, home to the Tongva people, for thousands of years. An excellent description of this village was recorded as part of the 1769 Portola Expedition. This Spanish expedition reached the San Fernando Valley and named it “El Valle de Santa Catalina de Bononia de Los Encinos” (The Valley of St. Catherine of Bononia of the Oaks).

Located along a significant travel route between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the property passed through many hands between the 1840s and the early 20th century. Today, the park contains exhibits related to the agricultural enterprises of Rancho El Encino’s various owners, including Mission Indian, Mexican Californio, French, and French Basque families.

Location-Directions
Take the 101 Ventura Freeway to the Balboa off ramp. Go South on Balboa to Moorpark--one block before Ventura Blvd. Turn left onto Moorpark and park on the street. There is no parking lot. Enter through the gate.

The pond, constructed in 1874 by ranch owner Eugene Garnier, is fed by the natural spring that has attracted settlement in the area for thousands of years.