|
Historic Place of the
Month - July 2011
Congratulations to Julie Shy-Sobol who was the first person to
correctly guess that July’s Historic Place of the Month was:
The William C. Masson Residence
The Masson Residence is an excellent example of a homestead home
built during this time period and represents the early settlement of
Calabasas. It is also the only remaining homestead in the city and
one of the few remaining in Southern California.
The one-story single-family home is made primarily of post and beam
construction and the floor joists are supported by oak tree
branches. The present appearance dates from 1924 when the residence
was remodeled and expanded to include the addition of two bedrooms,
two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room and cellar. The Masson
Residence has a new roof and narrow lap siding. The main portion of
the residence is covered by a side-facing gabled roof and many of
the windows are flanked by shutters. A front-facing gabled bay
projects from the south end of the residence. The residence sites on
a stone foundation; the same stone was used for the chimney on the
side of the home.
The Masson Residence was built during the “Homesteading Days” in the
early 1900s. The Homestead Act was signed in law by President
Lincoln in 1862. Most of what today is Calabasas was undeveloped
public land and not part of the old California Ranchos. At this
time, settlers rushed to file claims to acquire 160 acres of land by
way of the Homestead Acts. Claimants were required to live on the
land for 5 years and improve it, before they could get their final
land patent. William C. Masson received a land patent in 1904 for
his 160 acres. The Masson Residence, located on Old Topanga Canyon
Road was strategically placed on the only route to Santa Monica,
where the 1910’s Port of Los Angeles Long Wharf was built.
Therefore, this location was beneficial to settlers because goods
were accessible to them and transported through this road. The house
was built about 1900 and began as a one room house (the left side of
the house when looking at the front of the house). The house did not
have the traditional stud framing and instead, the planks that were
used as the siding for the house, also provided the structural
support. The additions to the home depict how homestead houses
evolved over time. As families grew and as areas developed,
homesteaders could afford to add onto their homes.
Today the house is part of Headwaters Corner, the headquarters for
the Mountains Restoration Trust.
<- Back
|
|
