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PaGE #3

CONCLUSION AND SPECULATION

From the physical evidence, maps and written sources, it is
fairly certain that the back portion of the Newhall Ranch House
was built sometime before Henry Mayo Newhall acquired the
property in 1875.

It is doubtful that the Del Valle family would have built
it as they were nearly impoverished and by all accounts living
in the Milk House midway up the hillside.

Obviously Fernald and Richards would not have bu1t the house,
as they,probably, were never there and never even paid their
note on the place.

The most logical candidates would be William Wolfskill,who
owned the Rancho San Francisco jointly with Ygnacio and Jose
Del Valle(1860 to 1865) and Thomas Bard,Col. Scott's agent
and nephew(1865 to1873).

Since some structure appears on the 1870 map and the bricks
were made in the 1860s, we may conclude that this portion was
put up between 1860 and 1870.

Bard was frequently at the Rancho and was primarily interested
in its oil potential, even sinking some wells on the property.The
corporate owner during this time was The Philedelphia and Calif-
ornia Petroleum Co. Three wells drilled produced such poor kero-
sene that it was unsalable.

More than likely it was Thomas Bard who built the small house
sometime between 1865(when he bought the ranch) and 1870(when
the Cooper map was made).

The main house, of cource, was built by Henry Gregory Newhall
in 1893. It went through several alterations after that,mainly
in 1971, after the February earthquake.

Jerry Reynolds
Curator