Victorian Homes in the San Fernando Valley

The postwar crush of tract housing transformed the San Fernando Valley into the vast suburbia it is today. But before that, there was the land boom of 1887-1888 which spawned a number of communities throughout the Valley, some with stunning Victorian architecture.

Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom were two of the preeminent architects of this era.  Although most of their office records were lost in the fire following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, it is estimated that the brothers designed over 600 buildings and residences in California – among them the fabled Bradbury Mansion (Bunker Hill, Los Angles) and the Carson Mansion (Eureka). They built about 150 structures in Southern California – including many in the San Fernando Valley – 11 of which remain standing today.

Valley local Skeet Wright is a student of Victorian architecture and has done extensive original research into the Newsom brothers and their impact in Southern California.  Wright will present a slide show of his work and discuss the brothers’ impact on local history.