PIRU : Victorian Building May Get Landmark Status

More than a century ago, a single-story building with a high-pitched gable over the front porch was built on Main Street in Piru to serve as the town’s first church.

Today, after one relocation, two world wars, a century of different owners and even a brief stint as a school, it may be designated as a Ventura County historic landmark.

The Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board has said that the house, built about 1890, is one of the few remaining from the Victorian period that has maintained its style.

Though the house was moved to Center Street some years ago, the only alteration made so far has been the addition of concrete front steps.

But the house was devastated by the 1994 Northridge earthquake, said Sharon Molina, a neighbor for 12 years, and sits shuttered and vacant. “It is a mess right now. The roof is off.”

The county has been unable to reach the owners of the house, but notified the owners’ agents when the heritage board held a public hearing on the proposed designation last month. No one showed up to object. The county can bestow landmark status on the house even without the owners’ permission, according to county officials.

The historic designation does not ensure that the house will be repaired, but it does prohibit owners from altering, defacing or demolishing the building without approval from the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board.

The county Board of Supervisors will vote on the designation Tuesday.