Park’s Historic Adobe to Be Refurbished

It’s been more than three years since the adobe at Los Encinos State Historic Park was heavily damaged in the Northridge earthquake. Park officials say it’s now time to give it a face lift.

The bidding process is about to begin for an architectural plan to repair the park’s De La Ossa Adobe, built in 1850.

During the 1994 quake, the adobe’s roof shifted off the building and the outside fireplace twisted and slammed against the adobe, crumbling its outside wall.

There’s still a sign on the side of the adobe tacked on the day of the earthquake that reads: “Unsafe do not enter or occupy.”

The park contains five historic structures. In addition to the adobe, there’s a blacksmith shop, food storage house, the Garnier building, which was also damaged in the quake, and Spring House, built in 1870 to cover natural springs.

Greg Lewis, a civil engineer with the state Parks and Recreation Department, said the renovation of the adobe alone is expected to cost about $323,000.

The building’s north wall must be rebuilt, cracks need to be repaired and corners strengthened.

The state parks department first must pay for the renovations and then will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Russell Kimura, the state park ranger who oversees Los Encinos State Historic Park, said park officials are trying to find state funding. Los Encinos Docent Assn. has raised about $20,000 through donations for an earthquake restoration fund.

There are many bureaucratic hurdles to jump before construction starts at the park. Officials must complete the new building’s design and go through a permit review period, a process expected to take about 18 months, Lewis said.

Also in line for restoration is the Garnier building, a copy of a French farmhouse constructed of limestone by the Garnier family in 1872 to house workers who helped herd sheep. Park officials say they don’t yet know how, or by whom, the severely damaged building can be restored.

“Who knows how to build with limestone?” asked Kimura. “Nobody builds with limestone anymore.”