VENTURA COUNTY ROUNDUP : Camarillo : New Foundation Ready for Old Barn

The historic barn on Camarillo Ranch will be moved to a new location on the property today, now that workers have stabilized support problems that have delayed the move for several weeks, city officials said Thursday.

Last month, work was done on the foundation in anticipation of moving the barn as part of a total renovation of the ranch formerly owned by city founder Adolfo Camarillo and his family.

Ranch officials had delayed the relocation from August to Sept. 3, but when the foundation was found to be inadequate to support the barn, the date was changed again.

Today “is the day that we’ll finally get the barn moved,” said John Fraser, a city management assistant. “Hopefully, nothing will go wrong.”

The ranch, which spans more than four acres at Mission Oaks Boulevard and Camarillo Ranch Road off the Ventura Freeway, is the site of the city’s scheduled 35th anniversary bash next month.

The facility is undergoing a major reconstruction, and officials hope to have it declared a federal historic landmark. To accomplish that, Fraser said the entire house would have to be restored to its original standing.

The house was built in 1892, and the barn was erected about seven years later. The existing stables were not put in until about 1950, and the Camarillo family was known to have taken extra care of the house, barn and stables, Fraser said.

After the restoration of the ranch and exterior of the house are completed, Fraser said the nonprofit Camarillo Ranch Foundation would operate and maintain the facilities.