Los Encinos State Historic Park

Located in a small park between Balboa and Ventura Blvd. this San Fernando Valley historical landmark is surrounded by office buildings and numerous businesses. The focal point is the Garnier Building, a white limestone two-story building. Other preserved structures include the 9-room de la Ossa Dobe, a blacksmith shop, and a natural spring and pond. Before European settlers arrived the Tongva people lived here using the spring as a source of water. In the 1840s the ranch structures were built and changed ownership many times until it became a state park in 1949. (Submitted by Christine Peeples)