The Workman House in Industry

As one of the oldest houses in California, the Workman House survives as a unique testament to the changing architectural styles and domestic tastes of the nineteenth century.

It originally stood as a simple three-room adobe, built shortly after the Workman family's arrival in November 1841. With the success of their cattle ranch, they continued to remodel the house by adding rooms. By the 1870s, new wealth in vineyards and wheat farming allowed them to completely transform the Mexican-era adobe into a modern American house, building a second floor, adding a variety of decorative details, and finishing the outside to resemble brick and stone. Believed to have been designed by early Los Angeles architect Ezra Kysor, the picturesque country home reflects the architectural tastes that were popular in mid-19th century America.

Today the exterior of the Workman House is restored to its 1870s appearance. The interior retains its appearance from the 1950s and awaits restoration. Visitors can see the house by taking a free guided tour.

The Workman House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a California State Historic Landmark.

Experience life on an early California rancho at the Homestead Museum's Romance of the Ranchos festival.

Visitors will get a taste of what life was like for people living in the Southland during the 1840s and '50s through music, historic house tours, visits with living history characters, adobe-making and blacksmithing demonstrations, food, family activities, and more. Check out the details below, or click here for a flyer.

• Delight in the sounds of early California with Mariachi Monumental de America and Dogtown Filharmonik

• Watch colorful folklorico dance demonstrations

• Visit with living history characters from the past including Pio Pico, the last governor of Mexican California

• Get a feel for rancho life by making an adobe brick and practicing your roping skills

• See blacksmithing, pottery, gold-panning, and woodworking demonstrations

• Enjoy exhibits in the Museum's historic houses

• Learn about Native American culture, the history behind the epic story of Ramona, and the practice of phrenology

• Try your luck at games like Monte, Faro, and Shut the Box

• Make a variety of crafts, visit ranch animals at the petting zoo, and much more!

Romance of the Ranchos

Sunday, May 3

1 to 5 p.m.

Free-but bring spending money for food and shopping.