Developer Victor Girard did his part to improve the appearance of the Far West Valley of Los Angeles and his legacy remains on the winding streets south of Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills.  Girard's subdivision in the barren west end of the Valley needed to be dressed up, so he planted 120,000 shade trees and shrubs including seven varieties of eucalyptus, five kinds of acacia, Arizona elms, and Monterey pines. On the corner of what today are Ventura and Topanga Canyon boulevards, he built false storefronts and garish Turkish-style mosque towers to make the community look more established. Folklore has it that he spent time in jail for this "false city".

The town of Girard was born on February 4, 1923, on 2,886 hilly acres purchased from the Brant dairy.  The young real estate developer, Victor Girard Kleinberger, came to Los Angeles from Louisville about the turn of the century as an ambitious 18 year old that would develop towns all over the county. He was called a "devious genius, a natural dreamer and big spender".  His dream for the west Valley was a little crazy.  There was no streetcar access to Girard, as there was to other Valley towns.  Girard expected motorists to negotiate Cahuenga Pass plus miles of twisty Ventura Boulevard and pass countless new real estate ventures to reach the 6,000 lots that Girard hoped to sell.

To lure prospects, Girard ran ads emphasizing that his town was closer to the beach than any place in the Valley, since there was a winding road through Topanga Canyon. He also published the Girard News, built stables and a riding club, and opened the Girard Country Club and golf course with a championship size pool and tennis courts.  Today the golf course is known as the Woodland Hills Country Club.  "Sucker buses' brought potential buyers out to the far end of the Valley, where teams of sales agents put on the pressure.

In 1941, the community was renamed Woodland Hills, an appropriate name because of all the trees that Girard had planted years earlier.  There are still a few "Girard" homes in Woodland Hills today.  One of them is 21339 Castillo Street, off of Canoga Avenue which is currently for sale.  This home was built in 1925 as a two bedroom, one bath cottage.  It has been lovingly restored from the bottom up and includes new beams, copper plumbing, and all new electrical wiring. 

Don't miss this rare opportunity to own a piece of San Fernando Valley history.  We will be hosting an open house this Sunday March 9, 2008 from 2:00-4:00 PM.  Please join us for a tour of this wonderful home and guest house.

21339 Castillo Street, Woodland Hills CA - Offered at $749,000