By John Kielbasa

For those of you who enjoy hiking and local history, this is a daytripper tip for you!

In the middle of the Santa Monica Mountain Range, just a little north and west of the convergence of Las Virgenes Canyon Road and Mulholland Highway, stands an old abandoned adobe in the midst of tall grass and a grand eucalyptus tree. Known as the Sepulveda Adobe, it rural surroundings is virtually unchanged since its construction in 1863.

Centuries ago, this area was first settled by Chumash Indians who lived at a village named "Talepop". Many years ago much of the western region of Los Angeles County was significantly populated by the Chumash, whose boundaries began here and stretched north all the way to San Luis Obispo. The Chumash lived near numerous creeks and springs which were available in this vicinity. They hunted wild game in the canyons and in the mountains. Las Virgenes Canyon Road follows the route of an old Indian trail to the coast at Malibu. The trail was used by the inland Indians to travel to the sea in order to trade with the large coastal Chumash village of Humaliwo. The village of Talepop survived until the year 1805. It was situated on a mesa between Las Virgenes Creek and Stokes Canyon. Archaeologists have found an abundance of Indian artifacts in this vicinity, which they refer to as site LAn-229. A hiking trail named after Talepop is situated just north of the old adobe.

In 1818, the Dominguez family received a Spanish land grant within Las Virgenes Canyon. Some of this land came into the possession of Pedro Alcantara Sepulveda when he married Soledad Maria Magdelena Dominguez in 1857. Both, the Dominguezes and Sepulvedas were prestigious old Spanish families who owned several great ranchos throughout Southern California. Pedro Sepulveda built an adobe home near Las Virgenes Creek, but it was destroyed by a flood in 1860. In 1863, he erected the present adobe house just west of the winding canyon road. The Sepulvedas had twelve children, nine of which were born in the adobe. Sepulveda farmed the land and cut wood from the local oak groves to sell in Los Angeles as firewood. In the 1870s, renown bandit, Tiburcio Vasquez, hid out in the canyon and may have visited the Sepulveda home. Since 1863, someone has always resided in the adobe until it was vacated in 1980.

Today, this modest sized, single story adobe contains the remnants of the living room, two bedrooms and a pantry. A stable, corrals, bunkhouse, and a blacksmith shed were located near the adobe, but unfortunately these supporting ranch structures no longer exist. A few yards outside the front door there is an old water well, which is covered by a metal grating and stones. There are plans to eventually restore the old home and open it to the public. George Smith, a grandson of Pedro Alcantara Sepulveda, was storing much of the original furniture in order to fill the house pending restoration. Smith's mother, Sally K. Sepulveda Smith, was the daughter of Pedro Sepulveda and was born in the old adobe in 1884.

Should one want to observe a nineteenth adobe in almost the same natural setting of its beginnings; this is the place to visit. Las Virgenes Creek trickles quietly nearby. Gentle rolling hills and rugged mountain peaks can be viewed in all directions. During the golden era of movie making, the area was used extensively by motion picture companies as a backdrop for Western productions. The adobe sits on land owned by the Santa Monica National Recreational Area and the Malibu Creek State Park. Approximately fifty yards north of Mulholland Highway the house can be found on small meadow just west of the overgrown creek bed. It stands in a dilapidated condition behind a chain link fence. It sustained major damage as a result of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. The north wall is on the verge of total collapse being supported by four metal poles that propped up against it. Here, through large gaping cracks, the adobe bricks which make up the wall are visible and appear to be nearly three feet thick. The front of the house with its shady covered porch faces the creek, although this section is also in bad shape. There is an old abandoned water well covered with stones east of the house. Another well is located a few feet northeast of the building.

The Sepulveda Adobe is accessible to the public, however the structure is fenced in, boarded up, and declared unsafe to enter. Temporary parking is available on the south side of Mulholland Highway. Parking is also available for a $5.00 fee just beyond the main entrance of Malibu Creek State Park, located just south of Mulholland Highway on the west side of Las Virgenes Canyon Road. Malibu Creek State Park is comprised of 5,500 acres of beautiful land with a variety of topographical and geological features. The flora and fauna abounds in this wonderful nature preserve. There are miles hiking trails to chose from, all varying in length and degrees of difficulty.

The Sepulveda Adobe

Mulholand Highway at Las Virgenes canyon Road

Malibu Creek State Park, CA

(Abandoned)

Portions of this article were excerpts from John Kielbasa's book, Historic Adobes of Los Angeles County, published by Dorrance Publishing Company, Inc. Pittsburgh, PA 15222. ISBN # 0-8059-4172-X. This book is available through Barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com. or may be ordered through your local book store.