John A. Rowland House in the
City of Industry, California
City of Industry is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is almost entirely industrial, containing over 3,000 businesses employing 67,000 people, with only 264 residents as of th ...
was built in 1855.
[ It was the home of pioneer ]John A. Rowland
John A. Rowland, commonly known in Spanish as Don Juan Rowland, was a settler and ranchero in the San Gabriel Valley of California. Born in Maryland, Rowland travelled across the eastern United States before immigrating to the Mexican territory of ...
, of the Workman-Rowland party, co-leader of the first American band of settlers to reach Southern California in 1841. John A. Rowland built this home for his second wife, Charlotte M. Gray.
The John Rowland House is noteworthy for being the oldest surviving brick
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
structure in Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
. Built in 1855, the Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
style was used by John Rowland. Victoria, his daughter of the second marriage, inherited the home and in 1879 married Capt. John W. Hudson. The latter's daughter inherited the property and in 1920 married William Dibble of the Oakwell Rancho in Covina.[Covina Citizen, November 26, 1931, p. 3, c. 2] It is undergoing many improvements in preparation for future reopening (the interior is currently closed due to earthquake damage).
Public access
The John A. Rowland House is maintained by th
La Puente Valley Historical Society
Due to ongoing restoration efforts, the house and adjacent property are currently closed to the public. LPVHS occasionally conducts tours for local schools.
File:Rowland House 10142010.jpg, Descendants of John A. Rowland, Justin and Alyssa Collins (brother and sister), in front of the home October 14, 2010
File:Rowland House 101410.jpg, Rowland House October 14, 2010
File:RowlandHouse sm 2009 05 30.jpg, Dibble Museum (former coach house of John A. Rowland House) in 2009
References
External links
La Puente Valley Historical Society
Houses in Los Angeles County, California
Museums in Los Angeles County, California
Historic house museums in California
City of Industry, California
Houses completed in 1855
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
19th century in Los Angeles
Greek Revival houses in California
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