Shadow Ranch, Historic ranch house in West Hills, California.
Shadow Ranch is a historic ranch house in the West Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, built in the late 19th century using adobe walls and a redwood lumber frame. The main building sits on a public park lot surrounded by very tall Australian Blue Gum eucalyptus trees that cover most of the grounds with shade year-round.
The property was once part of a large wheat-farming operation run by Isaac Lankershim and the San Fernando Homestead Association in the second half of the 19th century. It later passed through several private owners before becoming a public recreation area for the surrounding neighborhoods.
Florence Ryerson, who co-wrote the screenplay for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz while living on the estate, renamed it Shadow Ranch after the shade cast by the eucalyptus groves planted in Albert Workman's time. The house now serves as a recreational facility and events venue within the city park.
The house stands on a 13-acre parcel within a Los Angeles city park in West Hills, and the building serves as a recreation facility and events venue rather than a museum. The grounds are open as a public park; check with the city about access to the interior for events.
Florence Ryerson, who co-wrote the screenplay for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz while living at the ranch, renamed the estate Shadow Ranch after the shade cast by the eucalyptus groves Albert Workman had planted. The house later served as a filming location for William Wyler's 1961 film The Children's Hour.
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