Ventura County Landmark No. 94: Lathrop Camp (aka Hotel Sespe)

The 165-acre ranch known as the Lathrop Camp is located north of the Rose Valley in Ventura County. The main cabin is believed to have been built with hand hewn logs and Sespe River stones in the mid-1800s and used as a mail carrier stop between San Joaquin Valley and Los Angeles. The property was homesteaded in July of 1894 by William Roberts. Ownership was eventually transferred to Paul and Herbert Lathrop who farmed the property in the early 1900s. The younger Lathrop (Herbert) converted the ranch into guest quarters for hunters and campers (referred to as Hotel Sespe or Hotel Lathrop). The camp’s past owners include Rory Calhoun, television and film actor, the Boy Scouts of America, and Sanford Drucker.

The Lathrop Camp was originally a group of three cabins, two with a common wall. The third cabin faced the others. The cabins were later joined by a bathroom and an entry hall addition. Four rooms were added in 1905 and others were added at a later date. It appears the cabins were remodeled between 1933 and 1935 based on a date etched on a corner stone found in the lounge/sitting room stone wall.  At that time, several rooms were added. In the 1960’s -1970’s, the original roof was replaced with a tin roof.

Two other cabins exist on the property. One is a concrete block house built in the 1900s made up of four rooms called the manager’s cabin and a green cabin which is believed to be built in 1935. The manager’s cabin is made of rock faced concrete blocks simulating stone which appear to have been molded on site. Minimal changes to these structures have occurred over the years. The camp was partially demolished in 2011.