Ventura County Landmark No. 73: Murphy House
Historical Background
This single story, California bungalow style residence was built in 1911 for J. A. Driffill, manager of the Oxnard sugar factory (Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, 2016). According to Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board (2016), “The City of Oxnard grew rapidly after the arrival of the Oxnard brothers’ American Beet Sugar Company in 1898, which was managed by Maj. J. A. Driffill. Homes were in great demand, and the majority were constructed for the city’s middle and upper middle class families, including many successful early businessmen, developers, and professional people.”
F Street, known as the Henry T. Oxnard subdivision, was developed in April 1909 by the Oxnard Light and Water Company, whose president was Driffill. This house was built as a wedding present for Driffill’s daughter and her husband, Charles J. Murphy—an early Oxnard pioneer and partner in Murphy and Weill, the city’s first grocery store (Loewenthal, 1990). T. Frank McGrath purchased the home in 1949, and after his death around 1956, Mrs. McGrath moved into the four room guest house, giving the main residence to her daughter and family (Loewenthal, 1990).
Over the years, several prominent Oxnard families lived in the Murphy House. Notable residents included Jack Miller and his wife, Eleanor Leonard Miller, as well as city manager Steve Cook (Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, 2016).
Architecture
The house was selected as the Ventura County Symphony League’s 1990 Design House. Loewenthal (1990) notes that “the charm of the California Arts and Crafts style bungalow has been retained and even enhanced by renovations that include blonde hardwood floors, built in cabinets, leaded glass windows, innovative tile work, and wall coverings.” (Loewenthal, 1990). Visitors are encouraged to stroll through the surrounding historic neighborhood, which contains many largely unaltered homes that exemplify California and Craftsman bungalow architecture built between 1910 and 1930 (Loewenthal, 1990).
The Property Today
Today, the Murphy House remains a well preserved example of early Oxnard residential architecture and continues to contribute to the historic character of the surrounding neighborhood (Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, 2016).
Additional Reading
References
Loewenthal, R. (1990, April 19). “Tours Design House: Remodeling History: Refurbished 1911 Oxnard Bungalow to Open for Symphony Fund-Raiser.” Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-19-vl-1946-story.html.
Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board. (2016, May). Ventura County Historical Landmarks and Points of Interest (3rd ed.). https://rmadocs.venturacounty.gov/planning/programs/cultural-heritage-board/publications/ventura-county-historical-landmarks-and-points-of-interest.pdf
Date Designated: April 1991
Location: 205 South F Street, Oxnard
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