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Somis Thursday Clubhouse exterior with white siding, covered porch, white railings, steps, shield emblem sign, trimmed bushes, purple agapanthus flowers, and address '5380', circa 1985.
Somis Thursday Clubhouse, circa 1985.

Ventura County Landmark No. 85: Somis Thursday Clubhouse

Historical Background

The building was constructed in 1895 as a one room schoolhouse for children living in the sparsely settled Las Posas Valley and Bell Ranch area (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, 2016). Its cupola and bell were copied by Center and Mesa Schools in neighboring districts. The building was sold to the Somis Thursday Club in 1924 for $250 when a new school (Landmark No. 133: Somis School) was built (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, 2016).

The Thursday Club, formed as a social group in 1894 and later incorporated in 1932, grew into a community service organization that remains active in Somis and the surrounding area (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, 2016). Beginning in 1939, the building was extensively remodeled, supported in part by a loan from early member and local rancher Ida Goodyear, resulting in the removal of the original cupola, corner bay windows, and porches (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, 2016).

Property Today

The Somis Thursday Clubhouse remains an active gathering place for the Somis community. Although remodeled over time, the structure continues to serve as a long standing social and cultural center for meetings, events, and celebrations. The building stands as a preserved Ventura County landmark, reflecting both its early years as a rural schoolhouse and its later life as the Somis Thursday Club’s home (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, 2016).

Additional Reading

“3 Somis Site to Be Labeled Landmarks,” Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1991

References

Somis Thursday Club. (n.d.). Somis Thursday Club — Our history.  https://www.somisthursdayclub.org/

Ventura County Historical Landmarks and Points of Interest. (2016). Somis Thursday Clubhouse, No 85. https://rmadocs.venturacounty.gov/planning/programs/cultural-heritage-board/publications/ventura-county-historical-landmarks-and-points-of-interest.pdf

Date Designated: July 1991

Location: 5380 Bell Street, Somis

Photos:

Single-story beige clubhouse with brown roof and white trim, featuring a covered porch with white railings and steps to the entrance; visible signage above the door reads "Somis Thursday Clubhouse".
Somis Thursday Clubhouse, 2018. Credit: Craig Baker.

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