Ventura County Landmark No. 87: Farrell House (aka Navy Quarters D)

Historical Background

Constructed in 1917, the Farrell House—also known as Navy Quarters D—is an excellent example of an early 20th-century Craftsman farmhouse (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, 2016). In 1910, Mary Farrell purchased 154 acres of farmland south of Channel Islands Boulevard and west of Patterson Road; in 1918, she built the house on a portion of this land. The house and its present grounds occupy approximately 27,018 square feet within Naval Base Ventura County (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, n.d.).

Architecture

The Farrell House consists of one and two story sections constructed with a wood frame structure, shingle siding, a low pitch composition roof, and a concrete foundation, creating approximately 2,480 square feet of interior living space (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, n.d.). The property also includes a barn and a small milk house or shed. The barn, constructed in 1915, is a 2,244 square foot board and batten building with a shallow eaved gable roof and was found during a 2019 evaluation to retain a high degree of historical integrity (Heritage Architecture & Planning, 2019). The 450 square foot milk house or storage shed, built in 1944, is constructed using tongue and groove siding and finished with composite shingles; because it falls outside the property’s historic period of significance, it is considered a non contributing resource (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, n.d.).

Landscaping

At the time the property was evaluated in 2018, the grounds surrounding the Farrell House were noted to feature a variety of mature trees and plantings that reinforce the property’s historic rural character, including Phoenix palms, Monterey cypress, Mexican fan palms, evergreen ash, Victorian box, eucalyptus, and myoporum (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, n.d.). Phoenix palms form a formal line along the southern fence line, while Tamarix trees screen the western border and shade the parking area (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, n.d.). Neatly maintained hedges frame the front porch, southern wall, and driveway edge, and lawn areas stretch across the southern and eastern portions of the site, with smaller patches of lawn and mixed plantings appearing on the northern side (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, n.d.).

Later Developments

The property was acquired by the Department of the Navy and used as a commanding officer’s residence until it became vacant in 1996, leading to significant physical deterioration. An evaluation completed in 2018 found that both the house and the 1915 barn retained enough architectural integrity to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and outlined feasible rehabilitation options, including cost estimates and recommended repair strategies (Heritage Architecture & Planning, 2019). In 2021, the Navy proposed demolition of the buildings due to structural deficiencies, mission requirements, and the high cost associated with restoring the property (Heritage Architecture & Planning, 2019).

Property Today

The Farrell House remains standing on the Naval Base in Ventura County but has deteriorated due to long term vacancy and deferred maintenance. Although rehabilitation was found to be technically feasible in the 2018 conditions report, the Navy’s demolition proposal has left the property’s future unresolved. The property was photo documented in 2022 to Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) standards, Whether the house and barn are ultimately restored or removed will depend on funding availability and the Navy’s long term planning needs.