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Building History

A small adobe house was originally begun on the Rancho Los Cerritos by Manuela and Guillermo Cota in 1834-1835. This adobe and the 27,000-acre Rancho Los Cerritos were bought by cattle rancher, John Temple, in December 1843 for $3,000. In 1844, he began remodeling the house into a two-story Monterey style building that served as both his home and cattle ranching office. His rancho had 15,000 head of cattle at one time, but, following a period of severe drought lasting from 1862 amd 1864 that devastated cattle ranchers in California, Temple sold his rancho to Flint, Bixby and Company in 1866. Flint, Bixby and Company, was an investment company formed by Benjamin and Thomas Flint and Jotham, Lewellyn, and Marcellus Bixby, gold miners who made fortunes in the California Gold Rush. They converted their money into sheep and cattle ranches and real estate investments.

The present Rancho Los Cerritos House was renovated by in 1930-1931 by Llewellyn Bixby, Sr.

The City of Long Beach purchased Rancho Los Cerritos in 1955 and reopened as an history museum. Thereafter, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, to the List of City of Long Beach Historical Landmarks in 1979, and as State of California Historical Site #978 in 1988.

Building Notes

Tel: 562.570.1755 (2004).

PCAD id: 1916