16021 Gale Ave
City of Industry, CA 91745, USA

John A.Rowland House - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance

The John A. Rowland Home is the oldest two-story brick house in Los Angeles County and the oldest brick house now standing. The house was built in 1855 of the second important order of bricks fired by the newly formed J. Mulluly Brick Co. of Los Angeles.

John Rowland, builder, owner and resident of the Home, is significant in California History because he and his partner, William Workman, led the first American wagon train settlers into Southern California. On November 5, 1841, just two months after leaving Santa Fe, N. M., the Rowland-Workman wagon train arrived at its destination of Los Angeles. A well-planned expedition and the easy southern route contributed greatly to the wagon train's record time, making it possible for it to arrive 5 days ahead of the Bidwell-Bartlesen party's arrival in San Jose on November 10, 1841.

John Rowland's first house, an adobe built in 1842, was located directly north of the present house. When the brick mansion was finished, Rowland tore down the adobe, using the bricks to build new sheds, barns, winery, and cook house for the ranch. The only adobe building currently standing is the Cook House at the rear of the present Rowland Home.

The Rowland Home and its occupants contributed significantly to an area that has seen continual land use. This land was first inhabited by Indians of Shoshonean Stock called the Awig-nas. The Awig-na Indian Village, about 1/2 mile distant from the Rowland Home, was located on the current site of La Puente High School. These Indians had lived in the area for more than a hundred years before Cabrillo sailed along the coast of California in 1542.

Father Serra and Portola camped in the vicinity of the Rowland Home along the San Jose Creek on July 30, 1769, and built a bridge to cross the creek. This is thought to be the origin of the name "La Puente" (Bridge).

During the Mission Period, the La Puente Rancho was one of 24 belonging to the San Gabriel Mission. At this period the Indians of the area were called Gabrielino; grapes and wheat were the crops and cattle grazed on the hills.

Following the Mexican Government's secularization of the Mission lands, John Rowland and his partner William Workman applied for the La Puente Rancho. The preliminary grant was given in 1842 by Governor Alvarado and the final grant by Governor Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of California.

With the coming of Rowland and Workman, the Indians moved to a rancheria along the San Jose Creek between the two men's homes. Wheat, grapes and cattle were the wealth of the land until a drought in the 1860's, followed by a very rainy year, destroyed the cattle Industry. Sheep were Introduced and flourished until another drought destroyed the sheep Industry. Land use then shifted to oranges and walnuts. Then, In the 1950's, subdivisions and factories began to cover the land.

The Rowland Family were to a large extent responsible for the two main transcontinental railroads coming through the Valley. The Union Pacific passes within a few feet of the original Rowland Adobe and the Southern Pacific is 1/2 mile distant.

The original La Puente Rancho had 48,790 acres. Now the cities of La Puente, City of Industry, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, West Covina, Covina to San Bernardino Road, and parts of El Monte, Whittier, and Baldwin Park lie within the boundaries of this great Rancho.