ADAPTIVE REUSE ALONG VENTURA'S DOWNTOWN MAIN STREET (1/25)

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321 EAST MAIN STREET – MERCER’S GARAGE/KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS LODGE

Built in 1906, it was the original home to Mercer’s garage on the bottom floor, and the 2nd floor housed the fraternal order of the Knights of Pythias. It later became Ventura’s first movie theater named the La Petite Theater. It is Ventura Landmark No. 102 . Today it houses the coffee gathering place Palermo that offers coffee, sweet treats, and gifts.

327 EAST MAIN STREET – J. C. PENNEY’S 2ND LOCATION

Originally constructed in 1923 as the third location for J. C. Penney’s, it features prismatic glass transoms above the large windows. These were thought to increase lighting on the interior of the store. Over the years it has housed many businesses, including an antique store just prior to Urban Café. Today it is home to businesses that specializes in high end furniture called Noura. It is Ventura City landmark No. 111.

340 EAST MAIN STREET – J. C. PENNEY’S 3RD STORE

This building was constructed in 1940 as the 3rd location of J. C. Penney’s as they had outgrown the store at 327 East Main Street.  Today it is the home of the C. A. A. N. Thrift store. It is not a city landmark.

363-367 EAST MAIN STEEET – HAMILTON HOTEL

Part of a commercial block built in 1924, this building had a beautiful brick façade with the hotel name etched on the 2nd floor exterior elevation. It was once covered with stucco to mimic a western theme but the owner decided to adaptively reuse it and returned the original facade and now appears as it did in the 1920s. It is a live work example of construction common in Downtown Ventura with businesses on the first floor and living quarters on the floors above.  The bottom floor businesses currently are The Refill Shoppe and West Coast Liquors. The top floor is residential and/or business possibilities.

It is Ventura City Landmark No. 111.

377 EAST MAIN STREET – THE FIRST POST OFFICE OF VENTURA

This building houses the first Post Office of Ventura and was constructed in 1902. It was used for that purpose until 1919.  Today it is home to Kaapicat Café, Ondos Tacos and Boards and Brews. It is Ventura City landmark No. 25.

394 EAST MAIN STREET – THE BANK OF ITALY

This grand Italian Renaissance revival style building with Corinthian columns and elaborate terracotta carvings on the façade was one of the most ornate and dramatic banks built in the 1920s for Downtown Ventura. It had a grand staircase that ran up the middle of the first floor to offices on the second floor. In the mid 1990s the interior was gutted and that entire building was made into commercial areas for offices and Main Street traffic. Today the building houses on the first floor Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust, Strange Beast, Backdoor Bento, The Akeena Group, and Planit Protein. 

401 EAST MAIN STREET – THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF VENTURA 1904

Constructed by Judge Felix Ewing in 1903. He was a lawyer, judge, and real estate developer. He is the only person to have three of the structures he made become Ventura landmarks: this bank, the bank at 494 E. Main Street called the First National Bank 1926, and the Judge Ewing Residence at 605 Poli Stree. It follows the early 20th development style of office building with commercial use on the first floor and offices on the second floor. Today the first floor includes Latitudes Gallery, Ciao Bella, and Stephanie Hogue Photography. It is Ventura City Landmark No. 36.

404 EAST MAIN STREET – REVERE HOTEL

Also built by William Dewey Hobson in 1877, this was originally a hotel that Mrs. Hobson ran as both hotel and a place for care for invalids. Technically, it is the first location of the Ventura County Hospital before a dedicated building was constructed for that purpose on Santa Clara Street. Mrs. Hobson was the founder of the Ventura County Hospital. The first floor eventually was occupied by The Great Eastern, Ventura’s first department store for many years.  It was locally known as Nicholby’s, a popular thrift store that occupied the building for a long time. Today, the building is now occupied by the GoodWill. It is not a Ventura City Landmark. 

451-461 EAST MAIN STREET – EL JARDIN PATIO BUILDING

Built by William Chrisman in the 1920s as Ventura’s first outdoor shopping ‘mall’, it was immediately popular. It is a U-shaped building of two stories height. The first floor is dedicated to commercial businesses and the second floor is offices. There is a very beautifully- gardened inner sitting area within the U-shape for outdoor dining. Today it is occupied by Palm & Boy Coffee and Acai, Matiz Salon vomFASS, Ormachea Jewelry, Sweet Stuff Connections, Skin Magician, Love Fox Vintage, Salley Melvin, Les Mignot, and Dusk.  It is Ventura City Landmark No. 63

494 EAST MAIN STREET – THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF VENTURA 1926

Built in 1926 by Judge Felix Ewing, it was the tallest building in Ventura until the early 2000s. It was Ventura’s first high-rise. The bottom floor was the bank and the top floors were offices. The most famous officeholder was Erle Stanley Gardner, novelist of the Perry Mason mystery books. He wrote the two first novels of his career in the Erle Stanley Gardner building at the side entrance at 21 E. California Street. He was also a practicing lawyer and held his cases in the actual courtroom of the San Buenaventura County Courthouse (now San Buenaventura City Hall). Today the first floor has been adaptively converted to Finney’s Crafthouse restaurant and the upper floors are used as offices. The First National Bank of Ventura 1926 at 494 East Main is Ventura landmark No. 37 . The Erle Stanley Gardner office at 21 S. California Street in the same building is Ventura Landmark No. 86

79-97 SOUTH OAK STREET – THE MISSION HOTEL

This Spanish Colonial Revival building was constructed in 1926 and was purposely made to be live/work space. This first floor was for commercial use and the second floor was for housing. It was the second home of the famous Bartlett Brothers store for music and jewelry. Leon Walker, employee of the Bartlett store, bought the business in 1949 and it became The Leon Walker Store and Appliances where he sold everything, including household appliances like washing machines. The upper floors were residential lower-income housing and the bottom floor was occupied by a pawn and loan store for many years after Leon Walker moved to a new location. A very faithful adaptive reuse development has recently taken place on this building recently that has returned the exterior to an original but fresh appearance. The upper floors remain residential and the bottom floor is currently occupied by Jaquar. It is Ventura Landmark No. 110. 

  501 POLI STREET – SAN BUENAVENTURA CITY HALL (COUNTY COURTHOUSE)

This magnificent structure was designed by the famous architect, Albert C. Martin, who was a resident of Ventura County. His work is most widely celebrated in Los Angeles, but he has prolific projects in Ventura, like the original Post Office building prior to Harold Burket’s remodel in the 1950s. The courthouse opened July 4th and 5th 1913 and a prestigious home had to be moved in order to access the lot it is on. By the late 1960s the county had outgrown the building and it was slated for demolition.  The City of San Buenaventura bought the building for a bargain price but spent millions on restoring it with modern mechanical systems but retained all of the original interior and exterior finishes. It retains the neoclassical designed by Martin, terra cotta exterior decoration, the friars heads and copper sheathed dome. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, California Historical Landmark No. 847, and then Ventura County Historical Landmark No.12, however, it was designated Ventura City landmark No. 4 in 1974. 

Also, the interior of the Ventura County Courthouse, which had served as design inspiration for the TV Show, Perry Mason, was faithfully recreated. Today the building and the jailhouse annex serves the purpose of City Hall and all of its departments. The Jailhouse annex has served as a business incubator and was the birthplace of the very successful Trade Desk.

 42 NORTH CHESTNUT AND MAIN STREET – THE PACKARD BUILDING 

It was constructed in 1925 for the sole purpose of being a Packard Showroom, the most prestigious car at the time to own. Over the years it is has been a thrift store and a storage garage for a furniture store. Today in 2025 it is home to the Trade Desk, an investment company that began it’s evolution in the lab a businesses at City Hall and became a world wide partner. It is Ventura City Landmark No 31. 

26 S. CHESTNUT STREET AND MAIN STREET – THE MAJESIC VENTURA THEATER

An ornate movie palace opened in 1928 that is heavily decorated with Art Deco influenced design. In the 1960s the Spanish Revival ornamentation on the front portion of the building was removed in order to ‘modernize’ the façade to compete with the mall. Fortunately, the Chestnut Street façade retains this original design. Today, it is operated as a live music venue. The bottom floor is home to many businesses, including the renown Guitar 48 store.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is Ventura Landmark No. 24.

516 EAST MAIN STREET – ODD FELLOWS LODGE OF VENTURA

The upper portion of this building was “modernized” in the 1920s and used to be a Victorian structure. The Odd Fellows Lodge is one of the oldest fraternal organizations of its type in the city and this was an early location. Today the upper floor still serves as the lodge for ceremonial services. The first floor was at one time a thai restaurant. It is not a Ventura City landmark. 

592 EAST MAIN STREET – THEODORE GROENE BUILDING

This building originally started out as a one story structure that housed the Ventura Power Department. In 1929, it was purchased by the Guaranteed and Loan company and transformed into a breathtaking Spanish Colonial Revival two story building covered by Spanish tiles in the Moresque style. The first floor had a bank with a second story lounge and the upper floors were used for offices. The ceiling was graced by hand carved wood gables that were hand painted. A tryptic mural of the history of Ventura and the founding of the Mission was painted on the walls by artist Norman Kennedy. 

It was purchased by Mark Hartley who used adaptive reuse to change it’s purpose to that of an upscale restaurant, adding a third story. The broken or worn tiles were meticulously recreated in the original style.

The restaurant was originally called the Watermark. Today the restaurant is home to a Mexican restaurant named Limon y Sol.

It is Ventura landmark No. 15 

   692 EAST MAIN STREET – THE VENTURA COUNTY MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE CO. BLDG.

This Art Deco/Moderne style concrete office building with Aztec Revival floral elements was designed by architect William W. Ache. It’s original purpose was as the Ventura County Fire Insurance Company. It has been a Mexican restaurant. Today, it operates as Fluid State, a bar and restaurant. It is Ventura City Landmark No. 71.

695 EAST MAIN STREET – THE WALTER JONES RESIDENCE, 1912

This Craftsman-Swiss influenced shingle chalet clad building was originally built by Walter Jones in 1912. Jones owned and operated a sporting goods store in the 300 block of Main Street at the time. It was common for merchants to build homes on Main Street within walking distance to their place of business at this time and this structure is a remnant of this era. Today, the building is the home of Emma’s Herbs, a long-time commercial business on the street. The upper floor also contains offices for various businesses. It is not a Ventura City Landmark. 

11 SOUTH ASH STREET  - CORNER OF ASH AND MAIN STREETS– THE BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER (B. P. O. E.) ELKS LODGE NO. 1430 - HOTEL SAN BUENA

This grand building was constructed in 1928 funded by the fraternal order of Elks. The city of Ventura had been chosen as the Ventura County headquarters of the Elks in 1921 and frequently met at the Pierpont Inn for meetings. The design is Spanish Colonial Revival and the weathervane is that of an Elk. It is an impressive example of adaptive re-use in Ventura. The Elks sold the building in 2004 and in the late 2010s the owners transformed the building into a boutique hotel that is faithful to its history. They named the establishment Hotel San Buena. It is Ventura City Landmark No. 99 

721 EAST MAIN ST – THE BLACKBURN HOUSE

Built in 1896 for Captain David S. Blackburn, a retired Union Army Veteran of the Civil War, who was an early Ventura pioneer farmer and businessman. This is a late Queen Anne residence with Colonial Revival elements. It is the most elaborate remaining home from the turn of the 20th Century. An interesting story of this home is the fact that Captain Blackburn came home from work on Thanksgiving in the early years of the 20th century and quietly passed away while reading the paper in front of the fireplace. It was been occupied by many businesses over the years and most recently a real estate company called McCarthy Companies.

757 EAST MAIN STREET – JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATION SERVICES.

This beautiful building was constructed by Dr. Broughton from Oxnard in 1926. It was specifically constructed to be medical offices on the first floor and residential space for the owner on the second floor. Reardon’s Funeral Home moved from the Washington Hotel location in 1951 and took over this building. The use of the structure remains residential on the second floor but is a fully operating funeral home with a chapel, viewing rooms, and casket showroom on the first floor. It is not a city landmark. 

     896 EAST MAIN STREET - THE SOUTHERN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

This church was built in 1890 and is the last of the original seven churches built in the city during that time period. It is in the Gothic style with a high steeple and beautiful stained glass windows.  For several years it was the Victorian Rose Wedding Chapel, and then the Victorian Rose Bed and Breakfast. It is currently vacant. It is landmark No. 28.

835 EAST MAIN STREET – THE BLACKSTOCK HOUSE.

This home is the one exception to adaptive re-use for business as it has been inhabited by the Blackstock family members since the 1940s and is residential in use. James Blackstock used architect Charles Russell to design the build the house in 1901. It’s unique history is that it was originally located where Ventura City Hall is today. In 1911 the house was physically moved from Poli Street to it’s current location to make way for the construction of the San Buenaventura County Courthouse (today Ventura City Hall).