MURPHY'S RANCH IN RUSTIC CANYONLocation: Santa Monica Mountains / Rustic Canyon
Accessibility: Accessible via 2-Mile hike on Sullivan Fire Road Built: 1933-1941 |
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Hidden in the mountains north of Santa Monica, is a 50-acre area of Rustic Canyon known as Murphy's Ranch. This area was once allegedly the home of a group of Nazi sympathizers.
in 1933 a Jessie M. Murphy purchased 50 acres of land in Rustic Canyon from Will Rodgers. What makes this purchase odd is that Jessie Murphy never actually existed. There are no other records of that name anywhere on file, other than owning this property. It is assumed that the name was an alias for the true owners of the land, two Nazi sympathizers named Winona and Norman Stevens. Winona Stephens was a strong believer in metaphysical and supernatural phenomena. This fascination led her to a man named Herr Schmidt. He believed that Germany would ultimately defeat the United States. Herr Schmidt claimed to have supernatural powers and said they needed to build a “self- sufficient farm”. So on August 28th, 1933 they started building their Utopia. Many of the architects who were sending ideas for the ranch’s design had no idea what they were working on. The Stevens’ had a great deal of money at their disposal and asked those hired to dream up a four story mansion with indoor pools, libraries and servant’s rooms. Even with all the planning, funding and influence of Herr Schmidt, the Nazi compound met it’s demise before many of the more elaborate structures could be built. On December 8th 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor, local police occupied the compound and those who weren’t arrested, quickly scattered. Norman and Winona Stephens started living in a garage and the property now belongs to Los Angeles.
Today, a number of structures built during the time period still exist in varying levels of decay. Among these are a diesel fuel tank designed to hold 20,000 gallons of fuel, and a nearby power house. To the north stands a partially collapsed stable. In addition, several long and narrow stone staircases, still line the hillside of the estate. They were designed to provide a full view of the canyon to anyone on patrol.
For more information on how to find the ranch for yourself, please watch the video.
in 1933 a Jessie M. Murphy purchased 50 acres of land in Rustic Canyon from Will Rodgers. What makes this purchase odd is that Jessie Murphy never actually existed. There are no other records of that name anywhere on file, other than owning this property. It is assumed that the name was an alias for the true owners of the land, two Nazi sympathizers named Winona and Norman Stevens. Winona Stephens was a strong believer in metaphysical and supernatural phenomena. This fascination led her to a man named Herr Schmidt. He believed that Germany would ultimately defeat the United States. Herr Schmidt claimed to have supernatural powers and said they needed to build a “self- sufficient farm”. So on August 28th, 1933 they started building their Utopia. Many of the architects who were sending ideas for the ranch’s design had no idea what they were working on. The Stevens’ had a great deal of money at their disposal and asked those hired to dream up a four story mansion with indoor pools, libraries and servant’s rooms. Even with all the planning, funding and influence of Herr Schmidt, the Nazi compound met it’s demise before many of the more elaborate structures could be built. On December 8th 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor, local police occupied the compound and those who weren’t arrested, quickly scattered. Norman and Winona Stephens started living in a garage and the property now belongs to Los Angeles.
Today, a number of structures built during the time period still exist in varying levels of decay. Among these are a diesel fuel tank designed to hold 20,000 gallons of fuel, and a nearby power house. To the north stands a partially collapsed stable. In addition, several long and narrow stone staircases, still line the hillside of the estate. They were designed to provide a full view of the canyon to anyone on patrol.
For more information on how to find the ranch for yourself, please watch the video.
UPDATE...On February 23, 2016, the city of Los Angeles demolished a number of the structures on the property due to safety concerns. Among these structures was an original wrought iron gate, designed by celebrity home designer Paul Williams to be the main gate to the estate. A large collapsing garage and a 395,000-gallon concrete water tank were also removed. It is uncertain when the remaining structures will be demolished.
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