Wagon Wheel, Oxnard, California
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The Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant is a famous office and restaurant complex located in Oxnard, California, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and Pacific Coast Highway. Its convenient roadside location made it a popular stop for travelers between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, particularly during its heyday in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
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[edit] Architecture
It is considered to be an authentic extant example of American roadside architecture from the mid-century. The ranch-style office, motel and restaurant were originally built on the side of Highway 101 and Highway 101A (Alternate) in 1947. The office/restaurant complex incorporates a variety of roof lines, primarily low to medium pitched gables covered with wood shingles and punctuated by several decorative cupolas with weather vanes, and neon lighting. A free-standing 12-unit, two-story motel addition was completed in 1953. The most recognizable feature of the motel was the giant neon sign that included an animated stagecoach driver and galloping horses. Today millions of motorists drive by the Wagon Wheel each year on the Ventura Freeway. Sadly, the Wagon Wheel and other landmarks are being torn down to make way for condos.
[edit] History
Constructed in 1947, it was the first development by famous Oxnard developer Martin V. ("Bud") Smith. The Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant are part of a 40-acre mid-century real estate development in north Oxnard, California called the Wagon Wheel Junction. Before Smith purchased the land in 1945, it was prone to flooding, and was not actually in the city of Oxnard, but rather it was situated four miles north of Oxnard and six miles south of Ventura. After its completion, it became the most recognizable mid-century landmark on the 101 Ventura Freeway in Ventura County.
During excavation of the site, Smith uncovered branding irons from the Hobson Brothers' feed lot operations in the area in the 1920s, and he used this as the basis for his western theme. He began with the repurposing of surplus Seabee barracks won at auction in Port Hueneme, which he relocated in the typical sweeping U shape of period motels. It was the pre-pool era so the rooms all faced a grassy play area with picnic tables. He cut some of the barracks in half and transformed others into a restaurant and office with a western ranch style.
He hired Hollywood set designer and carpenter Roy Beatty to design and create wrought iron lamps from branding irons and spurs, and furnish the original rooms with rustic wood beds, chairs and lamps. The theme for the property was typical of the then popular cowboy movies, with windows made from wagon wheels, and cowhide chairs in the restaurant. Along the highway real wagon wheels were placed in the median next to a rustic wooden sign that read: WAGON WHEEL MOTEL � NEW AND MODERN - BREAKFAST SERVICE DAY AND NIGHT - SINGLE $3 � DOUBLE $4 � FAMILY SUITES
Smith had 40 acres to develop, and the area soon had a bowling alley, shopping center, roller skating rink, industrial units, and a row of restaurants. These were all located on streets with wild-west names like Winchester Dr., Petticoat Lane, Saddle Ave., and Buckaroo Dr. His restaurant row included the Wagon Wheel Steakhouse, the El Ranchito and the Trade Winds Polynesian restaurant.
When Bud Smith shifted into semi-retirement in the mid 1990s, his company, Martin V. Smith and Associates was the biggest developer and landlord in Oxnard with some 4500 tenants and over 200 properties from Calabasas to Santa Maria. Rather than retire and vacate his office on the 21st story of the Financial Plaza tower, he divested himself of most of his properties, but he kept the Wagon Wheel.
The demolition of the Colonial House, in 1988, left the Wagon Wheel as the only remaining early example of Bud Smith's vision.
The Wagon Wheel Restaurant was closed in 2005, and the motel was closed in November 2006.
The Wagon Wheel Junction is a part of a fast disappearing piece of Americana architecture. In 1910, the Automobile Association of America planted the seeds of motel identification with its debut of the "Official Automobile Blue Book". In the 1950s, independent motel owners began competing with the cookie cutter Holiday Inns of the time with their gargantuan, green-and-yellow signage. Independents, such as the Wagon Wheel, developed the art of roadside showmanship through thematic architectural design and elaborate signage that employed porcelain-enameled panels of steel and used a myriad of lamps and neon. The thematic and imaginative sign of the Wagon Wheel and its "B" movie ranch architecture serves not only as a style statement of a particular time in motel history, but has served as a visual place marker along Highway 101 for more than 50 years. On approaching the Wagon Wheel, the roadside traveler knew immediately "We are in Oxnard", as there was nothing like it anywhere else. In much the same way, the Madonna Inn and the Apple Farm notifies the traveler that one has nearly reached San Luis Obispo. These thematic roadside motels and hotels are the story of California's love of the automobile, written in their architecture and lending identity to the cities they occupy along the monotonous threads of numbing highway that string those cities and towns together throughout the state.
[edit] Future
As of April 2007, no plans have been accepted by the City of Oxnard, and no demolition permits have been granted. The property owner hired Post/Hazeltine Associates in November 2005 to prepare a Historic Resources Assessment of the entire 64-acre property,including both the Wagon Wheel Motel and the Restaurant. The results of this assessment concluded that the Motel and Restaurant do not meet the national, state, or local criteria for designation as a landmark, due primarily to the fact that numerous structural additions have been made to the buildings over the years which no longer effectively convey the original western theme appearance. Nevertheless, the project developer is proposing to create a memorial to Martin V. Smith on-site, prominently display the iconic features of the Wagon Wheel Motel and Hotel either on-site or at the local natural history museum, and photo-document the architectural qualities of the structures. The City of Oxnard is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed redevelopment. The EIR was due summer/fall 2007, but was delayed until late May 2008. The EIR draft comment period is from May 30, 2008 to July 14, 2008. The draft EIR is available at the city of Oxnard's Planning Webpage.
On March 26th, 2007, the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, acting as the Oxnard Cultural Heritage Board weighed in on the Wagon Wheel. The Board concluded that the Wagon Wheel structures were significant on the local level because of their association with Martin V. ("Bud") Smith and as an example of themed roadside architecture of the 1940s and 1950s. By unanimous vote, the seven-member board forwarded a recommendation of landmark designation for the motel buildings, office, and restaurant buildings, to the Oxnard City Council. The Oxnard City Council as the lead agency, will vote to determine if the Motel and buildings (on approximately 1.5 acres) become a local Oxnard City Landmark. Landmark designation of the site could require more environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
In the time after the motel was closed, Wagon Wheel gained popularity in the skateboarding community with the empty swimming pool. Skaters from all over the west coast, and even some from further, travelled to skateboard in a classic Motel swimming pool. Once the property owners caught on, they demolished part of the pool, and began dumping large pieces of furniture and debris. A southern California independent filmmaker created a short video of skateboarding, and can be viewed Here
[edit] References
Hoad, Patricia; et al (Spring & summer 2002). Oxnard at 100. Ventura County Museum of History & Art, pages 6-49. ISSN 0042-3491.
Maulhardt, Jeffrey W. (2005). Oxnard 1941-2004. Arcadia Publishing, pages 7,19,28,58,63,66,68,70,78,79,81. ISBN 978-0-7385-2953-0.
Witzel, Michael K. (August, 2000). The American Motel. MBI Publishing. ISBN 0-7603-101-8.
Cook, Harry N., Here's Proof Outer Highway Increases Both Business and Property Values California Highways and Public Works, July-August 1949.
Martin, Don W., Meet Bud Smith, PC The Weekly Magazine of Ventura County, November 6, 1965
Maurice, Tom, 'Bud' Smith Called 'Mr. Oxnard' but has feel for whole county, Forecast Magazine, June 11, 1964
Mitchell, John, Influential developer Martin 'Bud' Smith dies, Ventura County Star, November 20, 2001
Kennedy Shawn G., Oxnard Calif.: A Bumper Crop of Development, The New York Times, May 25, 1986
Sullivan Meg, Plan to Demolish Motel Evokes Memories of Bygone Glory, Los Angeles Times, July 14, 1998
Searles, Jack, Fearless Developer Growth, Los Angeles Times, February 8, 1991
Reynolds, Helen, Smith Pioneers Oxnard's Future, The Oxnard Press Courier, June 30, 1993
Wolcott, Holly J., Ventura County Obituaries, Oxnard Developer Martin V. Smith Dies, Los Angeles Times, November 20, 2001
Singer, Matthew, Preemptive Preservation, VC Reporter Newspaper article, May 18, 2006 link to article
Levin, Charles, Ventura County Star Newspaper, Landmark motel in Oxnard gets ready to close, November 22, 2006,link to article
Economic Development Corp. of Oxnard (November 27, 2006). link to article Development Wagon Wheel Hitches Up Towers in Oxnard (website). Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
Cason, Colleen, Ventura County Star Newspaper, Landmark's salad days are over , November 28, 2006, link to article
Singer, Matthew, Considering the past, contemplating the future, VC Reporter Newspaper article, Dec 21, 2006, link to article
Roadside Peek Website (2006-12-31). Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant Closes Pending Demolition. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
Shepherd, Dirk, Save the Wagon Wheel, VC Reporter Newspaper article, Jan 11, 2007, link to article
San Buenaventura Conservancy Website (2007-01-11). Wagon Wheel Update. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
Griggs, Gregory W., End of the trail for Wagon Wheel, Los Angeles Times, January 13, 2007, link to article
Levin, Charles, Ventura County Star Newspaper, Old motel might be declared landmark, January 23, 2007, link to article
Singer, Matthew, Looking for a landmark, VC Reporter Newspaper article, January 25, 2007, link to article
Varela, Rob, Ventura County Star Newspaper, "Lease Agreement Keeps Wagon Wheel Bowl Open", March 3, 2008, link to article
Klampe, Michelle, Ventura County Star Newspaper, "Wagon Wheel developer presents proposals for area", March 13, 2008, link to article
