Palmer, Minnie Hill, House
Also known as: Homestead Acre
Why it's listed
Set against a rocky hill at the western end of Devonshire Street in Chatsworth Park South, this one-story wood cottage was built in 1911 on the homestead of the Hill family. It combines features of Western Stick architecture and the California Bungalow. The original section uses single-wall construction of vertical wooden panels with battens, under a broad, gently pitched gabled roof. A screened porch, a rear service porch and a bathroom were added later, the latter two in the 1950s. Inside are three bedrooms, a living room, a small dining room and a long narrow kitchen, with no fireplace or chimney. The Hill family took up squatter's rights on the land in 1886, and Minnie Hill Palmer lived there almost all her life, growing and preserving her own food until 1977. The surrounding acre keeps shade trees, fruit trees, grape vines and gardens. The nomination describes it as the only such cottage and garden known to Valley historians still intact on its original land.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the only pioneer cottage with its surrounding garden and fruit trees left in the West San Fernando Valley. It remained virtually unchanged on land held by the same family since 1886. It illustrates the homesteads that sustained early settlers before the Valley became suburban.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000480, listed September 4, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Chatsworth Park South, Chatsworth |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | September 4, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000480 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1911) |
| Architect / builder | Lovell Hill & Willard Johnson |
| Architectural style | Bungalow type, a cross between Western Stick style and California Bungalow (mostly bungalow) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and in good condition; owned by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, with a caretaker's trailer on the property and the historical society proposing uses for a former pro shop. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 34.26100, -118.61554 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000480.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6868808
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.