Rowland, John A., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1855 by John A. Rowland, this two-story brick house in the City of Industry area of Los Angeles County is described as the oldest two-story brick house, and the oldest brick house still standing, in the county. Its bricks came from the newly formed Mulluly Brick Co. of Los Angeles. The original plan was H-shaped, with solid brick walls 10 to 15 inches thick, five fireplaces, two travellers' rooms off the front porch and a wine cellar in the basement. Stucco, a changed roof line and a modern kitchen were added in 1897, and rooms were altered in 1920. An adobe cook house from Rowland's earlier 1842 adobe survives at the rear. Rowland and his partner William Workman led the first American wagon train settlers into Southern California, arriving in Los Angeles in November 1841, and later received the La Puente Rancho grant. The house is now a museum maintained by a local historical society.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the oldest two-story brick house, and the oldest brick house still standing, in Los Angeles County. It was built with bricks from the newly formed Mulluly Brick Co. of Los Angeles. John Rowland and William Workman led the first American wagon train settlers into Southern California in 1841. The site also reflects a long sequence of land use, from Awig-na Indian settlement through mission, rancho, agricultural and suburban periods.
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 73000403, listed July 16, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 16021 E. Gale Ave., Industry |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | July 16, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000403 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Rowland, builder and owner; bricks from the J. Mulluly Brick Co. of Los Angeles |
| Architectural style | H-shaped plan, two stories, with front and rear porches |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition and altered; owned by a school district and maintained and restored by the La Puente Valley Historical Society, with museum use and limited public hours. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 34.01071, -117.95758 (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 73000403.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6217922
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.