Grand Union Hotel
Also known as: Stagecoach Inn Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1876 by James Hamel, the Grand Union Hotel was a 28-room, two-story redwood inn in the Monterey style, with uncovered second-story balconies, turned pillars and an outdoor staircase. Hamel expected it to serve overland stagecoach travelers, though the planned route changed and it mainly served local stage travelers, cattle and grain buyers and land speculators. The building was moved a quarter mile in 1966 to make way for Highway 101, then burned in April 1970 while being restored. It was rebuilt as the Stagecoach Inn Museum, using research, photographs and reproduction materials to duplicate the original, with a basement added and some door and window locations adjusted for modern codes. The nomination presents it as a reconstruction that preserves the memory of the last 1870s-era structure in the Conejo Valley, the region's role in California stage transportation, and a setting for educating local residents and schoolchildren.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the inn represents Monterey style architecture of the later 1800s and was the last remaining structure from that era in the Conejo Valley before a fire. It is tied to the stage line network between San Francisco and Los Angeles that promoted settlement of the valley. The reconstruction is valued as an educational link to the valley's past.
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 75000495, listed December 30, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 51 Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park |
|---|---|
| County | Ventura County |
| Listed | December 30, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000495 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date July 4, 1876) |
| Architect / builder | James Hamel-builder; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Monterey style |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Reconstructed as a museum after the original was moved in 1966 for Highway 101 expansion and burned in April 1970; interior work was still in progress at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 34.17811, -118.91243 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 75000495.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7596851
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.