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Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site

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This is a contributing entry for Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.
John Temple’s adobe included this large indoor workspace for Blacksmithing and woodworking. The double-size door could accommodate a wagon in need of wheel repair, and a hitching post for horses was located right outside. Cone-shaped vents funneled out the inevitable heat and smoke of Blacksmithing, when the large door was thrown open. In addition to metal items, ranch workers could build furniture, resole boots, and repair wooden items here. This workshop also speaks to the need for self-sufficiency, and it was originally twice as big as it is today. When the ranch house was remodeled in the 20th Century, this room became a sitting room for the adjoining bedroom. What appears to be a working forge today is really an exhibit piece. In the 1930s, that space was a fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves. The upright wood boards obscure the doorway to the adjacent room.

Blacksmith Shop

Blacksmith Shop