Janss House
Peter Janss immigrated to Chicago from Denmark in 1870. After moving to Los Angeles in 1893, he became a land developer and, with sons Harold and Edwin, formed the Janss Corporation. They planned and developed areas in Monterey Park, the San Fernando Valley and Westwood Village, donating 385 acres of the land on which UCLA is built. In the early 1900s the Janss Family purchased 10,000 acres of farm land in the Conejo Valley and began planning a “total community.” The Janss House was built for Peter as a weekend retreat in 1931. In 1943 it became the principal home of his son, Edwin. The house was acquired by the City of Thousand Oaks in 1973. It was the home of the Arts Council from 1975 to 2002, but has been largely unused since. It is a Ventura County Historical Landmark and a City of Thousand Oaks Landmark.
Thousand Oaks, Ventura County
Images by Andrew Schmidt