Cephas Bard House

Dr. Cephus L. Bard, a Civil War veteran, followed his brother Senator Thomas Bard to Ventura in 1868. He was the town’s first American doctor. He was a contributor to medical journals, an inventor, and a collector of Indian artifacts, sometimes accepting them in lieu of payment for his services. His collection forms the basis of the Ventura County Historical Museum collection. This house was constructed for Dr. Bard in 1886. It was originally located on Oak Street, where Dr. Bard had another residence. The house was moved to its current location on Mission Avenue in 1951. The house is one of the few Italianate Victorian structures remaining in the city. Cephas and Thomas opened the Elizabeth Bard Hospital as a memorial to their mother in 1902. Dr. Bard was the first patient to die in the Hospital later that year.

Ventura, Ventura County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt