by Sheila O'Connor

eritage Square, in the city of Oxnard, just an hour’s drive north of Los Angeles, is the site of eleven restored homes, an intimate church used for weddings, and a water tower.

The square evolved in 1985 when it became the location for turn-of-the-century buildings, part of the town’s heritage which the locals wanted to preserve. This single block consists of both relocated and restored historical structures.

Try, too, a progressive dining experience by boat …

Several of the houses stand out and one is the 7,100 square foot Petit House where tour guide Gary Blum’s own grandparents lived. The house was built in 1896 and has 13 rooms, 7 of which are bedrooms. (It actually housed 11 people, if the servants were taken into account.) Unusual in the house is a basement (many houses didn’t have one because of the high water table and risk of flooding). This one has been put to good use and is home to the Petit Playhouse, a cosy theater that can seat 50, where plays are performed regularly.

Heritage Square Hall, with its two stained glass windows, is the only wooden church that remains of Oxnard’s early years, with much of its original features still intact. The Fry-Puntenney House is a Queen Anne-style home and is the smallest in the square. Check out, too, the Italianate Pfeiler Ranch House, the oldest home in the square.

And don’t forget the water tower. In fact, it’s so huge you can’t miss it. This is the square’s landmark, and was built in 1877 to hold 3,000 gallons of water. It now towers over a buried time capsule which will be opened in 2016 and again in 2041 (25 years and then 50 years after it was put underground). The capsule contains over 40 items on the history of the square and other Oxnard memorabilia.

But there’s more than just history in Oxnard, named for the Oxnard Brothers who owned sugar beet factories here. Be sure to see some of the attractions like the Carnegie Art Museum, the Henry T. Oxnard Historic District, the Murphy Auto Car Museum (with 50 collectors’ cars on display), the Gull Wings Children’s Museum, the paddlewheeler Scarlett Belle, and the Baron Herzog Winery (the only kosher winery on the West Coast), site of the popular Tierra Sul restaurant.

If time permits, visit Anacapa Island for hiking and breathtaking views. This is one of the most popular islands in the famous Channel Islands National Park chain. It is home to nesting gulls, some of which are happy to let you look at their eggs, almost stepping aside to let you take pictures!

Try, too, a progressive dining experience by boat on the Channel Islands Harbor. Each course of the meal is at a different restaurant and the boat ferries you between them.

Heritage Square: tel. 805/483-7960; www.visitoxnard.com.

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