Former Property of Barbara Stanwyck and Jack Oakie
November 2017
Construction Has Started on the Oakridge Estate Park
The Friends of Oakridge is excited to announce that the City of Los Angeles has started construction on The Oakridge Estate Park. This hidden sanctuary, just a stone's throw away from one of the busiest intersections in Northridge, will have an entrance on Devonshire Street and occupy the 8.5 acres between the former Stanwyck/Oakie residence and the Wilbur Creek. The unique passive recreation park, with logs and rocks for imaginative play, will include an adventure area with horses for climbing and a bouncy tractor. A meandering looped walking path, picnic areas and a gathering/classroom space are planned. The site has a vast number of mature trees, with more to be added, providing shady recreational activities near a large open meadow. The park will be managed and maintained by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.
Dozens of dedicated volunteers have donated thousands of research hours, taken hundreds of photos, provided guided house tours, and enthusiastically energized the preservation efforts for the historic Oakridge Estate, a City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument owned and managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks.
Beginning with the purchase of the residence, built in 1937, a series of events have morphed into a viable non-profit organization that is dedicated to researching, educating and engaging residents of the San Fernando Valley.
While Oakridge "rested" during the sizzling summer months, activity on the part of Friends really heated up! Here's what we have been up to and what we've found out:
The residents of Los Angeles owe a debt of gratitude to Mrs. Victoria Horne Oakie for her efforts to have Oakridge declared City Historic-Cultural Monument #484 in 1990. Her foresight ensured that the Paul R. Williams designed residence and grounds would survive in tribute to not only a legendary architect and a great comedian but also to a San Fernando Valley ranch culture that has long since disappeared. What motivated Victoria to protect the estate the Oakie family called home for nearly sixty years?
