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A history of the house on the hill at Ivanhoe Ranch
From Apolinaria Lorenzana to Jane Goodall
For just $6000 a month, you can live in a piece of San Diego History.
Ivanhoe Ranch was part of a nearly 9000-acre land grant — Jamacha Rancho — given in 1840 by Alta California Governor San Juan Bautista Alvarado to Apolinaria Lorenzana, a Mexican orphan under the care of the Catholic Church at Mission San Diego de Alcala. She lived at the San Diego Mission, nursing and educating Native Americans on the premises. Daily operations of the Rancho were conducted by her mayordomo, Robert Kelly, who oversaw the cultivation of wheat, corn, and limes. Although she would visit her property on occasion, she did not reside on the premises. Eventually, she moved from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano when the last pastor, Father Olivos, left in 1847.
Following the Mexican-American War, all rancho land was appropriated by the U.S. government. Kelly allowed military officials to stay on the rancho and graze livestock. In 1853, Colonel John Magruder purchased Jamacha Rancho from Lorenzana for $4167. She later began an appeal process to recover the land, but had already sold her mortgage, which weakened her legal position. In later interviews, she claimed she had not sold the property, and that it had been taken from her by the U.S. military. In 1928, the section of Rancho Jamacha that eventually became known as the 200-acre Ivanhoe Ranch was bought for the recently orphaned John Paul Scripps in 1928 — to give him space to raise cattle and earn an income. Barns, bunk houses, and houses built around this time still exist on the ranch today.
The Spanish hacienda, situated at the top of a lone hill in the Sweetwater River watershed, was designed by noted architect Frank Hope and completed in 1941. The nearly 5000-square-foot house has views of the surrounding Steele Canyon and Cottonwoods golf courses located along the river valley and Mt. McGinty. It contains four master suites and five baths, plus an office/library, four fireplaces, and a private saloon. The grounds are lush and carefully landscaped. The property contains an Olympic size swimming pool with accompanying changing rooms for men and women. The pool lies adjacent to a picturesque courtyard decorated with palms and birds of paradise, and is adorned with brick walkways and a fountain.
Development has been slowed by the discovery of Native American remains and traffic concerns.
In 1946, Robert Immenschuh married Jean Campbell, and in 1949, Jean’s father David — a tuna boat builder and the founder of Campbell Machine Co. — bought the property for them. Robert was originally from Kansas; he moved to San Diego and worked as a veterinarian for the San Diego Zoo during World War II. Jean was a veterinarian as well, and an accomplished equestrian. She was a member of the Cow Belles, the women’s affiliate of the Cattlemen’s Association, and a director for the San Diego County Cutting Horse Association. The family raised quarter horses and Hereford cattle, and grew oat hay, which kept the operation self-sustaining. They were involved with racing and showing horses. Jean’s parents lived in an adobe hacienda on the ranch until her mother’s death in 1980. After that, the ranch served as a hospital for horses from all over San Diego as well as a boarding center — until Jean and Robert divorced in 1999.
The marriage had produced two daughters, and after the divorce, one of them attempted to sell and develop the property. However, the ancestral family will stated that while any grandchildren of the couple would inherit the ranch, no development of the ranch could occur until Jean’s death. This would later become a source of bitter contention and litigation among the family. According to a local resident, Karen Romano, she was taken to court by one of her daughters, and lost. The ruling allowed Jean to stay in the ranch house, while control of the ranch property was ceded to her daughter. The other daughter would visit on birthdays and holidays, but most of the time, Jean lived alone.
I personally have fond childhood memories of riding my bike down the dirt road at the end of Ivanhoe Ranch Road and onto the ranch. It was guarded by an electronic fence that seemed to be open more often than not, and since the ranch occupied an immense mass of land, the “no trespassing” sign was hardly, if ever, heeded. Other neighborhood kids and I would frequently hop the fences to play hide and go seek and explore.
In July of 2005, Jean hosted a community event at the main ranch house featuring Jane Goodall, a famous biologist known for her work with primates. A local middle school science teacher, Marion Soloway, organized the event on behalf of the local chapter of the youth organization, Roots and Shoots, which was co-founded by Dr. Goodall. Students, teachers, and families from Hillsdale Middle School came to hear Goodall speak. Jean offered tours of her manor and incredible garden. The ranch was sold the same year, and Jean died in 2020.
Today, the corrals are overgrown with weeds and large portions of the fence are missing. The stalls remain largely unoccupied. The main ranch house and its five-acre property, while currently vacant, continues to be maintained by on-site staff, and is currently listed as a rental property. An effort to convert the property to a residential development has been underway for several years, but has met with numerous challenges.
A groundskeeper named Manuel has been working the Ivanhoe property since 1984. He described Jean as very strict with the four or five workers she employed. One day, he didn’t show up to work without leaving a message because he wasn’t feeling well. The next day, she told him, “I expect a message if you’re not coming in,” and said that he would be fired if it happened again. But he also described her generosity and personal emphasis on the value of education. Manuel’s eldest daughter wanted to go to college, but the family did not have enough money. Jean ended up financing her education for the first semester, including books. She also personally financed the college education of a horse trainer who worked on the ranch.
Here's something you might be interested in.
A history of the house on the hill at Ivanhoe Ranch
From Apolinaria Lorenzana to Jane Goodall
A history of the house on the hill at Ivanhoe Ranch
From Apolinaria Lorenzana to Jane Goodall
For just $6000 a month, you can live in a piece of San Diego History.
Ivanhoe Ranch was part of a nearly 9000-acre land grant — Jamacha Rancho — given in 1840 by Alta California Governor San Juan Bautista Alvarado to Apolinaria Lorenzana, a Mexican orphan under the care of the Catholic Church at Mission San Diego de Alcala. She lived at the San Diego Mission, nursing and educating Native Americans on the premises. Daily operations of the Rancho were conducted by her mayordomo, Robert Kelly, who oversaw the cultivation of wheat, corn, and limes. Although she would visit her property on occasion, she did not reside on the premises. Eventually, she moved from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano when the last pastor, Father Olivos, left in 1847.
Following the Mexican-American War, all rancho land was appropriated by the U.S. government. Kelly allowed military officials to stay on the rancho and graze livestock. In 1853, Colonel John Magruder purchased Jamacha Rancho from Lorenzana for $4167. She later began an appeal process to recover the land, but had already sold her mortgage, which weakened her legal position. In later interviews, she claimed she had not sold the property, and that it had been taken from her by the U.S. military. In 1928, the section of Rancho Jamacha that eventually became known as the 200-acre Ivanhoe Ranch was bought for the recently orphaned John Paul Scripps in 1928 — to give him space to raise cattle and earn an income. Barns, bunk houses, and houses built around this time still exist on the ranch today.
The Spanish hacienda, situated at the top of a lone hill in the Sweetwater River watershed, was designed by noted architect Frank Hope and completed in 1941. The nearly 5000-square-foot house has views of the surrounding Steele Canyon and Cottonwoods golf courses located along the river valley and Mt. McGinty. It contains four master suites and five baths, plus an office/library, four fireplaces, and a private saloon. The grounds are lush and carefully landscaped. The property contains an Olympic size swimming pool with accompanying changing rooms for men and women. The pool lies adjacent to a picturesque courtyard decorated with palms and birds of paradise, and is adorned with brick walkways and a fountain.
Development has been slowed by the discovery of Native American remains and traffic concerns.
In 1946, Robert Immenschuh married Jean Campbell, and in 1949, Jean’s father David — a tuna boat builder and the founder of Campbell Machine Co. — bought the property for them. Robert was originally from Kansas; he moved to San Diego and worked as a veterinarian for the San Diego Zoo during World War II. Jean was a veterinarian as well, and an accomplished equestrian. She was a member of the Cow Belles, the women’s affiliate of the Cattlemen’s Association, and a director for the San Diego County Cutting Horse Association. The family raised quarter horses and Hereford cattle, and grew oat hay, which kept the operation self-sustaining. They were involved with racing and showing horses. Jean’s parents lived in an adobe hacienda on the ranch until her mother’s death in 1980. After that, the ranch served as a hospital for horses from all over San Diego as well as a boarding center — until Jean and Robert divorced in 1999.
The marriage had produced two daughters, and after the divorce, one of them attempted to sell and develop the property. However, the ancestral family will stated that while any grandchildren of the couple would inherit the ranch, no development of the ranch could occur until Jean’s death. This would later become a source of bitter contention and litigation among the family. According to a local resident, Karen Romano, she was taken to court by one of her daughters, and lost. The ruling allowed Jean to stay in the ranch house, while control of the ranch property was ceded to her daughter. The other daughter would visit on birthdays and holidays, but most of the time, Jean lived alone.
I personally have fond childhood memories of riding my bike down the dirt road at the end of Ivanhoe Ranch Road and onto the ranch. It was guarded by an electronic fence that seemed to be open more often than not, and since the ranch occupied an immense mass of land, the “no trespassing” sign was hardly, if ever, heeded. Other neighborhood kids and I would frequently hop the fences to play hide and go seek and explore.
In July of 2005, Jean hosted a community event at the main ranch house featuring Jane Goodall, a famous biologist known for her work with primates. A local middle school science teacher, Marion Soloway, organized the event on behalf of the local chapter of the youth organization, Roots and Shoots, which was co-founded by Dr. Goodall. Students, teachers, and families from Hillsdale Middle School came to hear Goodall speak. Jean offered tours of her manor and incredible garden. The ranch was sold the same year, and Jean died in 2020.
Today, the corrals are overgrown with weeds and large portions of the fence are missing. The stalls remain largely unoccupied. The main ranch house and its five-acre property, while currently vacant, continues to be maintained by on-site staff, and is currently listed as a rental property. An effort to convert the property to a residential development has been underway for several years, but has met with numerous challenges.
A groundskeeper named Manuel has been working the Ivanhoe property since 1984. He described Jean as very strict with the four or five workers she employed. One day, he didn’t show up to work without leaving a message because he wasn’t feeling well. The next day, she told him, “I expect a message if you’re not coming in,” and said that he would be fired if it happened again. But he also described her generosity and personal emphasis on the value of education. Manuel’s eldest daughter wanted to go to college, but the family did not have enough money. Jean ended up financing her education for the first semester, including books. She also personally financed the college education of a horse trainer who worked on the ranch.
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