California State Military
DepartmentCalifornia State Military
DepartmentThe Army acquired use of the property from the County of Ventura by a permit agreement on 4 August 1942. The agreement specified the size of the property as 10 acres.
The site was initially established by the 144th Field Artillery Regiment, later to be replaced by the 56th Coast Artillery Regiment. The main purpose of the site was for coastal defense but activities also included rifle range practice and "parade ground" drills. Improvements on the lo-acre site included an undetermined number of buildings of wood-frame and tar-paper construction (at least 21, a rifle range, asphalt road(s), an ammunition magazine, and two Panama gun mounts for two 155-mm guns. Practice firing of the guns included monthly live ammunition firing at towed targets offshore.
3. The permit agreement was terminated by
the War Department and custody of the property was returned to
the County of Ventura on 15 May 1945. The site is currently the
location of the Seaside Wilderness Park, which is part of a joint
coastal dune preservation and enhancement project of the City
of Ventura, the Nature Conservancy, and the State Department of
Parks and Recreation. Remaining Army improvements(i.e., concrete
gun mounts) are not beneficially used.
Source: US Army Corps of
Engineers