Originally located on the other side of the Ventura Freeway, the barn was built by Juan Menendez and Pedro Orsua in 1912. It was moved closer to the house, by the back gate, when construction of the freeway began in the 1950s. Due to another freeway expansion in the late 1960s, the barn was moved for a third time to its present location. Pedro Orsua recalls salvaging boards when both the barn and blacksmith shop burned down in 1907. Pedro used the salvaged wood to build a roadside stand where he sold cold drinks.
A replica of Juan Menendez’s blacksmith shop has been added to the barn, although it was originally a freestanding building. A working blacksmith shop would never be attached to a barn due to the hazards of fire. The main components of a blacksmith shop are a forge, bellows, anvil, hammers, tongs, and other tools. Blacksmiths crafted horseshoes, branding irons, and a variety of tools and were also responsible for metal repairs.
