About Us
Founded in 1964, the Pleasant Valley Historical Society opened the museum in 1988. It is dedicated to serving the community by preserving and presenting the history of the Pleasant Valley area, and sharing our rich heritage with all who visit. The Pleasant Valley Historical Society is a 501©3 nonprofit organization. Federal Tax ID#77-0053272. Please visit and join us today
Where We Are Located
720 Las Posas Road, Camarillo, California
The Museum Building Expansion Project: Phase 1
Above: Soil below the footprint for the new expansion building pad was extracted to create an area for newly compacted soil. Compacted soil provides a stable, unified base for the new expansion building pad and foundation.
Above: The newly compacted soil has been installed and verified. With the pad framing and rebar added, and provisions for water and power, the pad foundation concrete is ready to be poured.
As you may see from the photos above, we are in “construction.” Four years of our “paper” efforts to expand the museum have been completed and we are building. Phase I is digging a hole, filling it and compacting it, creating the base for the concrete slab that will be poured. The pad will include the electrical and plumbing base for the addition to the water company building, our previous museum. All this will take about 4 months. We have all the funds in place for this phase.
Above: The original building preparation continues with removal of the tile ceiling and the obsolete interior walls.
Phase II is the retro-fitting of the original building. The City had the asbestos cleaned from inside of the building. Our volunteers have removed the ceiling tiles and all the wood that framed the bathrooms and office. This saves us some money.
Everything is in place for Phase II and we need your help for the funds to cover this phase. We have been soliciting the funds that are needed to construct phase II. We have board members who have stepped up with additional giving and we have established payment plans. We need your help. If you can, and or know of someone who would, help with the costs of the retrofit, please let us know.
The PVHS Board voted to establish an Advisory Council to help with our community outreach. We are looking for people who would offer advice and resources to expand our community connection. Gerry Olsen has retired from the PVHS Board and has volunteered to be a member. If you think this is a place for you to help PVHS please contact Joy…805-482-0179.
Our Expansion Project
WHY NOW?
The “past” is not what it used to be…1900 and earlier. Today the “past” refers to the entire 20th century! The museum has grown to include the history of the living as well as the “forefathers.” We had been able to offer special children’s programs as well as our Speaker Series, but no longer have room for those programs. We have been asked to provide programs for schools, in both history and science. Space for those programs is critical to sharing history. Our planned expansion will increase the original 1,555 sq. ft. of our display/meeting area with another 1,153 sq. ft. Also, the present building will be renovated/retrofitted. The outside will reflect the craftsman style of the early Pleasant Valley and will include a landmark tower to increase visibility from Las Posas Road. A larger museum will provide:
• Classroom space for interactive school programs and field trips
• Protection/storage for our collections
• A dedicated space for The Fulkerson Library
• Improved parking and accessibility
• Exterior donor wall and bulletin board
Approximate amount to complete this project = $1.5 million
See Expansion Project for more details
Our Expansion Fund Donations
Progress toward our $1.5M goal
Personalized Bricks, part of the Expansion Project's Fundraising Program:
Personalized Bricks Purchased: 208 and growing
~ Visit the "Personalized Brick" page: click/tap the "Go To Personalized Brick" button ~
Events
2023 Annual Don and Doña Presentation Barbeque Event
For 59 years, Don and Doña honors have been awarded to long-time local residents who are nominated by the community. These residents have made a…
Bee & Butterfly Day
The 2023 Bee and Butterfly Event is Canceled for the Expansion Project: For safety reasons, the Garden is not accessible to the public during numerous…
Living History Day
The 2024 Living History Event will not be held in this year; this is due to conflicts with the Museum building expansion schedules. The 2023…
101 Historical Highlights of Camarillo and the Pleasant Valley
