Lakeman House razed, but its history lives on
Built for Civil War veteran, Old Town property was farm, eatery along Highway 395
At nearly 140 years old, the Lakeman House in Old Town Murrieta was a relic of the area’s diverse history.
But after the Murrieta City Council approved a demolition permit a year ago, the historic house on the corner of Juniper Street and Washington Avenue, next to Ray’s Café, was torn down Tuesday morning.
Jeffery Harmon, president of the Murrieta Valley Historical Society, said the decision to tear down the property — said to be the second oldest surviving house in the city — was not taken lightly. Restoration estimates were around $1 million-$2 million.
“Property owners sought investors to help restore the home, but were unable to secure the funding,” Harmon wrote this week on Facebook. “I had to decide whether to fight and raise the money to protect the house, or raise money to build the Murrieta Museum. I believe that building the museum would have a greater impact and benefit for the community than preserving the house.”
Operators from So Cal Sandbags construction company arrived early Tuesday to take down the aging structure.
The Lakeman House was first red-tagged by the city in 2016, according to a report. The land was purchased in 2017, when rare artifacts inside the home were collected and donated to the Murrieta Museum.
The current property owners — a group of investors who bought the land several years ago — have said they want to renovate it into an outdoor dining, community theater and entertainment “experience … with the potential of re-creating the Lakeman House facade,” said Casey Jurado, one of the property owners with Downtown Murrieta 395: Merchants & Property Owners Association.
The group is working on permits, as well as fundraising, with help from the city and the Murrieta Arts Council. The space would be called “Ray’s 395 Café.”
Some called the Lakeman House Murrieta’s “beloved landmark,” a jewel in the 31-year-old city.
The house was built in 1885 for Abram Burnett — a Civil War veteran — as a traindelivered Sears Catalog “kit home,” one of two historic homes in old town, according to the Murrieta Valley Historical Society.
In 1903, the land was sold to German immigrants Earnest and Mary Lakeman for $1,000. The Lakemans grew crops on the property and opened a fruit stand and confectionery store, which later expanded into the Lakeman Lunch Room, a stop along the old U.S. Highway 395 for travelers going down to San Diego, according to the Murrieta Valley Historical Society.
Years later, the property was sold to Ray and Joanne Bezanson in 1953, who renamed the lunch room to Ray’s Murrieta Café. The restaurant continued to serve customers until it closed in 2006.
In 2017, the home’s last occupants, siblings Gilbert and Muriel Bezanson, moved out of the condemned house. Volunteers with the Murrieta Valley Historical Society collected thousands of artifacts from the site — from antique photographs and musical instruments, to an original deed to the city. The collection allowed the Murrieta Museum to open in 2019.
Harmon said he and his children helped to clean the property, which he called a “time capsule,” uncovering artifacts dating to the 1880s.
“The Lakeman House was a reminder of a bygone era,” Harmon said by email. “I was able to share my passion for historic preservation and to pass on that sense of ownership of protecting one’s history to my children. They were able to learn so much about
the town they grew up in. Each morning I would drive them to school and we would pass the Lakeman House (and) share our memories about our time on the property.”
Community members have mixed feelings about the demolition, many writing on Facebook they were sad to see the house go.
“I loved this landmark. Probably tearing it down to make room for a new
Starbucks or another unnecessary store. So sad to hear they took it down,” wrote Nessa Escobar on Facebook.
“As a historian, it does break my heart to see it go,” Shelby Reno wrote. “It’s very unfortunate that it was allowed to become derelict by ownership, but when structures become unsafe and preserving it to its original state would be nearly impossible, the only choice is demolition. Hopefully, materials from the demo can be salvaged, repurposed and preserved.”