San Luis Obispo County CA Archives Photo Place.....Coffee T. Rice House, Oceano 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 27, 2006, 10:42 pm

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COFFEE T. RICE HOUSE 
Oceano, California

History and Description:

Coffee T. Rice was a wealthy financier, with enterprises throughout the State,
who migrated from Ohio to San Francisco.  When a railroad was surveyed through
this area he envisioned an industrial center here and acquired various
properties close to the right of way.  He introduced celery production to the area.

Rice started construction on his home in 1885 using the same craftsmen that were
working on the Pitkin House. The house originally had 20 rooms and was painted
yellow. Surrounded by well-kept grounds with various trees and a sundial, the
house was approached by an oval driveway and a stone-pillared entryway.  The
grounds also included a paddock, racetrack and various other outbuildings.  The
original kitchen was too small, so a large one was added to the back; this has
since been removed.  Some of the materials used included mahogany, teak, marble
and tile. Wall construction was of 2 x 6 rough studding, sheeting and siding and
redwood lath covered with plaster.  Bathtubs and sinks were of marble,
fireplaces were of marble and hand-made Italian tile.  Furniture came from the
east coast.  The house was completed in 1886.

Hard times befell Rice; his son was killed in a riding accident, his wife
suffered from neurasthenia and he lost his fortune due to the slow construction
of the railroad.  By 1895 when the first train rolled in, Rice had moved out.

Lewis C. Routzahn, his wife, and three sons occupied the house in 1897.  At this
time, the third floor was still unfinished, containing only scaffolding.

In 1905 the house and land were purchased by the Temple of the People (The
Halcyonites).  The third floor was completed and the building used as a
sanatorium until 1925.  Various other people lived there until its sale in the
1940's.  Most of the plumbing was removed at that time.  The third owner, James
Olin, did some renovation. In 1959 Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Fowler purchased the
house. They lived in the house and did some restoration and alterations,
including remodeling the kitchen and the addition of a trailer park.

The last sale of the house and property was in 1965 to Robert Conway who
converted part of the ground floor into a recreation room and the second floor
into apartments. The house is presently needing to be painted, plumbing stacks
the exterior and trailers are parked all around.

Sources:
Santa Maria Times. May 28, 1968 
Doris Olsen 
Anna Altamirano


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Discovering San Luis Obispo County
by
Carleton M. Winslow


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