 All photos courtesy Fallbrook Historical Society |
ORIGINALLY PART OF PIO PICO'S Rancho Santa Margarita land grant, with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, this land was transferred to the United States government. Following a completion of land surveys, the property was opened up to homesteading. Eighty acres was titled to a man named Millard Neff in 1883, who sold his homestead two years later. The property changed hands thrice in a five-year period.
In 1890, twenty acres of Neff's original property was purchased by Reverend William Pittenger, a decorated Civil War hero who won one of the first Congressional Medals of Honor for his participation in "Andrew's Raiders," a covert Union Army band used to infiltrate enemy territory, commandeer a Confederate train and destroy communication and transportation links between Atlanta and Chattanooga.
Pittenger documented his experiences and published this account as Daring and Suffering, and later titled the work The Great Locomotive Chase, which inspired two movies, one produced by Walt Disney, featuring Fess Parker.
Building his wood-frame farmhouse in 1895, Pittenger grew fruit and nuts for both personal use and for sale. As the minister of the Fallbrook Methodist-Episcopal Church (1893-1896 and 1898-1899), he was instrumental in organizing the Fallbrook High School District, served as president of the school board, and petitioned for the creation of the Fallbrook Irrigation District.
One of Fallbrook's most prominent citizens, Pittenger passed away in 1904 and is interred in the Fallbrook Odd Fellows Cemetery. His wife sold the property in 1910. The house changed hands several times during the 20th century, and was purchased by the Fallbrook Historical Society in 1981.
Authentically furnished with a focus on the early 20th century, the Pittenger House is considered to be the crown jewel of the Fallbrook Heritage Society, which also operates the Resche School House, the Railroad Heritage Park, the Ford Room, the Barn (Donald J. Rivers Interpretive Center), and the Gem and Mineral Museum.
Fallbrook Historical Society LINK
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