The Inland Empire is rich with history.  The Rains House, also known as Casa de Cucamonga Rancho is a little hidden historical treasure two blocks from the famous Route 66.

I have lived in the area for nearly 20 years and I didn’t know such place existed. On my first visit there I learned a lot about how the Rancho Cucamonga area developed and how it came to be what it is today.  All this knowledge came from this one little house made of bricks.

This blog post is not about a history lesson but of a place in our town that puts you back in a time when there was nothing but vineyards, sand, and rocks in the area.  The house has lots of windows, but it is still dark inside because it is as it was with no electricity.

The house has a entry hall that extends straight to the patio. The light wooden floors are shiny, covered slightly by 3 old oriental carpets.  Two oil burning chandeliers hang from the tall ceiling. On one side of the hall is a big parlor with Victorian stile furniture and a big SQUARE piano.  Can you believe that? a square piano.  In reality it is rectangular but it is called square piano.  In the room hang pictures of the original owners, John Rains, Maria Merced Williams de Rains, and José Carrillo (Doña Merced’s second husband).

From the entry hall you can enter 3 bedrooms.  One of the rooms is next to the parlor and 2 more bedrooms across from it.  Two of these rooms are decorated with items from the late 1800 and early 1900.  There are two old desks from when the house was used as the first school in the area.  I think they needed the school since Doña Merced had 9 children between her two marriages, the school started in 1870. The 3rd bedroom has been converted into a gift shop.

Outside, the patio is surrounded by more rooms on two sides.  Straight ahead is a gate to the backyard.  Two of the rooms were used as guest rooms.  One door leads to the kitchen and dining room, and another door leads to the padre’s room which is decorated with pictures of priests.  In the middle of the patio is a well, some trees and a bell.

Through the gate, seating on a brick floor, is an old horse-pulled carriage, a work table, some horse hitching, and a saddle. The house is surrounded by plush green grass and a small grape vineyard.

The grounds keeper and tour guide is Pamela and she is very knowledgeable of the history of the house. You can ask her anything and she can give you excellent information about the house, the people related to the house, and the surrounding area.  It is a great place to visit.  I highly recommend it.

The Casa de Rancho Cucamonga (Rains House) 8810 Hemlock, Rancho Cucamonga, California. (909) 989-4970. Open Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Group tours by special appointment. Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For more information regarding the history of the house and the Rancho Cucamonga area please visit City of Rancho Cucamonga site.