Location A

This is the old Gaviota Village. There is very little of it left today except some old foundations, and walls, but I wanted to include it on the section because of the historical significance to the area. On the map, it is located right at the end of location #9, and the beginning of location #10. The land is currently owned and managed by the State Parks Dept, and I was given permission to go into the property and take these pictures of what is left.

It started out in the early 1900's as the Gaviota Store & Hotel built by Miguel Burke and it also served as a stagecoach stop. Shortly after the original concrete highway was built in 1915, a new store was built by Frank Newland. It had several owners and served until the late 1040's as a store, gas station, phone exchange, auto court, and even a dance hall. The original store was almost destroyed by the Refugio fire of 1955. But it survived and contiuned to server as a Chevron/Standard dealership, restaurant, and store into the 60s. Around 1968, the store and property was sold to the Macco Construction Co., and sadly, in 1970, the popular local buildings were demolished.

Soon thereafter, an ambitios plan was developed to create a series of three villages along the Gaviota Coast which would include a large RV park, shopping, restroom and laundry facilities, etc... And the first order of business was to build a restaurant and another gas station in this location. The restaurant and modern Chevron station were the only things ever built though. Most of the ruins of what is left are of this restaurant, and the parking areas around it. The restaurant was a very large 2-story Cape Cod style building. It had several owners at various times, and was known as the Sunburst Farms, and the Gaviota Village restaurant, but they all failed for various reasons, and the place fell into disrepair in the 80's. In 2002 it mysteriously burned to the ground.

Google Earth view of this location...The original store would be on the lower left near the highway, the restaurant remains are on the upper left, and the 2nd Chevron station would be on the middle right.

The original Burke Store.

The Gaviota store/ station as it looked in the 30's.

The store when it was first owned by Frank Newland

As a Standard/Chevron in the 50's and 60's.

The "Gaviota Village" in the 70's. The original store has been demolished and the restaurant and new Chevron were built.

The ill-fated restaurant as it appeared in the 70's.

Looking east. This is the path of the old 1915 highway as it approached the old store.

Looking North. The path leading up to the restaruant.

A corner of the white rock walls that surrounded the old restaurant.

White rocks were also used on the exterior floors.

Another shot of the rock wall looking south.

View looking south of the expansive cement foundation of the restaurant.

The north end of the property showing a foundation of a small building next to the restaurant.

Your guess is as good as mine on what this was. Possibly a bathroom?

A closer view of this hexagonal pattern on the floor.

Another shot looking west showing the exterior floor and rock wall.

The south end of the restaruant. You can see the 101 in the background.

This is the parking area on the northeast area of the property.

This small ruins of a foundation is all that I could find left of the original Gaviota Store.

 

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